SAN ANTONIO — UTSA will open its home schedule this weekend with five games in three days when it hosts the annual UTSA Classic at Roadrunner Field.
The Roadrunners (4-5) will begin play in the event at 3 p.m. on Friday against New Mexico (4-6) followed by a 5:30 p.m. matchup with Incarnate Word (3-7). On Saturday, the squad will host the Lobos again at 3 p.m. and I-35 rival Texas State (6-2) at 5:30 p.m. before closing the weekend with a 12:30 p.m. tilt against the Cardinals on Sunday.
UTSA is coming off Wednesday's doubleheader sweep at Sam Houston State by scores of 4-1 and 14-6. In game one, Lizzy Fox dazzled in the circle, as the junior carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The junior got all the offensive support she needed from Rylee Rodriguez's three-run homer in the third inning. In the nightcap, the Roadrunners pounded out 21 hits for their best day at the plate since 2004.
The big offensive night pushed UTSA's team batting average to .309, which ranks second in Conference USA, while its .460 slugging percentage is tops in the circuit. In all, the Roadrunners rank among the league's top five in nine offensive categories including home runs (1st; 7), doubles (3rd; 14), triples (3rd; 3), total bases (3rd; 125), RBIs (4th; 43), hits (4th; 84) and runs (5th; 46).
Lindsey Stewart leads the team and ranks second in C-USA with her .500 batting average, while Rodriguez's three homers are tied for third in the league.
Fellow freshman Celeste Loughman ranks second on the squad with a .364 average to go along with a team-high five stolen bases in as many attempts. Coming off a 4-for-5 outing in game two on Wednesday at Sam Houston State, senior Taylor Oberg checks in with a .346 average to complete one of the top hitting outfields in the conference.
In the circle, Fox and Nicole Merrill have thrown all but 1.1 innings this season for the Roadrunners. The pair have combined for five complete games, including a shutout of Lamar on Feb. 17 by Merrill.
UTSA leads the all-time series against Incarnate Word, 16-3-1, including an 11-0 mark at Roadrunner Field. Meanwhile, New Mexico holds a slight 4-2 edge in the all-time series against the Roadrunners, while UTSA and Texas State have split their 78 previous meetings.
