· Southland Conference release (.pdf)
Josh
Ruffin
Michael
Rockett
Ryan
Saltzgaber
FRISCO
— The Southland Conference announced its 2007 preseason baseball polls on Wednesday and UTSA was picked to finish second in the West Division by the sports information directors and third by the league’s coaches. Three Roadrunners also were named to the All-SLC teams, as senior pitcher Josh Ruffin and sophomore outfielder Michael Rockett were first-team selections and senior third baseman Ryan Saltzgaber was named to the second team.
The Roadrunners received five first-place votes in the SID poll and three in the coaches. They were just six points (51) behind co-favorites Texas-Arlington and Texas State in the coaches poll and just three (58) behind UTA in the SID poll. Defending regular season champion McNeese State was the consensus choice to defend its regular season title in the East.
Ruffin is coming off a junior season that saw him earn first-team all-conference honors. The 6-foot-2 right-hander led the team with an 8-3 record and 3.17 ERA in 116.1 innings of work (21 games/16 started). He tossed a league-leading five complete games and four shutouts and also ranked third in the league in ERA and fifth in victories. The Humble native recorded 10 quality starts, struck out 73 hitters and held opponents to a .240 batting average. A two-time 2006 SLC Pitcher of the Week (March 20, April 24), Ruffin tossed a two-hit shutout with seven strikeouts at Lamar on March 18 and threw a six-hit shutout and punched out five at Texas-Arlington on April 22.
Rockett made an immediate impact in his inaugural season as a Roadrunner, earning Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America and second-team all-league honors. The Sugar Land native saw action in 52 games (47 starts) and hit .352 with seven doubles, a pair of triples, five home runs and 32 RBIs. The 6-foot-1 center fielder started the final 43 contests of the season and UTSA posted a 31-16 record when he was in the starting lineup. He had a 15-game hitting streak from April 30-May 24 and hit .424 (25-for-59) during that stretch. Rockett registered 21 multi-hit games, including a pair of four-hit performances and five three-hit efforts. He also was strong in the field, committing just two errors in 128 chances.
Saltzgaber, an honorable mention selection a year ago, hit .289 with 11 extra base hits and 22 RBIs in 51 games (all starts) as a junior. He also was successful on five of seven stolen base attempts. The Abilene native had 13 multi-hit performances in 2006, including a four-hit effort on April 28 against Stephen F. Austin and six three-hit performances.
The conference has a new look this season, as the league has expanded to 12 teams with Central Arkansas and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi joining as new members. The league schedule features an East and West Division and a six-team postseason tournament, which will be played at Northwestern State from May 23-26. The two divisional winners plus the next four teams with the best conference records (regardless of division) will qualify for the tournament.
UTSA is coming off a season that saw it finish with a 37-22 record and 20-10 (t-2nd) mark in conference games. Expectations are high, as the team welcomes back 18 letterwinners — including five position starters and six pitchers — in addition to 18 newcomers this season. The 2007 schedule is highlighted by six opponents who qualified for the 2006 NCAA Tournament (Baylor, The College of Charleston, Houston, Rice, Texas and Texas-Arlington), a pair of early-season tournaments and a full slate of SLC action.
The Roadrunners open the season on Tuesday, Feb. 13, when they play at preseason No. 1 Rice.