| Senior Trent Lockwood is coming off a record-setting performance on Wednesday. |
SAN ANTONIO ? UTSA looks to carry the momentum from Wednesday's 27-4 drubbing of Prairie View A&M into this weekend when it concludes a five-game home stand with a three-game Southland Conference series against UT Arlington (6-17, 2-4 SLC).
Friday's opener is scheduled for 6 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday's tilts are slated for 2 and 1 p.m., respectively, and all three games can be heard live on goUTSA.com and followed on Jump TV's Game Watcher.
UTSA, currently in a first-place tie in the SLC West Division standings with Sam Houston State and Texas State at 4-2, owns a 16-9 overall mark this year. The Roadrunners have been especially strong at home, posting a 14-5 mark between the Bird Bath and Wolff Stadium. In fact, UTSA has won 15 of its last 16 games at its on-campus facility dating back to April 15, 2007.
Senior right-hander Steven Vasquez (3-2, 6.00 ERA) gets his usual Friday-night assignment in the lid-lifter and he will be opposed by Mavericks southpaw Ryan Robinson (1-1, 4.74). Senior righty Bradley Chovanec is scheduled to get the nod on Saturday and he will square off against right-hander Nathan Long (3-1, 4.26). Sophomore Ryan Proudfoot (4-0, 3.68), who has won his last five decisions dating back to May 6 a year ago, will take the mound in Sunday's finale. He will face righty Andy Sauter (1-1, 3.54).
The Roadrunners are coming off a record-setting afternoon on Wednesday that saw them set a combined nine team and individual records. Senior first baseman Trent Lockwood led the way, as he tied a single-game mark with three home runs and five runs scored in addition to shattering the program's standard with nine RBIs.
UTSA, which is averaging 8.9 runs per contest, owns a .328 team batting average with 68 doubles, seven triples and 21 home runs this season and four Roadrunners bring impressive hitting streaks into the weekend. Junior shortstop James Keithley is riding a season-best 12 game stretch, while sophomore designated hitter Tim Palincsar has hit in 11 straight. Meanwhile, freshman right fielder/catcher Tyler Carpenter also is in double figures at a career-best 10 contests and junior center fielder Michael Rockett owns an eight-game streak.
Keithley and Palincsar are hitting .398 and .396, respectively, to pace the offense, while Rockett has stroked a team-high 13 doubles to go along with 33 RBIs. Lockwood and Palincsar share the squad lead with four home runs and Keithley has swiped a team-best eight bases.
UT Arlington owns a 32-23 edge in the all-time series that dates back to March 13, 1993. However, UTSA took 2-of-3 games at Clay Gould Ballpark a year ago and has won six of the last 10 meetings between the two programs. This weekend marks the first time that Mavericks have played in the Alamo City since April 17, 2005.