Game 18 ? March 17 ? #10 Texas (12-5)
6 p.m. ? Wolff Stadium ? San Antonio, Texas
UTSA, Texas to meet for 16th straight year: UTSA (12-5) looks to extend a three-game winning streak when it hosts Texas (12-5) on Monday night at Wolff Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Roadrunners are coming off a Southland Conference-opening weekend sweep of McNeese State. UTSA began defense of its 2007 SLC Regular Season Championship by outscoring the Cowboys 32-8 (13-3, 15-4, 4-1), including run-rule victories on both Friday and Saturday.
Texas/UTSA series history: The Longhorns hold a commanding 19-4 edge in the all-time series that dates back to the 1993 season. Texas has won 14 of the last 15 games played between the two programs. UTSA’s lone win during that time was a 14-10 triumph on April 18, 2006, at Wolff Stadium. Last year, the Longhorns held on for a 14-9 victory on April 3 at Disch-Falk Field.
Home sweet home: UTSA is in the midst of playing 17 of its first 20 games this season at home and the Alamo City has been kind to the Roadrunners thus far in 2008. UTSA has an 11-3 mark between Roadrunner Field and Wolff Stadium, the home of the San Antonio Missions (San Diego Padres Double A club). In fact, the Roadrunners have won 19 of their last 22 home games dating back to April 15, 2007. Included in that mark is a six-game home winning streak that was snapped in last Tuesday’s 6-1 loss to Northern Illinois. UTSA has reeled of six wins in a row at Wolff and 17 of 20 dating back to Feb. 19, 2006. Meanwhile, the Roadrunners have won 12 of their last 13 tilts at the Bird Bath dating back to April 15, 2007.
Leadoff extraordinaire: Junior infielder James Keithley continues to be the engine that makes the UTSA offense go, as he is hitting .400 with a team-high 28 hits, 25 runs scored and six stolen bases. Keithley also has three doubles, one triple, a pair of home runs and 12 RBIs. The San Antonio native has reached base at a .475 clip and owns a .557 slugging percentage. He hit safely in 10 games in a row from Feb. 23-March 8, including a school-record-tying five hits on March 8 at the College of Charleston. Since moving into the leadoff spot on March 9, 2007, the Roadrunners have gone 44-18 (.710). Keithley, who has scored a run in 43 of his last 57 games, has crossed the plate in eight consecutive contests and 15 of 16 overall.
Palincsar swinging a hot bat: Sophomore designated hitter Tim Palincsar leads a powerful Roadrunners offense that has scored 157 runs (9.2 pg) and is hitting .330 with 59 extra-base hits (41 doubles, five triples, 13 home runs). Palincsar leads the squad in batting average (.426), RBIs (25), walks (15), on-base percentage (.538) and slugging percentage (.689). The College Station native also has 23 runs scored, seven doubles, three home runs and a pair of stolen bases. He has reached base by hit, walk or hit by pitch in a 15 contests this year and hit safely in 14 games.
Rockett named National POW: Junior center fielder Michael Rockett’s big weekend against Sacred Heart three weekend’s ago did not go unnoticed, as he was one of four players selected as Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week on March 3. He became just the second Roadrunner to earn the award in the program’s 17-year history (Mark Schramek, April 22, 2002). The Sugar Land native was spectacular in leading UTSA to a four-game sweep of the Pioneers, leading a 48-run (school record for four-game series), 56-hit offensive onslaught by going 10-for-16 (.625 avg.) with four doubles, a triple, his first home run of the year and nine RBIs. The highlight of his weekend came in March 1’s nightcap when he hit for the cycle, the second in school history, in the game’s first four innings. Rockett ? who also had a career-high six RBIs in the 16-2 victory ? doubled in the first inning, singled in the second, homered in the third and tripled in the fourth.
More about Rockett: Rockett, a preseason first-team All-SLC selection, is hitting .333 with eight doubles, a triple, two homers and 21 RBIs. He is second on the team with a .565 slugging percentage and also has swiped a pair of bases.
Lockwood heating up: Senior first baseman Trent Lockwood, a preseason Wallace Award (nation’s top player) nominee, is beginning to heat up after a slow start to the year. The Groesbeck native has at least two hits in six of his last seven games and has hit .448 (13-29) during that stretch with six doubles, a triple and nine RBIs. The 2007 SLC Newcomer of the Year and preseason first-team all-league choice has a .328 batting average with a team-high nine two-baggers. He also has one long ball and 20 RBIs.
Vasquez moving up career charts: Senior right-hander has returned from a one-year layoff and posted a 3-1 mark with a team-high 26 strikeouts in 25 innings (five games/four starts). The Beeville native currently ranks fifth on the program’s career chart for victories (16) and strikeouts (197), sixth for games started (39) and ninth for innings pitched (233).
Chovanec throwing strikes: Senior righty Bradley Chovanec has started off his second and final campaign in navy blue and orange in grand style. The Burton native leads the club with a 4-1 record and he also owns a 3.45 ERA in five games (four starts). Chovanec has posted a sterling 25-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in a team-high 31.1 innings of work. He has won five of his last six last decisions dating back to May 5, 2007. Chovanec allowed just two runs in his first 19.1 frames this year and also tossed his first career shutout on March 1 against Sacred Heart.
Bullpen bullies: Junior right-hander J.P Holton and sophomore righty Zach Calhoon have formed quite a 1-2 punch out of the UTSA bullpen this season. Holton has seen action in six games (two starts) and posted one save and a 2.65 ERA in 17 innings of work. The Lufkin native also has fanned 17 and limited opposing hitters to a .148 batting average. In his 9.2 relief-only innings, he has allowed just three hits (.094 BAA), while posting a 1.86 ERA with 12 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Calhoon has recorded a win and two saves in six games out of the pen. The Spring native has allowed just four hits (.133 BAA) and struck out 15 in eight frames of work. He already has eight career saves (T-No. 3 on UTSA’s all-time chart). His six saves a year ago were a UTSA freshman record and the fifth-highest total in a single season.
Tough slate: Monday night marks the Roadrunners' third ranked opponent this season. UTSA dropped its season opener to #40 Oral Roberts, 5-3, and defeated #19 Louisiana-Lafayette by a score of 5-2 two days later. Future foes who currently reside in the national rankings include Texas A&M (March 25), Baylor (April 2) and Texas (April 8).
Preseason favorites: Coming off one of the finest seasons in school history, UTSA is the consensus choice to defend its regular season title. The Roadrunners collected 10 first-place votes and 70 points in the SIDs Poll and eight first-place nods and 63 tallies in the coaches’ rankings. UTSA outdistanced second-place choice Sam Houston State in the West Division by 13 and 10 points in the coaches and SIDs polls, respectively. Lamar, which was 20-10 in the league last season, was the choice to win the East Division (64 points in SIDs/62 in coaches).
Roadrunners land five on preseason first team: UTSA had a league-high five players named to this year’s preseason first team. Seniors Zach Etheredge (catcher) and Trent Lockwood (first base), juniors James Keithley (second base) and Michael Rockett (outfield) and sophomore Tim Palincsar (designated hitter) were chosen to the SLC’s top squad.
Head coach Sherman Corbett: Now in his eighth season at the helm of UTSA’s baseball program, Sherman Corbett is the winningest coach in school history with 223 victories. Corbett led the Roadrunners to 36 victories in 2007 (No. 3 UTSA history), including a league-record 24 wins in SLC play, and their first regular season championship in school annals en route to being named the league’s Clay Gould Coach of the Year. Last year’s performance came on the heels of a 37-win season in 2006, the second-best year on school record, and the program’s second SLC Tournament Championship and second NCAA Regional appearance in ?05. In his first seven seasons, he has coached 31 All-SLC players, including seven first-teamers. Corbett also has mentored the 2001 SLC Pitcher of the Year (Jared Howton), 2002 SLC Player and Hitter of the Year (Mark Schramek), 2003 SLC Freshman of the Year (Ryan Crew), 2007 Newcomer of the Year (Trent Lockwood), 2007 Freshman of the Year (Tim Palincsar) and three Freshman All-Americans ? Crew (2003), Michael Rockett (2006) and Palincsar (2007).
