Game 29 ? April 2 ? #29 Baylor (16-10)
6:30 p.m. ? Baylor Ballpark ? Waco, Texas
UTSA to kick off season-long road trip on Wednesday night: UTSA (18-10) begins a season-long nine-game road trip on Wednesday night when it travels north to take on No. 29 Baylor (16-10). The contest can be heard live on goUTSA.com (Rowdy Zone subscription required) with Associate Sports Information Director Brian Hernandez calling the action. It also can be followed on Jump TV's Gamewatcher. The Roadrunners, winners of three of their last four games and four of six overall, are coming off weekend Southland Conference series victory against UT Arlington.
UTSA/Baylor series history: The Bears hold a commanding 25-2 edge in the all-time series that dates back to Feb. 23, 1993. Wednesday night marks the 16th year in a row that the two programs have met. Baylor has won the last 23 matchups and UTSA’s lone wins in the series came during the 1994 campaign (10-2, Feb. 23/7-6, April 27).
Hit the road, Jack: UTSA, which has played 22 of its first 28 games this year at home, takes to the road for just the third time this year on Wednesday when it begins a season-long nine-game road trip. Following the Baylor contest, the Roadrunners will head to the Bayou State in consecutive weekends to square off against Southeastern Louisiana (April 4-6) and Northwestern State (April 11-13). The road swing concludes on April 15-16 in a non-conference two-game set at SLC East Division leader Lamar. The Alamo City has been kind to the Roadrunners thus far in 2008, as UTSA owns a 16-6 mark between Roadrunner Field and Wolff Stadium (home of Double A San Antonio Missions/San Diego Padres organization).
A baker’s dozen: UTSA is becoming quite familiar with the Big 12 Conference this season, as Wednesday night marks the fifth opponent the Roadrunners have faced in 2008. After dropping a 16-6 decision to Texas Tech on Feb. 25, UTSA swept a two-game set from Kansas State on March 4-5 (5-4, 9-8). The Birds have dropped their past two games against Big 12 foes ? No. 10 Texas (16-5, March 17) and 20th-ranked Texas A&M (5-4, March 25).
National Players of the Week: After having just one National Player of the Week honoree in its first 16 years of existence (Mark Schramek: April 22, 2002), UTSA had a pair of players honored during the month of March. Junior center fielder Michael Rockett picked up the second award in school history on March 3 and senior first baseman Trent Lockwood collected the award that is sponsored by Louisville Slugger and announced by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper on Monday, March 31.
Record-setting afternoon: It was a game for the ages at Roadrunner Field last Wednesday against Prairie View A&M. UTSA handed the Panthers a 27-4 defeat and that broke the program’s all-time record for runs in a game. The contest featured eight other 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.
Lockwood earns National POW honors: Senior Trent Lockwood earned Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week honors on Monday after hitting .474 (9-19) with eight runs scored, a double, four home runs and 13 RBIs in five games last week. He also posted a remarkable 1.158 slugging percentage on the strength of 22 total bases and reached base in half of his 24 plate appearances. After starting the week with an 0-for-3 performance against No. 20 Texas A&M, the Groesbeck native exploded for nine hits in his next 16 at-bats, which was good for a .563 batting average. Included in that total was a 4-for-5, five-run, three-homer, 9-RBIs performance on Wednesday against Prairie View A&M. That effort broke the school’s single-game record for RBIs and tied the mark for long balls, runs scored and hits in an inning (two in the third). Lockwood went on to go 5-for-11 (.455) with a double, homer and four RBIs in the weekend three-game set with UT Arlington.
Turning up the heat: 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. He has at least two base knocks in 10 of his last 17 games and hit .378 (25-66) with nine doubles, a triple, four homers and 24 RBIs during that stretch. The 2007 SLC Newcomer of the Year and ’08 preseason first-team all-league choice has a .327 batting average with a dozen two-baggers, a team-high five long balls, 35 RBIs and 16 walks (.407 OBP).
Rockett named National POW: Junior center fielder Michael Rockett’s big weekend against Sacred Heart from Feb. 29-March 2 did not go unnoticed, as he was one of four players selected as Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week on March 3. 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 Rockett launches: Rockett, a preseason first-team All-SLC selection, leads a powerful Roadrunners offense that has scored 243 runs (8.7 pg) and is hitting .329 with 105 extra-base hits (71 doubles, nine triples, 25 home runs). The 2006 Freshman All-American is hitting a team-best .396 and leads the Southland Conference in hits (44), doubles (13) and RBIs (36). Currently on an 11-game hitting streak in which he has hit .500 (21-42), he also leads the team with 72 total bases and a .649 slugging percentage to go along with three doubles, three home runs and four stolen bases. Three of his last four outings have resulted in three-hit performances.
Leadoff extraordinaire: Junior infielder James Keithley continues to be the engine that makes the UTSA offense go, as he is hitting .381 with a conference-best 37 runs scored and a team-high nine stolen bases in 27 starting assignments (22 SS/5 2B). The 2008 preseason first-team All-Southland Conference pick also has 43 hits, seven doubles, one triple, three home runs and 16 RBIs. The San Antonio native has reached base at a .449 clip and owns a .540 slugging percentage (61 total bases). Keithley has hit safely in 15 games in a row dating back to March 9, including seven two-hits efforts in his last 13 contests. The 2007 second-team All-SLC choice also had a 10-gamer from Feb. 23-March 8, which included a school-record-tying five hits on March 8 at the College of Charleston. In fact, Keithley has a team-high 14 multi-hit efforts this year. Since moving into the leadoff spot on March 9, 2007, the Roadrunners posted a 50-22 (.694) record. Keithley, who has scored a run in 52 of his last 67 games, saw his 12-game run-scoring streak snapped on March 22 at Central Arkansas, but he still has managed to cross the plate in 24 of his last 26 tilts.
Palincsar swinging a hot bat: Sophomore designated hitter Tim Palincsar has picked right up from where he left off a year ago. The 2007 Freshman All-American and SLC Freshman of the Year leads the squad in home runs (5), walks (22) and on-base percentage (.477) in addition to hitting .369 with 34 runs, nine doubles and 31 RBIs. Palincsar, who had an 11-game hitting streak from March 14-26, has reached base by hit, walk or hit by pitch in 26 contests this year and hit safely in 23-of-28 games.
Hernandez hitting ?em hard: Junior Jose Hernandez has been a consistent force in UTSA’s lineup this season. The first-year player from Anaheim Hills, Calif., is hitting .375 with seven doubles, a homer and 19 RBIs. Currently on a seven-game hitting streak, he also has walked 16 times and is reaching base at a .479 clip. Hernandez has a pair of three-hit performances in his last four contests and he tied a school single-game record with three doubles and a pair of base hits in the third inning last Wednesday against Prairie View A&M.
Versatile freshman: Tyler Carpenter has made an immediate impact in his inaugural season. Not only has the Missouri City native started at three positions (right field 8/catcher 5/third base 3), he been a major asset in the Roadrunners lineup, hitting .385 with six doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs. Carpenter already has an 11-game hitting streak and a pair of three-hit games to his credit this year.
Ruepke a de-facto Big 12 hurler: Junior southpaw Kris Ruepke is slated make his fifth start of the season on Wednesday night and fourth against a team from the Big 12 Conference. The Adel, Iowa, native previously has drawn assignments against Texas Tech (Feb. 25), No. 10 Texas (March 17) and No. 20 Texas A&M (March 25).
Vasquez moving up career charts: Senior right-hander has returned from a one-year layoff and posted a 4-2 mark with 36 strikeouts in 36.2 innings (seven games/six starts). The Beeville native also has a team-best three quality starts and ranks fifth on the program’s career chart for victories (17), strikeouts (207) and games started (t-41) and eighth for innings pitched (244.2).
Chovanec throwing strikes: Senior righty Bradley Chovanec has been solid in his second and final campaign as a Roadrunner. The Burton native leads the pitching staff with an SLC-best five victories and he also owns a 3.91 ERA in eight games (six starts). Chovanec has posted a sterling 36-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in a league-best 48.1 innings of work. Chovanec, who has a team-high three quality starts, 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. He is coming off a complete-game six-hitter last Saturday against UT Arlington.
On the right ?foot’: Sophomore right-hander Ryan Proudfoot has picked right up from where he left off a year ago, as he owns a 4-1 record with a 4.24 ERA in 34 innings of work (seven games/six starts). The Lindale native also has three quality starts, 25 strikeouts and is holding hitters to a .242 batting average. On March 22, he blanked Central Arkansas for the first 5.2 frames to extend his unearned runs streak to 14.1 innings. Proudfoot, who has won five of his last six decisions dating back to May 6, 2007, was 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA in his inaugural season a year ago.
Bullpen bullies: Junior right-hander J.P Holton and sophomore righty Zach Calhoon have provided a formidable 1-2 punch out of the UTSA bullpen this season. Holton has seen action in 11 games (two starts) and posted one save and a 2.86 ERA in 28.1 innings of work. The Lufkin native also has fanned 26 and limited opposing hitters to a .196 batting average. In his 21 relief-only innings, he has allowed just 14 hits (.192 BAA in 73 ABs), while posting a 2.57 ERA with 21 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Calhoon has recorded a win and five saves in 11 contests out of the pen. The Spring native has allowed just eight hits (.148 BAA) and struck out 25 in 14.2 frames of work. He already has 11 career saves (35 appearances) and that matches the school record that Lucas Stewart posted from 2003-04. His six saves a year ago were a UTSA freshman record and the fifth-highest total in a single season.
Tough slate: Wednesday night’s game against No. 29 Baylor marks UTSA’s fifth ranked opponent this season. The Roadrunners dropped their season opener to 40th-ranked Oral Roberts, 5-3, but rebounded to defeat No. 19 Louisiana-Lafayette, 5-2, two days later. The Roadrunners lost to 10th-ranked Texas (16-5) on March 17 and No. 20 Texas A&M (5-4) eight days later. One more UTSA foe, Texas, currently resides in the national polls.
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 SLC 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 conference’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 229 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).
