Two-time Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year Chris Pfatenhauer is in his 10th season as head coach of the Dixie State Baseball program. During his tenure in the DSU dugout, Pfatenhauer has led the Trailblazers to consecutive Pacific West Conference titles in 2014 and 2015, five-straight trips (six-straight overall) to the NCAA West Regionals from 2013-17, and has posted a .500 or better record in nine of those seasons. He won his 200th-game at DSU in 2018 in a 8-1 victory at Concordia-Irvine (4/26/18), and has posted a 278-160-1 (.634) overall record, and owns a 330-219-1 (.601) career mark.
Pfatenhauer guided the Dixie State program into its first season of NCAA Division I play, which saw the Blazers win 13 of their final 19 games to finish with a 24-32 overall record, highlighted by an 11-9 triumph at then-No. 6 Arizona in the penultimate game of the season (5/28). DSU also posted a 21-15 mark in its debut season of Western Athletic Conference play, which was good for fourth place in the league standings.
In the abbreviated 2020 season, Pfatenhauer led the Trailblazers to a 15-3 overall record (4-0 in RMAC play) and had his team ranked in the top-25 nationally in two polls before the season came to an abrupt halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In DSU's debut in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 2019, Pfatenhauer guided Dixie State to a 35-19 overall record, which included a third place finish (23-13) in conference play and a semifinal finish at the 2019 RMAC Tournament.
In 2017, Pfatenhauer led DSU to a 39-14-1 overall record and a runner-up finish in the PacWest standings. In addition, the Trailblazers advanced to the NCAA West Regional championship game.
In 2016, Pfatenhauer led the Trailblazers to an NCAA-era program-best 40 victories (40-14), including a program record 10-0 start to open the year. In addition, he was in the dugout for his 200th DSU game as head coach at Concordia (4/29/16), and also coached in his 300th-career game at Point Loma (4/8/16).
Pfatenhauer brings an extensive background in various levels of baseball, as well as teaching. Prior to his arrival at DSU, he spent three season as assistant coach at the University of Nevada, Reno under longtime head coach Gary Powers. Pfatenhauer worked primarily with the infielders, served as recruiting coordinator, and was a base coach. In addition, Pfatenhauer served as an adjunct professor and liaison for the UNR School of Medicine and Sports Medicine program.
For two seasons in 2008-09, Pfatenhauer was an assistant coach at Chico State (Calif.), where he worked with the Wildcat hitters, infielders and taught base running. He also served as recruiting coordinator and assisted in all aspects of the baseball program. During his time at Chico, the Wildcats played to a 77-38 record and were ranked as high as second-nationally. Defensively Chico State finished in the nation's top-15 both years and had a Wildcat infielder named to the National Rawlings Gold Glove team, while the 2009 CSU club ranked first in 15 offensive categories.
Prior to his time at Chico State, Pfatenhauer spent three seasons at the College of the Ozarks (Missouri), the last two as head coach. In his three years, the Bobcats posted a record of 88-74, while the 2005 team made the school's first playoff appearances in 20 years, and the 2006 club reached a national ranking of 17th, the highest in the program's history.
From 2001-04, he was the head baseball coach and taught physical education at Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas, where he led the Crusaders to a 97-23 record, a pair of state titles and three Southern Nevada Championships. Pfatenhauer also had 12 players go on to play collegiate baseball. He was a two-time AA State Baseball Coach of the Year (2003-04) and garnered AA Southern Nevada Coach of the Year honors three times. During this tenure at FLHS, Pfatenhauer also coached the Las Vegas Metro Stars, a scout team for the best players in the area.
Pfatenhauer is credited for starting the baseball program at the College of Southern Nevada as a club team in the summer of 1998. He led the efforts to raise the entire operation budget to field a competitive baseball team. In addition he spent time as an assistant coach at Treasure Valley Community College (Ore.) and at Glendale CC (Calif.). He also served as an assistant coach with the Durango (Nev.) American Legion program and as an instructor at the Las Vegas Baseball Academy.
Coach Pfatenhauer is a 2000 graduate of UNLV, where received a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education. He went on to earn a Master's degree in Education from Southwest Baptist (Mo.) in 2007. He and his wife, Ashley, are the parents of three daughters - Dylan, Cadence and Colbie.
