SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA softball team (7-29, 3-8 C-USA) heads back to the road and northeast to Ruston, La. this weekend for a three-game series at last year's Conference USA West Division pacesetter, Louisiana Tech (23-18, 5-7 C-USA). The Roadrunners and Lady Techsters are set to face off at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field from Friday, April 14 to Sunday, April 16. All three games are slated to be streamed live on CUSA.tv.
UTSA Quick Hits
- The Roadrunners not only battled Western Kentucky last week at Roadrunner Field, but fought continuous rains as well – splitting a two-game weather-altered set and snapping an 11-game losing skid.
- After being rained out completely on Thursday, UTSA jumped out to a 5-2 lead in only an hour of Friday gameplay before play was suspended, the lead built by a four-run second inning with RBI courtesy of Ciarra Mata, Kat Ibarra, Marena Estell and Camryn Robillard. Picking back up Saturday, Estell went the distance in the circle and held the Hilltoppers to a single hit in the 7-2 victory. Among the top teams in the conference this year, WKU finished off the doubleheader with a 9-2 win.
- Last Tuesday against Houston Christian, the Roadrunners scored the most hits and runs since March 11 (vs. UTEP), recording nine (9) runs on eight (8) hits. However, the Huskies also put up 21 hits in the 18-9 HCU victory. Against HCU, junior shortstop Kat Ibarra went a season-best 4-for-4 with a triple, scoring twice with an RBI.
- Ibarra's triple count at four (4) on the year places her in a tie for the fourth-most in a single season in UTSA history. She ties for 25th in the NCAA in triples this season.
- The three-bagger vs. HCU brought Ibarra's career count to nine (9), elevating her into sole ownership of the third-most career triples, directly behind Kendall Burton (10, 2015-16) and Celeste Loughman (12, 2017-21).
- A 2022 Conference USA first-teamer and Preseason All-Conference team honoree, Kat Ibarra is an all-around offensive weapon for the Roadrunners, leading in (.370), hits (44), runs (26), slugging percentage (.555), on-base percentage (.457), doubles (11), walks (19) and stolen bases (6).She has scored in five (5) of the last six (6) games.
- Her 44 hits total comes in 97th in the NCAA and sixth among C-USA hitters.
- Ibarra also ranks 61st nationally with 0.33 doubles per game, registering the second-most doubles in Conference USA.
- Defensively, Ibarra has a team-high 53 assists (with 62 putouts), 10 double plays and has delivered the tag on six caught-stealing plays.
- Collecting two dingers vs. the Hilltoppers, junior catcher/first baseman Taylor Jensen now has a team-high five (5) home runs and is hitting .313 with 30 hits, 16 RBI and 12 runs scored.
- Jensen also has part in three (3) double plays and has picked six (6) stealing baserunners.
- Jensen was the backstop for two NJCAA National Championships at Florida SouthWestern State College, batting .410 with 26 doubles, 20 home runs, 99 runs and 118 RBI across three seasons (including 2020 COVID year) and 116 games at FSW.
- Pushing the most Roadrunners home, super senior Marena Estell leads UTSA with 23 RBI, batting .307 with five (5) doubles and four (4) home runs, scoring 13 times as well.
- Now in her fifth season with UTSA, Estell has amassed 77 hits, 68 RBI, 22 home runs, 11 doubles and 48 runs in 162 games with the Roadrunners. She's also made 99 pitching appearances.
- Paced by Ibarra's 19 free passes and Robillard's 18 walks, UTSA ranks 13th nationally in walks drawn (146), slipping just behind WKU (150) for the first time this season.
- Putting up 47 this season, UTSA ranks 94th the NCAA in doubles and 83rd nationally with 1.31 two-baggers per contest.
- In the series opener against FIU, UTSA's defense tied a single-season school record with three (3) double plays in one game.
- UTSA enters the LT series ranked 35th in the NCAA at .42 double plays per game – tying for an NCAA 35th-most 15 double plays.
- Overall, the UTSA offense averages .248 batting, 6.42 hits, 4.06 walks and 3.97 runs per game.
Series vs. Louisiana Tech
Friday will start the series on the 38th meeting between these teams in a series dating back to the second month of UTSA's inaugural season in 1992. UTSA holds a 21-16 advantage in the overall series and is 8-8 in Ruston. UTSA went 1-2 against the Lady Techsters last year in Ruston, winning the middle game, 6-5 on April 2.
Louisiana Tech Quick Hits
- Louisiana Tech enters the weekend with a 23-18 mark, sitting at 5-7 in Conference USA play. The Lady Techsters are 11-6 at home this year and will be playing their first game at home since March 26. In the meantime, LA Tech has gone 4-6 in the 19 days away from home.
- LA Tech has an 8-8 record against UTSA at home and have defeated the Roadrunners in seven of the last nine outings in Ruston.
- While UTSA played no midweek opponents, the Lady Techsters absorbed a 6-1 loss at Ole Miss on Wednesday night.
- LA Tech is hosting Alumni Weekend with the Roadrunners in town.
- Tech went 39-20 a year ago, winning the C-USA West Division but were ejected early from the conference tournament on losses to eventual champion North Texas and then WKU.
- LA Tech averages .250 hitting as a team, averaging 6.39 hits, 3.49 walks and 4.32 runs per game. The pitching staff has a C-USA second-best 2.22 ERA and averages 6.34 opponent hits, 1.78 opponent walks, 2.76 opponent strikeouts and 2.68 runs per outing.
- 2022 C-USA Freshman of the Year and C-USA first-teamer Sierra Sacco is taking a leadership role for the Lady Techsters, batting .331 with 41 hits and a C-USA fifth-best 31 runs.
- Junior outfielder Kylie Neel was a C-USA second-teamer last year and is hitting .322 with a C-USA fourth-best 33 RBI from 39 hits, including eight (8) doubles and two (2) home runs. She's also scored a team second-most 24 runs.
- In the circle for Tech's efficient pitching staff, Canadian transfer Brook Melnychuk is in her first season and locked in with a C-USA fourth-best 1.79 ERA and 4-5 record in 17 appearances, while freshman Allie Floyd is taking the bulk of innings, tossing a team-high 89.2 innings in 23 appearances with a 2.42 ERA and 5-7 record.
- Head coach Josh Taylor is 62-38 (.620) in his second season a LA Tech, following five seasons at Nevada.
UTSA Series Coverage at Louisiana Tech
Friday, April 14 – 6:00 p.m.
Stream: CUSA.tv
Live Stats: LA TECH
Saturday, April 15 – 1:00 p.m. (weather-altered game time)
Stream: CUSA.tv
Live Stats: LA TECH
Sunday, April 16 - 1:00 p.m.
Stream: CUSA.tv
Live Stats: LA TECH
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