UTSA Roadrunners (21-22, 16-8) vs. Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks (31-18, 16-7)
Saturday, April 26 ? 1 p.m. (DH) | Sunday, April 27 ? Noon
Roadrunner Field ? San Antonio, Texas
Series Record: UTSA leads, 32-15
Last Meeting: UTSA, 5-2 (April 22, 2007)
SAN ANTONIO ? UTSA (21-22, 16-8) hosts Stephen F. Austin (31-18, 16-7) in a key Southland Conference series this weekend at Roadrunner Field. First pitch in a doubleheader on Saturday is set for 1 p.m., followed by a single game at noon Sunday.
Promotions: Pocket Litter ? between games win Rudy Bar-B-Q Sause if you match what's in your pocket; 3 Up, 3 Down ? an autographed gameday program wins Rudy Bar-B-Q Sause and L&M Bookstore prizes
Tuning In: Live stats will be provided at goUTSA.com. Live audio will be available for Rowdy Zone subscribers at goUTSA.com. Ed Suarez has the call.
Base Hits
? UTSA leads the all-time series with Stephen F. Austin, 32-15, and has won five of the last six meetings
? The Roadrunners have a nine-game winning streak against the Ladyjacks at Roadrunner Field and are 22-5 overall
? Dating back to 2004, UTSA is 60-23 (.723) at Roadrunner Field
? SFA is second behind Texas State (20-4/.833) in the Southland Conference standings at 16-7 (.696), while UTSA is just a half game back of the Ladyjacks at 16-8 (.667)
? Senior Amanda Nikolenko already has broken four UTSA career pitching records this season ? starts (104), innings (704.2), wins (65) and strikeouts (568) ? and needs just one complete game to match the career mark of 72 set by Jennifer Drake (1995-98)
? SLC Freshman of the Year candidate Dany? Holmes has drawn 31 walks in 43 games and ranks 20th in the NCAA in walks per game (0.72)
Scouting Stephen F. Austin: The Ladyjacks improved to 31-18 on the season with a 3-1 win against Houston Baptist on Wednesday. Stephen F. Austin took 2-of-3 games from Texas State last weekend and has won six of its last nine league contests. Kendal Harper leads the offense with a .379 batting average, 11 doubles and 23 stolen bases, while Jessica Tullos is hitting .333 with 10 home runs and a team-high 30 RBIs. Monika Covington is the top pitcher with a 16-9 record, 1.38 ERA and 199 strikeouts in 183 innings. Head coach Gay McNutt is in her first season at the helm.
A Look At The SLC Standings: UTSA currently is in third place in the Southland Conference standings with a 16-8 record, just a half game back of Stephen F. Austin (16-7). Texas State tops the standings with a 20-4 mark. The top eight teams by winning percentage qualify for the SLC Tournament hosted by Texas State on May 8-10. The top two squads receive a first-round bye in the new, eight-team, single-elimination format.
SLC Supremacy: UTSA is the winningest program in Southland Conference history, owning a 266-165 (.617) all-time record in conference games. Dating back to 2004, the Roadrunners are 97-36 (.729) in league play. UTSA won three consecutive SLC regular season crowns from 2004-06 and captured SLC Tournament titles in 2004 and 2006.
Tough Slate: UTSA is facing a tough schedule this year, including five teams that made the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Houston is ranked No. 9 in this week’s USA Today/NFCA Top 25, while Missouri is receiving votes. Houston is No. 13 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25, while Missouri is receiving votes. The Roadrunners defeated Texas, 3-2, when it was ranked No. 22 on Feb. 9, in Austin, and own a 4-1 win against Missouri on March 25.
Career Record Watch: Senior Amanda Nikolenko has set four UTSA career pitching records this season ? starts (104), innings (704.2), wins (65) and strikeouts (568). The right-hander from Ashland, Mo., is within striking distance of the school marks for complete games (71/72) and shutouts (13/19).
A New Era: Lori Cook is in her third year as head coach with a career 85-67 record (.559). In her first season in 2006, UTSA went 37-14, won its third consecutive SLC regular season title with a 22-5 mark, won the SLC Tournament for the second time in three years and made its second NCAA Tournament appearance.
Up Next: UTSA concludes the regular season with a three-game series at Sam Houston State on Saturday-Sunday, May 3-4, in Huntsville.