SAN ANTONIO — UTSA will open its 2016 season on Friday night when it begins a three-game series against Connecticut. The first all-time meetings between the two programs will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. the following afternoon and Sunday's series finale is slated for noon.
Head coach Jason Marshall returns a majority of his lineup from a year ago, but he will have big shoes to fill with the absence of John Bormann behind the plate and Jesse Baker at second base. Baker led the team in almost every offensive category in 2015 and holds several UTSA all-time records. All told, 17 letterwinners return, including six starters and two starting pitchers.
Top hitter Tyler Straub returns for his senior campaign after batting at a .340 clip last season with 55 hits, 11 doubles, three home runs, 27 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.
Meanwhile, Geonte Jackson, one of three players last season to play all 58 games, also returns for his final season. Jackson finished the year with a .298 batting average and 64 hits, 11 extra base hits, 25 RBIs and 31 runs scored. The Sugar Land native spent the summer playing for the Texas Collegiate League and was named the Most Valuable Player. Jackson was also recognized by Perfect Game USA as one of the top 100 seniors in 2016.
Another senior that returns for his final campaign is right-handed pitcher Aaron Burns. The Jarrell native boasted a 3.07 ERA and a 7-3 record in 16 appearances last spring. Burns pitched two complete games over 73.1 innings of work and struck out 38 batters while allowing only 25 earned runs.
Right-hander Chance Kirby also is back after registering the second-most strikeouts on the pitching staff last season with 52. Kirby finished his first season with a 4.90 ERA in 60.2 innings of work. He made 21 appearances, including six starts, and finished with a 5-4 record.
UTSA will kick off the year at the Bird Bath for the fifth consecutive spring and the Roadrunners are 10-19 all-time in season openers, but they have won their last three.
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