| March 15, 2005
Contact: Matt Schabert (210) 458-4930 UTSA set to battle Dallas Baptist Complete Release | Live Stats (www.dbu.edu/athletics) SAN ANTONIO - The University of Texas at San Antonio baseball team journeys up I-35 to Dallas on Wednesday for a single game at Dallas Baptist University. The Patriots handed the Roadrunners three consecutive losses at Wolff Stadium earlier this season. First pitch on Wednesday, March 16 is scheduled for 6 p.m. UTSA Roadrunners (4-14)
at
Dallas Baptist University (11-10)
Wednesday, March 16
Patriot Field • Dallas, Texas
Series History: DBU leads 3-0
Last Meeting: DBU 12, UTSA 4 on Feb. 19 First Pitch
• UTSA looks for its first win over Dallas Baptist after the Patriots defeated the Roadrunners three times this year at Wolff Stadium.
• UTSA hit .316 in the Alamo City Irish Baseball Invitational to raise its team average to .259 for the year.
• The Roadrunners will be looking for their first road win of the 2005 season against the Patriots.
• After starting the year 0-11, the Roadrunners have won four of their last seven games.
Roadrunner Tidbits
UTSA went 3-1 in the Alamo City Irish Baseball Invitational, reaching the championship game before falling to Oral Roberts 5-4...Four players hit above .400 last week - Ryan Saltzgaber, Ryan Crew, Eric Moreno and J.R. Voyles...In the four games last week, UTSA hitters drew 20 walks...Junior J.R. Voyles hit .400 in the tournament with a team-leading eight RBIs, five runs, and a .900 slugging percentage...Sophomore Josh Ruffin took a one-hitter into the eighth inning before settling for a two-hit win, the first of his career, over Notre Dame...Junior Caleb Barton also won his first outing as a Roadrunner, allowing just one earned run in the 7-2 win over Southwest Missouri...Junior Ryan Crew is hitting .467 in the last seven games with a seven game hitting streak...He has five multi-hit games in that span...Sophomore Ryan Saltzgaber saw his 11-game hitting streak snapped Saturday against Oral Roberts, but is hitting .435 in the last seven games...Senior Chris Lewis’ home run against Oral Roberts on Thursday moved him to seventh all-time in career homers with 18...With seven hits, Crew is now ninth in all-time hits with 162.
UTSA Lands Five on all-Tournament Team
The Roadrunners landed five players on the Alamo City Irish Invitational all-tournment team. Selected were: junior Caleb Barton, sophomore Josh Ruffin, sophomore Ryan Saltzgaber, junior J.R. Voyles and senior Eric Moreno. Oral Roberts’ Dennis Bigley posted 15 RBIs and hit .380 to be named tournament Most Valuable Player.
Corbett Reaches Milestone
With the Roadrunners’ 9-4 win over Notre Dame last Wednesday, UTSA head coach Sherman Corbett became the all-time winningest baseball coach in UTSA history with 114 wins, passing previous coach Mickey Lashley. Corbett’s record now stands at 115-130 in four-plus years.
Scouting the Patriots
Dallas Baptist, Division I in baseball only, is 11-10 on the year. The Patriots hit .289 on the year and sport a 4.87 ERA as a pitching staff. A speedy team, the Patriots are 38-of-50 in stolen bases so far in 2005. Ryan Olivo leads the hitters with a .356 average, while reliever Ricky Sparks has 11 appearances and a 3.09 ERA.
Magnificent Seven
UTSA junior shortstop/pitcher Ryan Crew has been incredible at the plate in the last seven games. In that span, he leads the Roadrunners with a .467 batting average and has five multi-hit games in the stretch along with a hit in each game. He’s also starting to display the power numbers he showed last year as an all-conference sophomore. In the last seven games, Crew has three doubles, three triples and five RBIs. In the span, he leads UTSA with a .769 slugging percentage.
The Team’s Not Bad Either
As a team, UTSA has won four of the last seven games after beginning the year 0-11. During that run, the Roadrunners have hit .308 with 14 doubles, four triples, three home runs with a .440 slugging percentage. The pitching staff has posted a low 4.06 ERA and has allowed just three home runs while fanning 45 opposing batters.
Crew Cuts
Junior Ryan Crew is climbing up the UTSA stat charts in just his third season. With seven hits in the Alamo City Irish Invitational, he now ranks tied for ninth with 162 career hits. He needs just one double to climb onto the career top ten list with 32 and needs only six more to move as high as fourth. In RBIs, Crew needs just seven more to move to 10th place.
Can’t Stop J.R.
Junior J.R. Voyles had a torrid week at the plate last week, hitting .400 with a team-leading eight RBI and five runs scored. He got a hit in every game of the Alamo City Invitational and led UTSA with a .900 slugging percentage. Against Oral Roberts on Thursday and Southwest Missouri on Friday, he hit a two-run double in each game.
Ryan Express
Sophomore Ryan Saltzgaber owns the Roadrunners’ longest hitting streak this year at 11 games, which was snapped against Oral Roberts on Saturday when he went 0-for-3. During that 11-game streak, Saltzgaber led UTSA with a .421 batting average and posted five multi-hit games. Overall this year, the transfer from Kansas State ranks second on the team with a .321 average and ranks third on the team with nine runs.
Wanna Be Like Mike
Sophomore left fielder Michael McKennon is proving that talent can overcome youth. In just his second year, McKennon is picking up where he left off last year when he led UTSA with 18 doubles. This year, McKennon ranks third on the team with a .310 average but is hitting .375 in the last four games. He leads UTSA in doubles again with four and also has two more triples to his credit. McKennon also leads the team with 13 RBIs. In addition, McKennon is hitting .344 with runners on base and is batting .333 when there are two outs. The left-hander is also batting .353 against southpaw pitchers.
Ruffin Up the Irish
Sophomore right hander Josh Ruffin had his best-ever outing as a Roadrunner last Wednesday when he tossed a two-hitter to beat Notre 9-4 in the opening game of the Alamo City Irish Invitational. Ruffin, who picked up his first career win, carried a one-hitter and a shutout into the eighth inning before being relieved. Overall this year, the Humble, Texas, native ranks third on the team with a 5.21 ERA
Noah’s Park
The Wolff Stadium mound proved to be kind to junior pitcher Noah Tritz this weekend. He pitched 6.0 innings over the last two games against SMS and Oral Roberts and allowed just one hit and no runs. Against Oral Roberts on Saturday, he went four complete innnings and struck out three while only allowing one hit.
Not Many No Decisions
In 18 games in 2005, the UTSA stating pitching staff has only recorded a no-decision in one game. The starting staff is also 3-4 in games when holding the opponent to 0-5 runs.
More from Moreno
Senior Eric Moreno (pronounced MORE-ray-know) has solidified himself as the Roadrunners’ everyday designated hitter with the occasional start at third base when Ryan Crew is on the mound. In the last four games, at the Alamo City Irish Invitational, Moreno hit .429. Overall, he now ranks fourth on the team with a .305 average and has a triple as well. In the last seven games, Moreno is hitting .391.
Win No. 1
Junior college transfer Caleb Barton won his first game as a Roadrunner in UTSA’s 7-2 triumph over 2003 College World Series participant Southwest Missouri last Friday. Barton cruised through the Bear order, pitching 7.0 innings while only allowing one earned run. Overall, Barton leads the pitching staff with a 3.38 ERA in eight appearances and has given up only one round-tripper in 26.2 innings.
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.
No Long Bus Rides
UTSA plays seven of its next eight games at Roadrunner Field and the only trip is a short 45-minute jaunt to San Marcos for a game at Texas State on March 25.
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 open Southland Conference play this weekend hosting Louisiana-Monroe at Roadrunner Field. First pitch on Friday, March 18 is set for 3 p.m. Saturday’s game commences at 2 p.m., while on Sunday, the teams meet at 1 p.m.
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