SAN ANTONIO – Following a season-opening series victory against San Francisco, the UTSA baseball team will hit the road for a single, non-conference contest against Abilene Christian on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Crutcher Scott Field.
Live stats for the game will be available along with a live stream on ACUsports.com.
A LOOK BACK AT OPENING WEEKEND
UTSA (2-1) swept a doubleheader on Saturday to claim the three-game series with the Dons. The Roadrunners, who dropped the season opener 11-2, picked up an 11-1 win in the middle game of the set and rallied for a 13-5 victory in the finale.
UTSA tallied 24 of its 26 runs in the series during Saturday's doubleheader.
Junior outfielder Ryan Stacy led the offensive charge with a .500 batting average (4 for 8) with two doubles and a pair of RBIs. Freshman outfielder Chase Keng posted a team-best five hits on the weekend, including three on opening night. The Deer Park native had one double, a triple and three stolen bases.
The Birds also hammered four home runs in the second game of the set. Bryan Arias, Trent Bowles, Ben Brookover and Jonathan Tapia all went deep.
UTSA's pitching staff limited San Francisco to a .219 batting average during the weekend. Senior left-hander Steven Dressler hurled 6.2 scoreless innings to pick up the win in game two, while junior righty Derek Craft worked 4.2 scoreless stanzas out of the bullpen in the finale to earn a victory.
In all, 13 pitchers saw action on opening weekend, including senior right-hander Andre Shewcraft, who pitched for the first time since April 24, 2016. The Pearland native, who missed the entire 2017 campaign with an injury, struck out three batters in 1.1 innings in Saturday's first game.
Senior left-hander Jordan Rodriguez will get the start on the mound for UTSA in Tuesday's tilt. The Houston native started last weekend's series finale, but exited after 25 pitches. Rodriguez gave up three hits and four unearned runs in two-thirds of a frame.
SCOUTING ABILENE CHRISTIAN
The Wildcats (3-0) will be wrapping up a season-opening four-game home stand when welcoming the Roadrunners on Tuesday night. Abilene Christian swept a three-game series from Quinnipiac last weekend, including Sunday's 11-2 triumph.
The Wildcats batted .383 and scored 26 runs over the three contests. Caleb Kyle led the way with a .600 batting average (6 for 10) with three RBIs. Robert Salazar and Derek Scott also had six hits apiece, while Matt Munoz posted a triple, a homer and six RBIs in the series win.
Abilene Christian enters the midweek game with a 4.00 ERA and 30 strikeouts on the mound.
The Wildcats have not yet announced a starting pitcher.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Tuesday's game will mark the third meeting all-time between the two programs and first since the 2003 season. Abilene Christian won a 7-2 decision in San Antonio on March 20, 2002, but UTSA rebounded the following season with a 4-1 win at Roadrunner Field. Tuesday also will mark the first meeting in Abilene between the two clubs.
NOTABLES
- UTSA head coach Jason Marshall was inducted into the Abilene Cooper High School Hall of Fame last September.
- Abilene Christian head coach Britt Bonneau began his coaching career as an assistant at UTSA during the 1993 season.
UP NEXT
Following Tuesday's contest, UTSA will return to San Antonio to host third-ranked Texas Tech in a three-game series at Roadrunner Field. The set is scheduled to open with a 6 p.m. Friday, while fans are encouraged to wear white for a 'White Out' promotion.
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