SAN ANTONIO — UTSA will look to get back to its winning ways on Friday when the Roadrunners host WKU in a three-game weekend series at Roadrunner Field with first pitch slated for 6 p.m.
UTSA (14-14, 4-5 C-USA) heads into the weekend off a pair of tough losses to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Prairie View A&M that has extended its losing streak to three straight. The Roadrunners have now fallen to a .500 winning percentage and sit in a three-way tie for sixth in the Conference USA standings.
As a team, UTSA is hitting at a .297 clip, which ranks third in the league, and it also stands in the top five in 11 offensive categories.
Reigning C-USA Co-Hitter of the Week Bryan Arias remains atop the UTSA season stat sheet with a .354 batting average and he leads the squad in hits (40), runs scored (34), home runs (8), RBIs (26), total bases (76) and slugging percentage (.673).
The Roadrunners will use its usual rotation for the weekend series with Nolan Trabaninio (4.10 ERA, 4-2), Tyler Giovanoni (3.45 ERA, 2-2) and Steven Dressler (4.50 ERA, 1-3).
WKU heads to the Alamo City with a 10-20 overall record and a 3-6 mark in C-USA that ties the Hilltoppers for ninth. WKU has played two of its last three conference series at home and last faced then-No. 25 Southern Miss with the Golden Eagles sweeping the three-game set. In its last time out on Tuesday, the Hilltoppers snapped a four-game losing skid with a 10-9 win over Murray State.
WKU is hitting .254 as a team team, best for 10th in the league, and it is led offensively by Colie Currie. The outfielder is hitting .336 on the season and leads the team in hits (36), triples (3), walks (12) and adds 19 runs scored, six doubles, three home runs, 16 RBIs and four stolen bases.
On the mound, left-handeder Thurston leads the pitching staff with a 4.25 ERA and he will get the Friday night start, which will be his eighth appearance of the season. Thurston is 3-2 and logged 42.1 innings with a league-best 59 strikeouts.
WKU leads the all-time series, 5-1, and the Hilltoppers swept last year's series that was plated in Bowling Green.
