Roadrunners to continue home stand this weekend

SAN ANTONIO — UTSA continues its season-long eight-game home stand this weekend when it hosts Nicholls in what has become a pivotal three-game Southland Conference series at the Bird Bath. First pitch in Friday's opener is slated for 6 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday's tilts will be played at 2 and 1 p.m., respectively.

The Roadrunners (14-27, 5-19 SLC) enter the weekend set reeling, as they have lost four consecutive games and 13 of 15 overall. They currently are six games behind the Colonels (22-21, 11-13 SLC) and Lamar for the eighth and final spot in this month's Southland Conference Tournament, which will be played from May 26-29 at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi. The Cardinals hold the tie-breaker over the Birds by virtue of their series win two weeks ago in Beaumont.

UTSA holds a commanding 34-20 edge in the all-time series that dates back to its inaugural campaign of 1992. The Roadrunners have won eight consecutive meetings and not lost to Nicholls since May 11, 2007. In fact, the Birds have been victorious in 20 of the last 23 matchups dating back to 2002. UTSA has been even more dominant at Roadrunner Field, having won 11 straight with its last home loss to the Colonels coming more than eight years ago (March 23, 2002).

The Roadrunners continue to be one of the top power-hitting teams in the Southland. UTSA has slugged 53 home runs this spring, which ranks second only to McNeese State's 55. Leading the way is third baseman Ryan Dalton, who has launched a UTSA single-season freshman record 12. That total ranks third nationally among freshmen and fourth in the league overall. Meanwhile, junior second baseman Ryan Hutson is on his teammate's heels, as he has left the park 11 times this season (fifth SLC). Hutson has hit 35 homers during his three-year career and that ranks fourth on the program's all-time list.

Reigning National Player of the Week Clint Dempster (5-4, 3.48 ERA), who struck out a career-high 16 hitters last Friday at Southeastern Louisiana, will start for Nicholls in the opener. The southpaw leads a Colonels pitching staff that ranks fifth in the circuit in strikeouts (311) and sixth in ERA (5.38).

The home stand will continue next weekend when McNeese State comes to the Alamo City (May 14-16).