SAN ANTONIO – UTSA seniors Lizzy Fox and Erica Sanchez will play their final home series as the Roadrunners host Florida Atlantic to close out the regular season this weekend. The Roadrunners (19-28, 7-14 C-USA) and the Owls will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m., while Sunday's Senior Day contest will start at 1 p.m. at Roadrunner Field.
Both Fox and Sanchez will be honored in a senior ceremony following the final out on Sunday. As part of the Senior Day festivities, the fathers of each senior will throw out the first pitch.
The Roadrunners are looking to advance to the Conference USA Softball Championship in Charlotte, N.C., May 9-12, but will need some help to get there. UTSA needs to sweep FAU, while Southern Miss, UTEP, and WKU can only win one contest in their final games this weekend. With this scenario, UTSA will clinch the no. 8 seed in the postseason tournament.
Entering this week, the Roadrunners are hitting .232 as a team. Junior Bailee Baldwin continues to direct the way with a .352 batting average, 50 hits, 41 RBI and 40 runs.
Overall, Baldwin also paces the UTSA roster with a conference leading 18 home runs to rank fourth in the NCAA. With 18 long balls, the junior is currently tied with former Roadrunner Jessica Rogers and head coach Michelle Cheatham for the seventh most home runs in a single season in UTSA program history. Baldwin is five round-trippers away from tying Rogers, who also holds the top single-season record with her 23 home runs in 2005.
Freshman Ashlynn Walls and sophomore Celeste Loughman follow with .304 and .299 averages, respectively, while Loughman owns a team-best 15 stolen bases.
In the circle, Fox (12-12) and freshman Madison Nelson (5-16) continue to propel a UTSA pitching staff that owns a 3.28 ERA, which ranks fifth in C-USA. Fox tops the staff with 63 strikeouts, 12 wins and a 2.28 ERA in 162.2 innings pitched while Nelson leads the staff with two saves.
Tied for second in the conference, the Owls are 26-23 overall and 13-7 in league action after sweeping WKU in Boca Raton. The Owls, who have clinched a spot in the C-USA championship, outscored the Lady Toppers 29-20 in the series, winning by the scores of 10-7, 13-12 (8 innings), and 6-1.
The Owls are hitting .264 as a teams and ranks third in C-USA in sacrifice bunts (48). FAU is also one of three teams in the league to hit triple digit numbers in stolen bags with 112.
Pacing the Owls' offense is Madisyn Palmer with a .407 batting average, which is good for second best in the league. The junior also tops the FAU roster with 66 hits and 46 stolen bases. Adding power to the Owl lineup is Emily Lochten with a team best 46 runs, 28 RBI and eight home runs.
The FAU pitching staff ranks third in the league in ERA (2.67). Opponents are hitting .257 in 353.2 innings pitched. Tatum Buckley (13-9) leads the staff in ERA (2.10) and has struck out 98 batters in 153 innings of work with only 22 walks.
Overall, FAU leads the all-time series with UTSA 9-1, including a three-game sweep over the Roadrunners last year in Boca Raton, Fla.
Saturday's doubleheader will be available for live streaming through CUSA.tv, while live stats will be available for every game this weekend.
