SAN ANTONIO – A program-best eight Roadrunners from the UTSA baseball team have been named to Conference USA's All-Conference Teams, announced the league on Tuesday.
Simon Miller has been named the C-USA Pitcher of the Year, as well as earning First Team honors. Joining him on the First Team is Antonio Valdez. On the Second Team, five Roadrunners made the list, including Josh Killeen, Leyton Barry, Caleb Hill, Luke Malone and Sammy Diaz. Ruger Riojas was named to the All-Freshman Team. These eight selections are the most by a UTSA team in program history, beating the previous team-high of seven by the 2007 team in the Southland Conference.
FIRST TEAM
Simon Miller has had one of the most outstanding seasons by a UTSA pitcher in school history. His ERA led the nation from March 20 through April 10. He has stayed in the top 10 of the ERA rankings every other week. His 12 saves is the second-best in the Conference USA and 10th best in the nation. His eight wins is the most in the Conference USA and best by a relief pitcher in the league, while also being 30th in the nation. His Pitcher of the Year honors is the first by a Roadrunner since 2018 and 17th overall.
Antonio Valdez has made a huge impact on the UTSA Roadrunners, joining the team for his final year of eligibility. He has led the Roadrunners with 29 multi-hit games, including 20 two-hit games, seven three-hit games, and two four-hit games. In the nation, he is 26th in hits, 37th in RBI and fourth in triples. His seven triples have contributed greatly to UTSA's 27 triples, which is second in the nation. Holding an over-.400 batting average for the majority of the season, his grit at the plate has helped the Roadrunners to their .311 batting average, which is 18th in the nation.
SECOND TEAM
Josh Killeen has been a vital part of UTSA's success this season, holding it down behind the plate at catcher. He has 12 multi-hit games with eight two-hit games and four three-hit games. He's currently on a 19-game reached base streak. In 48 games, he has drawn 30 walks and stole four bases. In 364 chances, he has made 342 putouts and 20 assists. He has also caught seven runners stealing.
Leyton Barry has been a consistent force in UTSA's lineup in his fifth and final year with the Roadrunners. He has played in all 55 games, starting in 54, all while holding down the second base spot. He has a team-best 16 doubles, helping lead a UTSA team that is second in the Conference USA with a .508 slugging percentage. He had a program-best five hit game in UTSA's program record 31-6 win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi on March 11.
Caleb Hill earned the starting left field position a couple weeks into the season. He had a team-high two-double game against Baylor on February 28. Hill has 19 multi-hit games, including 13 two-hit games and six three-hit games. He also has 12 multi-RBI games with eight two-RBI games and four three-RBI games. He had a season-best 19-game reached-base streak. With four triples this season, he has the third-best in the conference.
Setting the tone as UTSA's Friday ace, Luke Malone's 85 full innings pitched is third in the Conference USA and his 75 strikeouts is ninth in the league. His six wins is eighth in the conference. His WHIP of 1.40 and .284 opponents' batting average is second on the Roadrunners' roster (of eligible players). In conference play, he leads the Roadrunners with five wins and 51 strikeouts.
Sammy Diaz has provided much needed utility power to the Roadrunners lineup, earning starts at both catcher and first base. He has 14 multi-hit games, including 13 two-hit games and a three-hit game. Diaz also has six multi-RBI games, including five two-RBI games and a three-RBI game. He scored a team-best five runs in UTSA's program-high 31-6 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on March 11. Behind the plate, he had a team-best 15 putouts against FIU on April 22. He is the second-toughest batter to strike out in the nation, according to the official NCAA Statistics site.
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
As a true freshman, Ruger Riojas has been phenomenal on the mound. Making 19 appearances, he has kept his opponents to just 21 runs. Of the 45.1 innings he has pitched, he has turned in 22.1 scoreless innings across 10 appearances. His strikeout ratio is astonishing, striking out 55 batters. He has the fourth most wins on the team with five this season. He has provided much needed middle relief support in the Roadrunners' bullpen, contributing to UTSA's ERA which is fourth-best in the C-USA.
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