Utah Returns Home for Texas Tech Series

Friday, April 17

Salt Lake City, Utah

6 p.m.

University of Utah

Texas Tech

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Photo by: Sophia Kuder/Utah Athletics

4/16/2026 8:52 AM | Baseball

Utes begin seven-game homestand at America First Ballpark

2026 Utah Baseball Game Notes
Games 33-35 Date // Time (MT)	Utah (17-15, 6-9 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech (20-16, 6-9 Big 12) Friday, April 17 // 6 p.m. Saturday, April 18 // 2 p.m. Sunday, April 19 // 1 p.m.
Location	Salt Lake City, Utah (America First Ballpark) Address: 725 S Guardsman Way Know Before U Go // Parking Map
Live Statistics	StatBroadcast
Watch	ESPN+
Game Notes	Utah // Texas Tech // Big 12 Conference
@UtahBaseball Social Media	Twitter/X // Instagram // Facebook // #GoUtes

This Weekend's Fan Experience Rundown

Parking is free for all Utah Baseball home games. Fans may park in Lot 40, Lot 9 or Lot 1. Click here for a parking map. Please note that game parking is not permitted in the neighborhoods South of America First Ballpark or in the lot directly in front of the Salt Lake Sports Complex. Fans can also ride UTA free with a valid game ticket; both the No. 9 and 17 bus routes have stops directly outside America First Ballpark and the TRAX Red Line is close by as well.
Gates open one hour before first pitch. Read Know Before U Go for a full outline of ballpark policies and tips.
Friday's series opener will include a recognition for the Utah Ski Team, which captured the 2026 NCAA Championship and has won 18 national titles in its history. The Utes had two individual national champions this year on the way to winning their second straight team crown and fifth in the last six years.
The Greek Life night that was slated for Friday has been rescheduled and will now take place next Friday, April 24, against UCF.
A championship theme continues on Saturday as Utah Baseball celebrates the 10-year anniversary of its 2016 team that won the Pac-12 Championship. Nearly every member of that team, plus family members, are anticipated to attend and be recognized. That year, Utah was picked last in the Pac-12 Preseason Poll before proving the doubters wrong and taking two of three games from Washington to clinch the league crown in front of 6,071 fans at Smith's Ballpark. It made the baseball program the first men's team at the U to win a championship in a Power Conference. Former longtime Utah skipper (and current ESPN+ analyst) Bill Kinneberg was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year and outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was named a freshman All-American.
As with all Sunday home games, kids can come down on the field after the game and run the bases.

The First Pitch: Things to Know

After almost three weeks away from home, Utah Baseball returns to America First Ballpark Friday and begins a three-game Big 12 series against Texas Tech. It'll also kick off a seven-game homestand for the Utes.
Utah went toe-to-toe last weekend with No. 18 Arizona State, where the Utes scored 23 runs in the first two games. Utah fell in the rubber match against the Sun Devils, moving its conference record to 6-9 on the season.
The Utes opened the series with a 10-4 statement win over ASU, responding to an early deficit with a three-run second inning and a four-run fifth to take control, highlighted by Jack Kleveno's three-run home run.
Kleveno turned in a breakout performance with his first collegiate home run and finishing with a career-high four RBIs, reaching base five times with two walks and a hit-by-pitch.
Despite an eventual loss, Utah delivered one of its most resilient efforts of the season last Saturday against the Sun Devils, trailing 12-5 in the top of the ninth inning before erupting for eight runs to take a 13-12 lead. Three of those runs came with two outs.
Left fielder Jake Long ignited the rally with a leadoff home run in the ninth, while Cameron Gurney delivered the go-ahead two-run single as part of a 32-minute inning that showcased Utah's relentlessness.
Long enters the weekend ranked eighth in the Big 12 in batting average (.375), eighth in RBIs (43) and 12th in slugging percentage (.654). It represents a batting average climb of more than 100 points from last season for Long.
First baseman Cameron Gurney has been exceptional in his redshirt junior season, hitting .368 and stringing together a .484 OBP (10th in Big 12). He ran up a 24-game on-base streak that came to an end last Sunday at ASU.
Cal Miller has proven to be very effective in his freshman campaign. The Centerville, Utah, native bats .346 from the left side, with 13 of his 36 hits going for extra-bases. He went 6-for-11 in the ASU series.
Center fielder Jet Gilliam recently popped into the top-15 for batting average in the Big 12, swinging the bat at a .364 clip. Defensively, he has been flawless and totaled several highlight-worthy catches.

This Week in Utah Baseball History
April 13, 1951 – Utah opens the season by sweeping Utah State in a doubleheader on the road. Between the two games, Pete Carlston's club belted out 22 hits on the way to 8-1 and 14-3 victories. In just the fourth year since reinstating varsity baseball, the Utes started the season 11-0 on the way to the Skyline Conference championship and a berth in the College World Series.

April 15, 2016 - In a non-conference weekend, Jayson Rose and Dylan Drachler throw a one-hit combined shutout as Utah downs UC Riverside by a 4-0 score at Smith's Ballpark. Rose had eight strikeouts in eight innings, while Cody Scaggari went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer. A little over a month later, the Utes would win their first Pac-12 Championship and advance to their first NCAA Regional since 2009.