SAN ANTONIO – The Roadrunners are back at Roadrunner Field this Tuesday, May 3 to host in-state school UTRGV. UTSA returns home following a weekend series win over Middle Tennessee which saw the Roadrunners outscore the Blue Raiders 26-8 across three games.
UTSA (30-14, 14-7 C-USA) enters the midweek contest with an 8-2 record in its ten midweek games on the year. The Roadrunners are 5-1 in their last six midweek games. Of those five wins, two came over ranked opponents (No. 11 TCU and No. 7 Texas State.
The Roadrunners head into the midweek game boasting a 44 RPI ranking and are again receiving votes amongst the major polls. UTSA has won nine straight home games stretching all the way back to March 20.
UTRGV (26-18, 12-9 WAC) comes into Tuesday's game riding a three-game win streak which saw the Vaqueros sweep a weekend series over interconference rival Tarleton State.
UTRGV and UTSA have played six common opponents on the season. The two teams both met Texas State, Tarleton, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Houston Baptist and Incarnate Word. The Vaqueros have a combined record of 8-8 whereas UTSA is 8-2 against the same teams.
This will be the 84th all-time meeting between the two Texas programs. The Roadrunners hold a 53-30 advantage over UTRGV which dates all the way back to 1992. UTSA is 29-11 against the Vaqueros in contests held in San Antonio.
Miscellaneous Notes
- UTSA enters the weekend series having the second-highest batting average (.307) in all of Conference USA and ranks 20th nationally.
- UTSA possesses the tenth-most hits in college baseball with 478. Ranking first in C-USA.
- UTSA leads the nation with 33 sac flies.
- UTSA has 13 triples on the year, tops in C-USA.
- UTSA has the most RBI in the conference with 344.
- The Roadrunners are averaging 8.5 runs a game the second-most in C-USA and 16th overall.
- UTSA's 375 runs rank 17th in college baseball and most in conference.
- The Roadrunners have hit 100 doubles, the 16th most in baseball ranking first in C-USA.
- UTSA ranks third in C-USA with 210 walks drawn.
- Pitcher Luke Malone owns the third-lowest ERA in all of Conference USA with a 1.99. That ERA ranks 17th nationally.
- Malone has allowed the fifth-fewest runs (21) in Conference USA. He has only allowed 14 earned runs, the third-fewest in C-USA.
- Malone has allowed just four home runs, the sixth-fewest in C-USA, and 11 walks, sixth lowest in C-USA, in his 63.1 IP (which ranks top eight in conference).
- Malone is tied for the most wins in C-USA with seven to his name.
- Pitcher Daniel Shafer is tied for the fifth-most saves in C-USA with five.
- Sammy Diaz has been hit by a pitch 11 times – fifth-most in C-USA.
- Jonathan Tapia has hit the most doubles in C-USA (17) and has also been hit by a pitch 14 times on the year, placing him third in C-USA.
- Tapia was HBP for the 51st time in his career this last weekend, breaking the UTSA school record.
- Being on base has helped him score 50 runs on the year. Third most in C-USA.
- Ian Bailey has logged the most at-bats in the conference (185). In those at-bats he:
- Has the third-most triples of any C-USA player (3).
- Scored the fourth most runs with 48.
- Ryan Flores has drawn 32 walks on the season which ranks as the fourth most in C-USA.
- Flores, Tapia and teammate Chase Keng are all three in the top 10 of most sac flies by C-USA players. Flores is second in conference with six while Keng and Tapia have five.
- Chase Keng also ranks seventh in the conference for most RBI, having earned 47.
- Outfielder Shane Sirdashney owns the eighth-best batting average in C-USA, posting a .357.
- Sirdashney also owns the fourth-best on-base percentage with a .479.
- Garrett Poston is also top-ten in the conference for OBP. Poston owns a .465, which places him seventh amongst C-USA players.
- Infielder Leyton Barry has the fifth most at-bats (179) in C-USA and has produced the fifth-most hits in Conference USA, totaling 62.
Weekday Information
Tuesday, May 3 at 6 p.m.
RHP, Fr. Ryan Beaird (2-2, 5.68 ERA) vs. RHP, Jr. J.C. Ariza (1-1, 4.60 ERA)
The game will take place at Roadrunner Field and will be streamed on CUSA TV.
UP NEXT: UTSA will continue its homestand this weekend as it plays host to fellow Conference USA school Marshall. The series will take place over the May 6-8 weekend as all games will be played at Roadrunner Field and each game will be broadcast on CUSA TV.
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