SAN ANTONIO — UTSA will look to bounce back from dropping two of three games to defending Pac-12 Champion and 24th-ranked Utah when it travels up IH-35 to square off with rival Texas State at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Roadrunners (6-5) went 2-2 last week after defeating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in its first midweek game of the season and a 1-2 weekend against the Utes. UTSA's lone victory against Utah came behind the pitching efforts of southpaw Nolan Trabanino. He went a season-high seven innings on the mound and matched a season best with five strikeouts. It also was his first outing where he did not issue a walk.
Kevin Markham led the Roadrunners last week with his .400 batting average and he remains UTSA's top hitter with his .447 batting average. The senior outfielder continues to lead the nation in doubles with eight and he boasts team bests in eight offensive categories.
Meanwhile, former Texas State Bobcat Tyler Giovanoni leads the Roadrunners pitching staff with a 1.13 ERA in eight innings in relief. He is tied for the team lead with 13 strikeouts and has allowed just one earned run on six hits.
However, Trabanino (3-0) leads all starters with a 1.96 ERA in 18.1 innings of work. He also is tied for the team lead with 13 strikeouts and has issued just a pair of free bases while holding opponents to a .197 batting average.
Texas State (6-6) have played all but three games at home and boast a 5-4 record within the friendly confines of Bobcats Ballpark. The Bobcats head into Tuesday's contest off a weekend sweep of Richmond when they outscored the Spiders, 37-10.
Texas State is batting .305 as a team and is led by Jonathan Ortega's 24 hits and .471 batting average. Six of his hits have gone for extra base hits and he has scored 14 runs and driven in another 15. Ortega is slugging .667 and owns a .541 on base percentage.
Right-hander Brandon Courville will get the start for the Bobcats, which will be his third appearance this season. He has logged 8.2 innings and allowed six runs on six hits for a 5.14 ERA. He is holding opponents to a .182 average.
Texas State leads the all-time series, 55-33, including a 27-12 edge in San Marcos.
