SAN ANTONIO — UTSA will return to Conference USA play this weekend when it hosts Middle Tennessee in a three-game series at Roadrunner Field. The set will open with a double header starting at 4 p.m. on Friday, March 25 and close with a 1 p.m. matchup the following day.
The Roadrunners (11-18, 5-1 C-USA) are off to their best start in C-USA play since joining the league for the 2014 season. The squad will be in search of its third consecutive conference series win after it swept North Texas (March 12-13) and took two of three games last weekend at Charlotte.
Riding an eight-game hitting streak, Jade Smith has upped her batting average to .333 for the season and .444 during league play. Chelsea Thomas used a 4-for-4 outing last Sunday at Charlotte to up her average to .444 during C-USA action and as a team, UTSA is batting .280 in its six conference games. Tess Soejfe (.357) and Randee Crawford (.316) also are batting better than .300 against C-USA foes.
Much like the offense, the Roadrunners’ pitching staff has shown great improvement with a 1.67 team ERA during their six games in the circuit. Nicole Merrill has helped lead the way with a pair of wins and a save to go along with a 0.57 ERA (3rd in C-USA) and 16 strikeouts in 12.1 innings, while Lizzy Fox sits at 2-0 with a 1.83 ERA.
Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders (15-15, 2-4 C-USA), who were picked 11th in the league’s preseason poll, opened C-USA play with a series win over Southern Miss before being swept by Florida Atlantic last weekend. This will be Middle Tennessee’s first venture on the road in conference action and the squad is 12-11 away from home this season.
Kirstyn Cuccia leads the team with a .372 batting average to go along with six doubles, a triple, a homer and 25 RBIs. Dani Munoz is not far behind at .329 with six homers and 20 RBIs and she is one of four regulars batting better than .300. Middle Tennessee is hitting .267 as a team and it has stolen 30 bases in 36 attempts, led by a 16-of-17 mark from Precious Birdsong. In the circle, Kelci Cheney owns a team-leading 3.30 ERA and 11-8 mark in 118.2 innings. The staff has a 3.98 ERA and it has allowed opponents to bat .296 this season.
UTSA leads the all-time series, 3-0, after sweeping last season’s set in Murfreesboro, Tenn.