SAN ANTONIO — UTSA will open its 26th season of play this weekend when it travels to Las Cruces, N.M., for a three-game series at New Mexico State. The set will start with a 3 p.m. (CT) doubleheader on Saturday followed by a 1 p.m. (CT) matchup the following day.
The series will mark the first of nine consecutive games away from home to start the season for the Roadrunners, who return 13 letterwinners from last year's squad. Among the returners is senior Randee Crawford, who led the UTSA offense a season ago with 13 home runs and 24 RBIs. The Livingston native already ranks among the best in program history with 35 round-trippers, while her 103 career RBIs sit just outside the school's top-10.
Fellow seniors Kaley Pyles and Angelica Niño also return to the infield after the pair combined for 80 starts at shortstop and first base, respectively. Pyles collected 11 extra-base hits last season, while Niño, who also has collected three Conference USA Academic Medals and was a C-USA All-Academic pick in 2016, drove in 13 runs and posted a .986 fielding percentage. Seniors Madison Kinley and Alyssa Cummings, junior Erica Sanchez and sophomore Hailey Garza all provide experience and depth to the infield, while freshmen Ari Hernandez, Rylee Rodriguez and Madison Washington will look to crack the lineup, as well.
Behind the plate, Crawford and freshman Kylea Nix will look to take over for graduated senior Tess Soefje. Nix is a four-time all-district pick and the 2016 District 30-5A MVP totaled 10 homers and 108 RBIs in her career at Gregory-Portland High School.
Senior Taylor Oberg and sophomore Bailee Baldwin are the top returners in the outfield. Oberg has appeared in 99 games with 18 extra-base hits (10 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR) during her three seasons. Meanwhile, Baldwin put together a strong freshman campaign a season ago when she hit .268 with six doubles, a triple, four homers and 19 RBIs to go along with six stolen bases in as many attempts. The Mansfield native appeared in 50 games with 41 starts in right field.
Freshmen Lindsey Stewart and Celeste Loughman will look to aid the returners in the outfield. The speedy Stewart hit .475 with 116 stolen bases during her four-year career at Pearland High School, while Loughman batted .536 with 99 thefts in her time at West Columbia High School in Columbia, Texas.
Under the direction of first-year pitching coach Jordan Wallce, the pitching staff is led by junior Lizzy Fox. Fox had a break-out campaign in 2016 as she led the team with 10 wins, three saves, a 2.37 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 186.1 innings. The Sugar Land native set a school record when she tossed all 13 innings of a contest at Louisiana Tech last year. Senior Nicole Merrill returns for her final season and the Round Rock product has totaled 23 wins, a pair of saves and 251 strikeouts in her UTSA career.
The duo will be joined by freshman KyLee DeCock, who was a two-time all-area selection by the San Antonio Express-News and a four-time all-district pick out of Medina Valley High School in Castroville.
Following its nine road games to start the season, the Roadrunners will make their home debut at the annual UTSA Classic, which is scheduled for Feb. 24-26, when they will host Incarnate Word, New Mexico and I-35 rival Texas State.
