NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The UTSA baseball team hits the road for a midweek matchup against SFA in Nacogdoches, Texas, on Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Jaycees Field and will be streamed on ESPN+.
QUICK HITS
The Roadrunners are coming off their first weekend series sweep, taking three from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on March 10-12. UTSA put up 50 runs against the Islanders, including a program record 31 runs in the Saturday win.
UTSA is currently on a six-game winning streak which started with a 11-5 win over Utah on March 4. During that win streak, the Roadrunners have averaged 14.33 runs per game and produced 10+ runs in five of those six games. Five of those six games, UTSA also hit at least one home run.
LEADING THE ROADRUNNERS
Antonio Valdez leads the team with a batting average of .463, notching a nation-high 34 RBI, along with 31 hits, 23 runs, four doubles, three triples and team-highs with five home runs and five stolen bases. Leyton Barry has a team-high 32 hits, while Shane Sirdashney leads the Roadrunners with 28 runs and Matt King has a team-best five triples.
On the mound, Simon Miller leads the team with a 0.47 ERA, 30 strikeouts and four wins. Other key performers include Ulises Quiroga (3-0, 0 walks), Luke Malone (1.80 ERA, 1.08 WHIP), Ruger Riojas (.94 WHIP, 2-0), Daniel Garza (3-0) and Daniel Shafer (.83 WHIP, 2 saves).
The Roadrunners lead the conference in multiple categories – batting average (.338), ERA (2.72), hits (204), on-base percentage (.449), runs (156), scoring (9.2), slugging percentage (.525), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.27) triples (14), triples per game (0.82), WHIP (1.24), win-loss percentage (.824) and walks allowed per nine innings (2.66). UTSA's 14 triples also leads the nation, tied with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Valdez leads the nation with 34 RBI and 2.00 RBI per game. Valdez also leads the Conference USA with a .463 batting average and 56 total bases. Barry leads the conference with 32 hits and 1.88 hits per game. Sirdashney has a conference-high 28 runs and 1.65 runs per game. King leads the C-USA with five triples and 0.29 triples per game.
Quiroga is tied with six players for the nation-best 0.00 strikeout to walk ratio and 0.00 walks allowed per nine innings. Miller has the best conference-best 0.47 ERA, 13.97 strikeouts per nine innings, and 0.83 WHIP. With four wins on the season, Miller also leads the conference in that category.
LAST WEEK FOR THE ROADRUNNERS
The Roadrunners had a perfect 4-0 record last week, improving to 14-3 overall. UTSA has won every weekend series they've played so far, as well as every midweek game.
UTSA opened the week with a 11-2 win over Texas State, setting the tone for the week with an offensive explosion. The Roadrunners then swept Texas A&M-Corpus Christi over the weekend, starting off with a 10-6 win on Friday. UTSA then had a record-setting 31-6 victory over the Islanders on Saturday, before closing the series with a 9-6 win.
The Roadrunners once again showed off their offensive power this week, blasting 23 extra-base hits, including eight doubles, three triples and 12 home runs. Taylor Smith had a .727 batting average over the four games last week, including eight hits, a double and three home runs. Leyton Barry exploded for 12 hits, eight runs, two home runs and 11 RBI. Valdez led the team with 12 RBI and recorded two home runs. Five more Roadrunners – Isaiah Walker, Matt King, Sammy Diaz, Dalton Porter and Garrett Poston – also launched a home run over the week.
Luke Malone earned his first win of the season, striking out eight in six innings pitched. Simon Miller continues to shine on the mound, earning a win and a save in two appearances last week. Miller struck out 11 and kept opponents scoreless through 5.1 innings pitched. Ulises Quiroga earned his third win of the season, going five innings in his Saturday start. Freshman Ruger Riojas continues to impress in his first collegiate season, earning his second win and striking out four in 3.0 innings pitched last week.
SCOUTING THE LUMBERJACKS
Stephen F. Austin has a 6-10 record, after being swept by Abilene Christian in a three-game series on March 10-12. Before that, the Lumberjacks defeated Prairie View A&M, 11-7, in 10 innings on March 8. SFA was picked to finish last (13th) in the Western Athletic Conference Preseason Poll.
Peyton Parker leads the Bobcats with a .403 batting average, 29 hits, 14 RBI, 12 runs and six doubles. Clayton Loranger and Alex Rodgers each have 23 hits, while Rodgers has a team-high six home runs.
SERIES HISTORY VS SFA
The Roadrunners lead the all-time series by 27-15 over the Lumberjacks. The teams last played last season on April 6, 2022, when UTSA defeated SFA by 14-4 in seven innings. Garrett Poston led the Roadrunners as he went 3-for-4 with three doubles and three RBI. An eleven-run fifth inning lifted UTSA over SFA.
ON DECK
The Roadrunners return home to open conference play, hosting Florida Atlantic for a three-game series on Friday-Sunday, March 17-19.
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