| Feb. 28, 2005
Contact: Matt Schabert (210) 458-4930 No. 14 Baylor provides Tuesday opposition for UTSA at Wolff Complete Release | Live Stats SAN ANTONIO - The UTSA baseball team returns to Wolff Stadium on Tuesday, March 1 to host 14th-ranked Baylor at 6 p.m. UTSA Roadrunners (0-10)
vs.
No. 14 Baylor Bears (6-4) Tuesday, March 1 • 6 p.m.
Wolff Stadium • San Antonio, Texas First Pitch
• UTSA returns to Wolff Stadium to host 14th-ranked Baylor this evening.
• This is the fourth match-up with a top 30 team this year. UTSA has already faced #1Texas, #12 Texas A&M and #28 Texas Tech.
• The Roadrunners have equaled their longest winless streak in history at 10 games.
• Senior Chris Lewis, who started at catcher for the first time this year Sunday against Texas Tech, has tallied a triple in two consecutive games.
• Sophomore RHP Blake Brannon made his seventh appearance Sunday to lead the team. In two years, he’s made 30 appearances. He leads UTSA with a 2.92 ERA.
Blair Knows Baylor
Tonight’s game will be special for UTSA assistant coach Jim Blair. Blair was a three-year player for the Bears and his 31-game hitting streak for the Bears is still a Big 12 record. As a player, he compiled a .335 batting average and had 54 stolen bases.
A Look at the Bears
Baylor enters tonight’s game with a 6-4 overall record. The Bears are ranked 14th this week by Baseball America and 25th by Collegiate Baseball. First baseman Kyle Reynolds leads Baylor with a .457 batting average through 10 games. He also leads the Bears with four home runs and is 4-of-4 in stolen base attempts. Lefthander Trey Taylor leads the pitching staff with a 2-1 record and a 1.42 ERA so far in 2005. The Bears bat .275 as a team and have smashed six home runs so far in 2005. Baylor has also been productive on the base paths with 10 stolen bases in 15 attempts. Steve Smith is in his 11th year in Waco with a 376-240-1 record.
Wanna Be Like Mike
After leading the Roadrunners with 18 doubles and three triples last year, sophomore Michael McKennon is back at it again in 2005, leading UTSA in hitting (.310), hits (13), doubles (3), RBI (8) and home runs (1). He has hit safely now in eight of the past nine games and also
Tough Slate
UTSA faces six teams this year that are ranked nationally in the top 30 for either Collegiate Baseball or Baseball America. Tonight’s opponent, Baylor, is ranked 14th by Baseball America, while the Roadrunners have already faced no. 1 Texas, no. 12 Texas A&M and no. 28 Texas Tech. UTSA also is scheduled to play no. 20 Notre Dame and No. 25 Oral Roberts in the Alamo City Classic.
Motley Crew
Tonight’s starter, UTSA junior Ryan Crew, made his first career start on the mound in the 4-1 loss to Texas A&M on Feb. 22. Crew tossed four innings and allowed just four hits and three runs. In 2004, Crew led the Roadrunners out of the bullpen with four saves in just six appearances. He was named first-team all-Southland Conference as shortstop in 2004 and has been named preseason all-Southland Conference in 2005. He was also Baseball America’s pick for Southland Player of the Year.
Record Chaser
Junior Ryan Crew is on the verge of putting his name on several career record charts. With 148 career hits, he needs just 13 to climb to 10th in career hits. He needs just 12 RBIs to pass Ed Burton and into 10th in career runs batted in, while Crew needs only five doubles to move into 10th in career doubles. His 76 hits in 2004 ranked as the fifth best single season hit performance in school history.
Green Light
The Roadrunners are 11-of-13 (.846 pct.) in stolen bases so far this season. Senior Sean Danielson is 4-for-6, while junior Ryan Crew has not been thrown out yet, going 3-for-3. Junior J.R. Voyles led the Roadrunners last year with eight swipes.
Put Me in Coach, I Can Be Centerfield...
Senior transfer Sean Danielson is proving to be a solid fit in center field for the Roadrunners. After eight games, the speedster has a .974 fielding percentage and has four assists from his position as well. After a slow start at the plate, Danielson has now hit safely in three straight games, and he ranks third on the team with a .263 average.
Ryan Express
Sophomore Ryan Saltzgaber, a transfer from Kansas State, sports the Roadrunners’ longest current hitting steak at five games. During that span, Saltzgaber is 7-for-17 at the plate (.291 avg.).
Old Reliable
Sophomore righthander Blake Brannon is definitely seeing more than his share of playing time. With injuries abundant on the pitching staff, Brannon has stepped in and provided the Roadrunners with a trustworthy option out of the bullpen. He leads the team with seven appearances and also tops UTSA with a 2.92 ERA. In 12 innings, he’s struck out nine and has now made 30 appearances in just his second season. He led UTSA with 23 appearances as a freshman in 2004.
Homecoming
After tonight, UTSA plays 10 of its next 15 games at home, including eight more at Wolff Stadium.
Sitting ‘em Down
Senior lefthander Aaron Rodriguez fanned a UTSA season high seven batters Saturday against New Mexico State. In 21 innings in 2005, Rodriguez leads the Roadrunners with 16 strikeouts. In 2004, he ranked on the team with 70 strikeouts and has now recorded 138 Ks in his career.
Getting his Chance
Redshirt freshman outfielder Phillip Allen made his first career defensive start in right field Sunday against Texas Tech. At the plate, he also responded by going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs to lead UTSA. In five games in 2005, Allen is leading the Roadrunners with a .364 batting average but doesn’t have enough at-bats yet to qualify in the NCAA stats. Allen also leads the Roadrunners with a .417 on-base percentage and has not struck out in 11 times to the plate.
Check the Scorecard
The Roadrunners have used a variety of starting lineups and batting orders in 2005, and the leadoff position where senior Sean Danielson is has been the only spot not utilized by more than one player. The eighth position has been switched most frequently with five different players in the spot.
We’re not in Kansas Anymore
The 2005 Roadrunner roster reflects several junior college and Division I transfers, including two newcomers who came to San Antonio from Kansas State. Centerfielder Sean Danielson, from Irving, Texas, and third baseman Ryan Saltzgaber, from Pearland, Texas, both played collegiately at Kansas State before transferring to UTSA this season. Both are starters for the Roadrunners as well. In addition, UTSA has four other players who transferred this season. Senior Stephen Holdren (Texas A&M) and junior Noah Tritz (Southern Mississippi) are D-I newcomers, while juniors Art Gonzales (Vernon Junior College) and Caleb Barton (Panola Junior College) hail from the JUCO ranks.
Roadrunners Picked Sixth
UTSA has been tabbed for a sixth place finish in the Southland Conference this year, according the coaches and SID polls taken before the year began. Defending champion Lamar is again picked to finish number one.
Homegrown Talent
Head coach Sherman Corbett doesn’t have to go far to find the talent to fill the Roadrunners’ roster. Thirty-one (31) of the 33 players on the roster hail from right here in Texas. Only redshirt freshman Drew Rogers (Bradenton, Fla.) and senior transfer Stephen Holdren (Overland Park, Kan.) don’t call Texas home.
Up Next
The Roadrunners travel to Edinburg, Texas and the Rio Grande Valley this weekend for the Al Ogletree Classic. Texas-Pan American is hosting the tournament, and the Roadrunners are scheduled to play Illinois on Friday, March 4 at 2 p.m., Birmingham-Southern on Saturday, March 5 at 11 a.m., and the hosts on Sunday, March 6 at 6 p.m.
|
