| April 28, 2006
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4551 UTSA wraps up regular season at home against UTA this weekend Series Notes | Live Audio (Saturday) | Live Stats
SAN ANTONIO - A battle for two of the top three spots in the Southland Conference race takes place this Saturday-Sunday, April 29-30, as Texas-Arlington comes to Roadrunner Field for a three-game series with UTSA. First pitch in game one of a Saturday doubleheader is set for 1 p.m., followed by a single game at noon Sunday. UTSA Roadrunners (30-12, 19-5 SLC)
vs.
Texas-Arlington Mavericks (29-17, 16-6 SLC)
Saturday, April 29 • 1 p.m. (DH)
Sunday, April 30 • 12 p.m.
Roadrunner Field • San Antonio, Texas • UTSA is 26-6 over its last 32 games
• The Roadrunners have won five straight home games and are 13-3 at home this year
• UTSA has won five of the last seven meetings with Texas-Arlington
Setting The Stage:
Texas State (18-3), UTSA (19-5) and Texas-Arlington (16-6) occupy the first three slots in the league standings. Texas State can clinch the regular season title with two victories at Louisiana-Monroe this weekend, while Texas-Arlington would need a sweep of UTSA, the two-time defending champions, to move into second place.
Last Time Out:
UTSA set a school record by winning its 14th consecutive game on Wednesday at Texas Tech. Senior Jessica Els launched a two-out, three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to propel the Roadrunners to a 4-3 victory against the Red Raiders in game one of a doubleheader. Texas Tech scored a 4-1 victory in game two to put a halt to the record streak, which surpassed a 13-gamer in April 2000.
Series History:
UTSA has won five of the last seven meetings with Texas-Arlington and leads the all-time series, 24-22. Last year, the Roadrunners fought back from 4-2 loss in game one of a three-game set for 9-1 and 10-1 victories in Arlington. The two teams played a thrilling, 10-inning affair in the second round of the 2004 SLC Tournament in San Marcos with the Roadrunners coming out on top, 6-3.
Scouting Texas-Arlington:
The Mavericks split a doubleheader at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday, dropping game one, 5-4, in nine innings before coming back for a 6-0 win in the nightcap. Texas-Arlington is 29-17 overall and 16-6 in the SLC. Katie Jones leads the offense with a .360 batting average, 11 doubles, 2 home runs, 26 RBI and six stolen bases. Dee Jay Nelson is hitting .338 with seven long balls and a team-high 34 RBI, while Jenna Fortune is batting .315 with a .483 slugging percentage. Jill Garro and Laura Jones provide a solid one-two punch in the circle as Garro boasts a 16-10 record, 1.36 ERA, 175 strikeouts and a .212 opposing batting average. Jones is 11-4 with a 1.40 ERA, 107 punchouts and a .199 opposing batting average. UTSA vs. Texas-Arlington Statistical Comparison
UTSA Category UTA
.310 Batting Average .269
236 Runs Scored 191
358 Hits 332
79 Home Runs 25
225 Runs Batted In 173
.567 Slugging Percentage .392
.376 On-Base Percentage .343
8 Stolen Bases 23
2.45 Earned Run Average 1.94
.266 Opposing Batting Average .225
261 Batters Struck Out 307
.960 Fielding Percentage .962 SLC Field Is Set:
The field for the 2006 SLC Tournament is set with some jockeying for seeding to be determined. Texas State, UTSA, Texas-Arlington, McNeese State, Northwestern State and Sam Houston State all have qualified prior to this weekend’s action.
SLC Accolades:
UTSA has earned 10 Aeropostale/SLC Player of the Week accolades this season. Sophomore Amanda Nikolenko has been named Pitcher of the Week four times, picking up her last honor on April 24. Senior Mel Torres and freshman Brittany Cantu earned Hitter of the Week honors on Feb. 14 and March 7, respectively, while Catherine Garza garnered hitting honors on March 27. Juniors Aimee Murray and Ursula Mares swept hitter and pitcher awards on April 10 and junior Stevi Simpson picked up her first hitting accolade on April 17.
Senior Salute:
UTSA will honor its five seniors — Jessica Els, Stacey Gillespie, Amanda Horton, Hope Ortiz and Mel Torres — prior to Sunday’s noon start.
Starting Early:
UTSA has outscored its opponents 43-12 in the first inning this season and 136-51 in the first three frames combined. UTSA has given up just two runs in the first or second inning over the last 18 games. On the season, the Roadrunners have crossed the plate 236 times and have limited foes to just 121 runs.
No Place Like Home:
UTSA has made Roadrunner Field a tough place to play for opponents. The Roadrunners are 45-7 (.865) at the facility since the beginning of the 2004 season and have won 40 of their last 44 home games. Additionally, UTSA is batting .355 as a team at home with 41 home runs and has out-scored its opponents, 116-44, in 16 games.
Going, Going, Gone:
UTSA has led the NCAA in home runs per game in each of the last three seasons. The Roadrunners are in the mix again with 79 in their first 42 contests (1.88 per game). Dating back to the beginning of the 2003 season, UTSA has slugged an amazing 363 home runs in 211 games (1.72 average). As of April 27, the Roadrunners rank first nationally with 1.88 home runs per game, just ahead of Louisiana-Lafayette’s 1.84 mark. The Roadrunners trail only Louisiana-Lafayette (90) and Maryland-Baltimore County (79) in total long balls.
RPI Update:
UTSA is 58th in the latest simulated National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) RPI according to warrennolan.com. The Roadrunners are the highest-rated team in the SLC and have the 133rd-toughest schedule in the country. UTSA has a 4-4 record against teams rated in the top 45, boasting wins against Ohio State (34), Utah (41) and Houston (42). Texas-Arlington is rated 106th this week.
Record Streak:
UTSA set a school record by winning its 14th straight game on Wednesday at Texas Tech. The Roadrunners put a April 1-2 home sweep at the hands of Texas State behind them and ran off 14 consecutive victories beginning with 3-2 and 6-3 decisions against Houston. Nine of the 14 wins came on the road, including two straight conference sweeps at Sam Houston State and Nicholls State.
Secret Weapon:
The Roadrunners have made a name nationally for their ability to hit the home run. Over the past three seasons, a vastly improved pitching staff may be the biggest key to being in the mix for a third straight conference title. This year, senior Hope Ortiz, junior Ursula Mares, sophomore Amanda Nikolenko have combined to produce a 2.45 ERA, while striking out 261 batters compared to only 74 walks. Nikolenko leads the staff in victories (19), ERA (2.35), strikeouts (129) and shutouts (3), while Mares owns a 2.55 ERA, 116 strikeouts, a .254 opposing batting average and the only no-hitter of the season April 19 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Ortiz began the season with 13 and one-third scoreless innings and has compiled a 2-0 record, 2.03 ERA, 14 Ks and only five walks.
Conference Supremacy:
Over the past three seasons of SLC play, UTSA has recorded a 63-16 record (.797). In 2004, the Roadrunners posted a 20-6 mark en route to the program’s first-ever conference championship. Last year, UTSA went 21-5 to capture its second straight regular season crown. Off to a 19-5 start this season, the Roadrunners sit in second place behind Texas State (18-3) in the league standings. UTSA is the winningest program in the SLC in conference games only with an all-time record of 232-145 (.615).
|
