Games 21-23 ? March 20-22 ? Central Arkansas (8-11, 0-3 SLC)
6:30 p.m./6:30 p.m./11 a.m. ? UCA Field ? Conway, Ark.
UTSA to hit road for just second time this weekend: UTSA (14-6, 3-0 SLC) looks to extend a five-game SLC regular season winning streak when it travels to the Natural State this weekend to face Central Arkansas (8-11, 0-3 SLC). The first two contests of the three-game set are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, while Saturday’s finale is slated for an 11 a.m. start. The Roadrunners, who have won five of their past six games, are coming off a Tuesday doubleheader sweep of Texas-Pan American (4-1, 16-4) and Southland Conference-opening weekend sweep of McNeese State on March 14-16. 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 a week ago.
On the air: All three games will be broadcast live on goUTSA.com. Associate Sports Information Director Brian Hernandez will call all the action live from UCA Field. Fans also can follow the series live on Jump TV's Gamewatcher.
UTSA/Central Arkansas series history: The Roadrunners mauled the Bears in a three-game set at the Bird Bath in the first meetings between the two schools a year ago. UTSA won by scores of 12-10, 12-4 and 14-1 in improving to a perfect 6-0 in league play a year ago. The Roadrunners went on to tie the second-best SLC start in league history at 10-0.
Home sweet home: UTSA, making just its second road trip of the year this weekend, played 17 of its first 20 games this year at home and the Alamo City has been kind to the Roadrunners thus far in 2008. UTSA has an 13-4 mark between Roadrunner Field and Wolff Stadium. In fact, the Roadrunners have won 21 of their last 25 home games (.840) dating back to April 15, 2007. UTSA saw its six-game Wolff win streak come to an end on Monday against #10 Texas (16-5). However, the Birds have been victorious in 17 of their last 21 tilts at the home of the Double A San Antonio Missions dating back to Feb. 19, 2006. Meanwhile, UTSA has won 14 of its last 15 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 .410 with a team-high 34 hits, 30 runs scored and seven stolen bases. Keithley also has six doubles, one triple, a pair of home runs and 13 RBIs. The San Antonio native has reached base at a .484 clip and owns a .578 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, and currently owns an eight-game streak (four in a row with two hits). In fact, Keithley has a team-high 12 mutil-hit efforts this year. Since moving into the leadoff spot on March 9, 2007, the Roadrunners have gone 46-19 (.708). Keithley, who has scored a run in 46 of his last 60 games, has crossed the plate in 11 consecutive contests and 18 of 19 tilts overall.
Palincsar wielding a hot bat: Sophomore designated hitter Tim Palincsar leads a powerful Roadrunners offense that has scored 182 runs (9.1 pg) and is hitting .335 with 71 extra-base hits (51 doubles, seven triples, 13 home runs). Palincsar leads the squad in batting average (.438), home runs (3), RBIs (t-26), walks (17), on-base percentage (.543) and slugging percentage (.671). The College Station native also has 27 runs scored, eight doubles and a pair of stolen bases. He has reached base by hit, walk or hit by pitch in a 18 contests this year and hit safely in 17-of-20 games, including five two- and three-hit performances.
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 .358 with nine doubles, a pair of triples, two homers and a team-high 26 RBIs. He is second on the team with a .593 slugging percentage and also has swiped three 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 seven of his last 10 games and has hit .385 (15-39) during that stretch with seven doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs. The 2007 SLC Newcomer of the Year and preseason first-team all-league choice has a .312 batting average with a team-high 10 two-baggers. He also has one long ball and 21 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 3.21 ERA in six games (four starts). Chovanec has posted a sterling 27-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in a team-high 33.2 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 seven games (two starts) and posted one save and a 3.00 ERA in 18 innings of work. The Lufkin native also has fanned 17 and limited opposing hitters to a .172 batting average. In his 10.2 relief-only innings, he has allowed just five hits (.143 BAA), while posting a 2.53 ERA with 12 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Calhoon has recorded a win and three saves in seven games out of the pen. The Spring native has allowed just four hits (.121 BAA) and struck out 16 in nine frames of work. He already has nine career saves (t-No. 2 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’s game against #10 Texas marked UTSA’s third ranked opponent this season. The Roadrunners dropped their season opener to #40 Oral Roberts, 5-3, defeated #19 Louisiana-Lafayette, 5-2, two days later but lost to the Longhorns, 16-5. 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 225 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).
