SAN ANTONIO – UTSA's road to 2019 Conference USA Baseball Championship begins Friday at Roadrunner Field with a three-game weekend series against Middle Tennessee. The series will start at 6 p.m. on Friday, resume at 2 p.m. on Saturday and conclude at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
As part of the 30-game conference schedule, UTSA (7-11, 0-0) hosts five home series and travels to five league foes for the final 10 weeks of the season. Starting with the Blue Raiders (5-11, 0-0), the Roadrunners alternate home and road weekends, wrapping up the regular season at Charlotte May 16-18.
Last season, the Roadrunners finished fifth in the league with a record of 32-24 overall and 16-13 in conference action. Overall, Middle Tennessee finished 27-27-1 but missed the C-USA tournament by a half game, placing ninth with a mark of 12-17-1.
Media Coverage:
Live Stats
Watch (Saturday will be audio only)
PxP: Glynne Collenback
All-Time Series: 16 meetings
UTSA Leads: 12-4
Home: 5-1 // Road: 6-2 // Neutral: 1-1
Streak: UTSA Won 2
Last Season: UTSA won the series 2-1
Last Meeting: UTSA W, 13-7 (April 29, 2018)
Last Home Win: 10-9 (May 7, 2017)
Probable Starters:
Friday: So. RHP, Zach Keenan (1-2, 1.88) vs. Sr. RHP, Karan Patel (0-3, 2.70)
Saturday: So. LHP, Peyton Wiggington (1-0, 2.92) vs. Jr. RHP, Slater Foust (2-1, 1.11)
Sunday: Sr. RHP, Carson Lester (0-1, 3.00) vs. TBA
Weekend Promotions:
Friday: Student Giveaway - Come and Take it Hats for the first 50 students with ID.
Saturday: Camper Reunion Day – Free admission for Summer Baseball Campers wearing their camp shirts.
Sunday: Family Funday - Ticket package includes four tickets with drinks and hotdogs for $30. Buy
For St. Patrick's Day, UTSA goes Green with the first 100 fans receiving a free green reusable bag.
Run the Bases: Kids 12 and under are welcomed to run the bases after the game. (Weather permitting)
Last time out, UTSA suffered a 4-2 setback Tuesday at Houston, while Alabama shutout Middle Tennessee, 2-0.
As a team, the Roadrunners enter the weekend hitting .255 as a team, scoring 5.1 runs per game. Sophomore Dylan Rock's team leading .407 batting average ranks second in the league. He has 24 hits in 59 at-bats, with at-least one knock in all 17 contests. Junior transfer, Nick Thornquist drove in both runs at Houston, including a lead-off home run in the fifth.
Mason Hunter worked 15.0 innings, which ranks third in C-USA in eight appearances with seven in relief. Slater Foust ranks fourth in the league in hits per nine innings, 5.18, and fifth with a 0.9 WHIP. Karan Patel's 27 strikeouts are the fourth most, while Preston Wenzel leads the league with just over one walk per nine innings pitched.
Middle Tennessee concludes a seven-game road trip in the Alamo City, being swept in a three-game series at in-state foe Kentucky, before the midweek tilt at Alabama.
Aaron Antonini leads the Blue Raiders, which are hitting .225 as a team, with a .310 batting average, registering 18 hits in 58 at-bats, scoring seven and recording nine RBIs.
The pitching staff ranks second in the league and 17th in the country with a 2.82 ERA. Zach Keenan leads the staff, allowing five earned runs in 24.0 innings pitched – posting a 1.88 ERA, while Peyton Wiggington fans nearly 11 batters per nine innings.
