| Junior J.P. Holton (left) and freshman Jason Walls will get starts this week against Kansas State. | |
SAN ANTONIO ? Already off to the second-best start in school history, UTSA (6-2) looks to continue its winning ways when it concludes a season-opening 10-game home stand against Kansas State (3-3) this week. The two-game series, which will be played at Wolff Stadium, begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and concludes with a noon first pitch the following afternoon.
The Roadrunners, who have won six of their last seven contests, are coming off an impressive four-game sweep of Sacred Heart this past weekend. UTSA set school records for runs (48) and margin of victory (44) in a four-game set in addition to pounding out 56 hits for a .368 batting average. Meanwhile, the Roadrunners pitching staff posted a 1.06 ERA, allowed just 19 hits (.162 BAA) in 34 innings of work and struck out 34 against only nine walks.
Junior right-hander J.P. Holton (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP) will make the first start of his UTSA career in Tuesday's opener. Holton will be opposed by Wildcats southpaw Chase Bayuk (0-1, 10.12). Freshman righty Jason Walls (0-0, 2.45, 3.2) gets the nod on Wednesday and K-State will counter with right-hander Brad Hutt (0-2, 2.57).
The Roadrunners are hitting .325 as a team and eight players are hitting above .300. Junior center fielder Michael Rockett, who was named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week on Monday, is leading the way with a .464 batting average (13-28), six doubles, atriple, one long ball and 12 RBIs. The preseason first-team All-Southland Conference performerand 2006 Freshman All-Americanalso has scored eight runs, reached base at a .500 clip, is slugging .857(24 total bases) and stolen one base.
On the mound, UTSA has posted a 3.21 ERA and opponents are hitting at a microscopic .218 clip. Roadrunners pitchers have fanned 68 batters and walked 30 in 70 innings of work.
The WIldcats have won three in a row after dropping their first three games of the season. Kansas State is coming off a 3-1 performance at last weekend's Cardinal Classic in Beaumont. The Cats rallied from a six-run, sixth-inning deficit on Sunday against Michigan State to end the tournament on a high note.
Following the series, the Roadrunners will hit the road for the first time this spring when they head to the East Coast for a three-game weekend series at the College of Charleston.