| April 30, 2004 UTSA meets Texas-Arlington Saturday in second round of SLC Tournament 2004 SLC Postseason Tournament Bracket |
UTSA Roadrunners (34-15)
vs.
Texas-Arlington Lady Mavs (24-23-1)
Bobcat Field - San Marcos, Texas
Game 50: Saturday, May 1 - 11 a.m.
UTSA vs. Texas-Arlington History
UTSA vs. Texas-Arlington: UTSA leads, 24-18
Last three meetings:
UTSA 6, UTA 3 (March 6, 2004 - San Antonio)
UTSA 5, UTA 4 (March 6, 2004 - San Antonio)
UTA 2, UTSA 1 (9 inn.) (March 7, 2004 - San Antonio)
Week In Review
UTSA won its first-ever Southland Conference title with a doubleheader sweep at McNeese State on Monday. The Roadrunners won game one, 3-0, behind a complete-game shutout from freshman pitcher Ursula Mares and two-hit performances at the plate from freshman Aimee Murray and sophomore Jessica Els. UTSA came from 1-0 down in the top of the seventh to win game two, 2-1 in nine innings. Mares carried a no-hitter into the fifth, while sophomores Jessica Rogers and Jenny Garcia provided the game-tying and winning RBI-doubles in the conference-clinching victory.
From Worst To First
In 2003, UTSA finished last in the Southland Conference with a 7-20 record. Head coach Corrie Hill orchestrated a remarkable turnaround this spring, guiding the Roadrunners to their first league crown with a 20-6 mark. UTSA is 34-15 overall, tied for the second-best win total in school history, and has won 19 of its past 20 contests.
SLC Tournament History
The Roadrunners opened up the 2004 Southland Conference Tournament with a 6-3 win over Nicholls State on Friday. UTSA last made the SLC Tournament in 2002, defeating McNeese State, 7-0, in the first round before losing to Northwestern State, 1-0, and Southeastern Louisiana, 5-0. The Roadrunners are 7-12 all-time in SLC Tournament action. Here's a rundown of the rest of UTSA's SLC Tournament games:
1996
Nicholls State L, 12-3
McNeese State W, 2-0
Nicholls State L, 1-0 (10)
1997
Northeast Louisiana L, 1-0 (9)
Texas-Arlington W, 2-0
Northwestern State L, 4-0
1998
Southeastern Louisiana L, 4-3
Northwestern State L, 3-1
1999
McNeese State L, 2-1
Northwestern State L, 2-0
2000
McNeese State W, 9-1
Southwest Texas W, 1-0
Northwestern State W, 8-0
Northwestern State L, 3-0
Northwestern State L, 4-3
Top Of The Charts
In 2003, UTSA slugged 80 home runs over 55 games for a 1.45 home runs per game average. That mark led the nation just ahead of NCAA Champion UCLA's 1.44 average. Roadrunners who hit 71 of those 80 home runs (89 percent) are back in uniform in 2004, led by senior Christy Brownlee, who hit a team-best 15 last year.
Going, Going, Gone
UTSA has soared past last year's NCAA-leading home run pace, belting 94 home runs through 49 games for a 1.92 average. The Roadrunners lead the nation in total home runs and homers per game by a sizeable margin ahead of Louisiana-Lafayette (67/1.31), Arizona (58/1.23), UCLA (57/1.50) and LSU (55/1.06).
Early Risers
UTSA has struck for runs early and often in 2004. In the first three innings combined, the Roadrunners own a 162-70 advantage over their opponents through 49 games this year. The fourth inning has been friendly, as well, with the Roadrunners outscoring the opposition 53-15. UTSA has outscored its foes 306-149 overall, an average of 6.2-3.0 per game.
No April Fool's Day Joke
On April 1, UTSA tied the NCAA single-game home run record with eight long balls in game one of a doubleheader against Texas Southern. If that was not enough, the Roadrunners belted eight more bombs in the nightcap to equal the mark twice in the same day. Senior Christy Brownlee slugged four of the 16 homers, two in each game, while sophomore Jessica Rogers hit three and junior Krystal Gibson and sophomore Stacey Gillespie lost two apiece. In an interesting bit of irony, I-35 rival Texas State set the record against Stephen F. Austin on March 2, 2002. One of the eight homers hit that day was by current UTSA assistant coach Stephanie Hughes. Almost lost in all the home run buzz is the fact that freshman pitcher Ursula Mares hurled her first career no-hitter in game one, the first no-no at UTSA since Denise Briggs in 2000.
Third Time's The Charm
In the third and final game with Texas Southern one week later in Houston, UTSA broke the NCAA single-game home run record with 10 long balls in a 26-1 crushing of the Tigers. Junior Jessica Ellison hit two homers in the fifth inning, the second one the record-breaker. Sophomores Jessica Rogers and Jenny Garcia and freshman Aimee Murray also hit two apiece. UTSA also tied the NCAA single-game total bases record of 64 set by Canisius in 1990, pounding out an SLC-record 28 hits, including the 10 homers, four doubles and one triple.
On The National Radar
UTSA's power-hitting prowess has gained national attention this season. As of April 28, the Roadrunners find themselves ranked in several categories. Besides leading the NCAA in home runs (93) and home runs per game (1.94), UTSA ranks fifth in scoring at 6.25 runs per game and 10th in batting average at .321. Individually, Christy Brownlee leads the NCAA in home runs (20) and homers per game (0.42) and ranks 11th in slugging percentage (.822). Jessica Rogers is tied for ninth in homers per game (0.33), while Krystal Gibson is 17th (0.29). Additionally, UTSA ranks 30th in fielding percentage (.967) and Ursula Mares is tied for 12th in victories (24).
League Leaders
UTSA has been one of the Southland Conference's top offensive clubs on a yearly basis since Corrie Hill took over the program in 1999. This year is no different as the Roadrunners lead the league in nine offensive categories as of April 29. The Roadrunners top the charts in batting average (.321), slugging percentage (.600), on-base percentage (.392), runs scored (300), hits (412), RBI (282), doubles (71), home runs (93), total bases (770) and sacrifice flies (11). The Roadrunners top the charts in fielding percentage (.967), a category they ranked dead last (.939) in last year. In conference games only, UTSA has made its mark on the offensive charts. The Roadrunners lead the league in batting average (.310), slugging percentage (.553) and on-base percentage (.382). UTSA dominates several categories with 148 runs scored, 37 more than Texas State (111), 213 hits, 39 more than Northwestern State (174), 142 RBI, 41 more than Texas State (101), 42 home runs, 24 more than Texas State (18) and 380 total bases, 104 more than Texas State (276).
Movin' On Up
Senior Christy Brownlee has developed into one of the top all-around players in UTSA history during her career. The Galena Park native ranks in the top 10 on 20 of UTSA's 22 single-season or career offensive and defensive charts. She broke Michelle McElyea's record for career home runs with her 38th career long ball against Louisiana Tech on Feb. 20 and now has upped that mark to 54. Brownlee broke three more career records in the doubleheader sweep of Texas Southern on April 1. She moved past McElyea for first place on UTSA's career RBI chart and ahead of former All-American Amanda Michalsky on the runs scored and extra-base hits lists. Brownlee also broke McElyea's career at-bats standard against Texas State and her career walks record at McNeese State. For her career, Brownlee now has 151 runs, 133 RBI, 88 walks, 90 extra-base hits and 705 at-bats. Other career rankings for Brownlee include second with 216 hits and 390 assists and sixth with 34 doubles. Brownlee broke the SLC and UTSA single-season home run record of 19 set by Michalsky in 1999 with her 20th against Northwestern State on April 9. Brownlee also has put herself in position to rank as one of the NCAA's all-time best home run sluggers. Her SLC-record 53 career bombs already ranks 14th on the NCAA list. She moved into a tie for 20th on the NCAA single-season chart with her 21st long ball on Friday against Nicholls
State.
On A Roll
UTSA has won 19 of its past 20 games and the success of several players at the plate and in the circle has played a big role. As a team, the Roadrunners are batting .360 with an unbelievable 57 home runs (2.85 per game), 30 doubles, a slugging percentage of .731 and an on-base percentage of .419. Individually, two Roadrunners are hitting above .400 during the stretch (minimum 40 at-bats). Krystal Gibson leads the team with a .424 mark, including nine homers, 18 RBI, 17 runs scored and a slugging percentage of .932. Jessica Rogers is batting .408 with seven bombs, 14 RBI and 19 runs. Four more players - Christy Brownlee (.389), Jennifer Davis (.389), Jessica Els (.382) and Aimee Murray (.362). Brownlee has 10 homers, 21 RBI and slugging percentage of 1.019 in the 20-game stretch. In the circle, Ursula Mares is 15-0 with a 2.09 ERA and 61 strikeouts against just 26 walks.
Weekly Honors
UTSA has garnered seven Southland Conference Hitter or Pitcher of the Week honors this year. Christy Brownlee has been hitter of the Week three times, including back-to-back weeks on March 29 and April 5, while Ursula Mares has received Pitcher of the Week accolades twice. Other honorees are Krystal Gibson on March 9 and Krystal Guevara on April 19.
Notables
Jennifer Davis currently is riding a season-best 10-game hitting streak ... Jessica Els had the Roadrunners' longest hitting streak, an 11-game stretch that ended in early April ... Jessica Rogers has tallied a team-best 24 multi-hit games, including four three-hit performances ... Davis has posted four hits in a game twice ... Christy Brownlee has 14 multi-RBI games, including three games with four RBI and one with six against Southeastern Louisiana on March 27 ... Jenny Garcia also had a six-RBI performance in a 26-1 win at Texas Southern on April 8 ... Rogers and Gibson have posted 12 and 11 multi-RBI games, respectively ... UTSA has started the same infield - 1B: Gibson, 2B: Brownlee, 3B: Rogers, SS: Murray - all 49 games this season ... Krystal Guevara is 9-for-16 (.563) in a pinch-hitting role this year, including two game-winning hits against Texas State ... UTSA has 94 homers, two more than the combined totals of Sam Houston State, Nicholls State, Stephen F. Austin, McNeese State, Texas-Arlington and Louisiana-Monroe.
Clutch Homers
Krystal Gibson has displayed a penchant for hitting game-winning homers of late, slugging three in the last four weekends of play. She hit a walk-off, two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to help UTSA beat SFA 7-5, on April 3. She had a solo shot in the top of the eighth at Northwestern State on April 10 in a 3-2 win and she lost a two-run bomb deep over the center-field fence in a 9-7 win over Texas State on April 17. Additionally, since moving from the leadoff spot to fifth in the batting order back in mid-March, Gibson is batting .403 with nine homers and 18 RBI.
Dazzling Debuts
A trio of freshmen have made dazzling debuts this season. Aimee Murray has started all 49 games at shortstop and has been solid in the field and at the plate. She is batting .349 with 10 doubles, nine homers and 36 RBI. She is fielding at a .943 clip with just 12 errors in 211 chances. Right-handed pitchers Ursula Mares and Stevi Simpson have been the two key cogs in the UTSA rotation. Mares has made 34 starts and appeared in 40 games. She is 25-9, second on UTSA's single-season victories chart, with an ERA of 2.47, and has struck out a team-high 164 batters against just 80 walks. Opponents are batting .225 off of her and she has won 15 consecutive decisions. Mares tossed her first career no-hitter in an 18-0 win over Texas Southern on April 1. Simpson has pitched in 23 games and is 9-6 with an ERA of 3.40. She also tossed a complete-game shutout in her last victory against Texas Southern on April 1.
Tough Slate
The 2004 schedule features three tournaments, including the annual UTSA Fastpitch Express Classic on Feb. 13-15, several tough non-conference games and the always-competitive Southland Conference lineup. The Roadrunners also faced No. 13 LSU (now ranked No. 5) at the LSU Purple & Gold Challenge on Feb. 20-22. UTSA swept then-No. 24 Texas State on April 17-18, and also pounded Tulsa, 8-2, in February, a team receiving votes in the latest NFCA poll. The schedule also featured matchups with then No. 19-ranked Texas, Houston and Southern Miss.
Hill At The Helm
In her sixth season with the Roadrunners softball program, Corrie Hill has emerged as one of the top offensive minds in fastpitch softball today. In five seasons in San Antonio, Hill has tutored one All-American in Amanda Michalsky, five all-region performers and 36 all-conference players, including 18 first-teamers. Hill, who reached 200 wins for her career in a 5-4 victory over Texas-Arlington on March 6 and now has 221, has taken the power-hitting game to a new level at UTSA. During her first five seasons, the Roadrunners have rewritten the record books in nearly every major offensive category. Her teams have set 23 school records and have entered the top 10 list in all 22 offensive single-season and career categories kept. Hill has averaged 28 wins per season in her first five years at UTSA and needs six more victories to become the winningest coach in school history. In the last six seasons, UTSA has posted wins over a number of highly-regarded programs including Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Texas Tech, Oregon, Tulsa, Colorado State, Arkansas and Southwest Missouri State.