Northern Colorado Bears baseball will continue their extended road trip with a four-game series against Utah Tech starting Friday, February 27. The opening game is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. MT at Bruce Hurst Field.
In their previous outing, the Bears were swept in a four-game series by New Mexico at Lobo Baseball Field. Despite the losses, Northern Colorado’s offense was active throughout the weekend. The Bears dropped the opener 16–5 after New Mexico scored five runs in the first inning and seven more in the fifth. Saturday’s doubleheader saw Northern Colorado lose 6–0 in game one and narrowly fall 6–5 in game two, collecting 14 hits in that contest. In Sunday’s finale, the Bears forced extra innings but ultimately lost 12–11 in ten innings. Over the last three games of the series, Northern Colorado totaled 40 hits and had several players record multiple hits per game.
The team’s offensive leaders include Zeke Minic, who has started strong with a .429 batting average and a 1.000 OPS on six hits from 14 at-bats. Jake Bullard leads with a .379 average and a team-best 1.107 OPS, contributing four doubles, one home run, and five walks to help generate scoring chances. Mason Griffin is hitting .308 over eight starts while Logan Pruski holds a .286 average with four RBIs. Jaden Stone has scored eight runs so far this season and posted an .815 OPS.
Brett Barber has driven in five runs—the most on the team—thanks to two doubles and a triple, providing timely offense when needed. Sam Pease continues to add depth to the lineup as he works toward greater consistency at bat.
Utah Tech enters this series with a strong start to their season at 7-1 overall. Their lineup features consistent contact hitters and plate discipline; through eight games they are batting .304 with a .411 on-base percentage and have outscored opponents by more than double (63–31). The Trailblazers have drawn 42 walks compared to just 48 strikeouts while maintaining defensive efficiency—a .986 fielding percentage with only four errors and seven double plays turned.
Key contributors for Utah Tech include Kyle McDaniel (.469 AVG/.585 OBP/.625 SLG), Ty Johnsen (four doubles, .611 SLG), and Ryan Kroepel (team-leading 11 RBIs). Other regulars such as Petey Soto Jr., Kace Naone, and Miller Durham are also hitting above .300.
Fans can watch all four games live via WAC International or follow updates through UNC Baseball’s official social media channels.
After facing Utah Tech, Northern Colorado will travel to Las Vegas for two midweek games against UNLV on March 3 and March 4 at Earl E. Wilson Baseball Stadium.
“The Diamond Club plays a vital role in supporting the UNC Baseball program. By giving to the Diamond Club, you help provide access to facility enhancements—such as the Jackson Field Turf Project—along with advanced technology and elevated daily operations, giving our student-athletes the resources to compete and excel at the highest level.”
For more information about UNC Athletics or updates on Bears baseball, visit uncbears.com or follow @UNC_BearsBSB on X (formerly Twitter) or @UNC_BearsBaseball on Instagram.
