SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA Roadrunners softball team (8-35, 3-14 C-USA) will return to Tennessee for the first time since February to meet the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (30-15, 9-8 C-USA) in a three-game Conference USA series at Blue Raider Softball Field. The series runs Friday, April 28 to Sunday, April 30 and will be streamed live on CUSA.tv.
UTSA Quick Hits
- UTSA is 8-35 on the season and 1-14 in true road games. The Roadrunners are hitting .244 as a team with 6.35 hits, 3.81 walks and 3.70 runs per game.
- Despite highly competitive play over the weekend, UTSA suffered a Conference USA series sweep at home to UAB last week.
- Finishing the week with a 1-3 record, last week was a big one for going yard, as the Roadrunners racked up nine (9) home runs in four contests, two apiece contributed by Taylor Jensen, Marena Estell and Kat Ibarra.
- After opening the C-USA slate with a series victory over UTEP, the Roadrunners have fallen in four conference series, and split a weather-altered two-game set with Western Kentucky.
- In a three-game road conference series at Louisiana Tech (April 14-16), UTSA's pitchers delivered a 0.97 ERA on the weekend and allowed only .181 hitting (13 hits, 5 runs) from the Lady Techsters. Despite the numbers in the circle, UTSA still suffered a road series sweep.
- Across the three-game series, UTSA batted .176 with 15 hits but no runs.
- UTSA notched the first (combined) shutout of the year vs. UIW on Wednesday last week on Tuesday, completing the season sweep of cross-town foe Incarnate Word.
- One of only two players starting every game this year, junior shortstop Kat Ibarra continues as the pacesetter for UTSA's offense, leading in BA (.361), hits (52), runs (30), doubles (11), triples (4), walks (20), on-base percentage (.439), slugging percentage (.556) and stolen bases (6) – On defense, Ibarra has a team-high 62 assists (with 82 putouts), 10 double plays and has delivered the tag on seven (8) caught-stealing plays.
- Ibarra has the third-most career triples in UTSA history at nine (9) and is tied for the fourth-most in a UTSA season this year.
- The shortstop has received conference honors each season at UTSA and is potentially in line for her third accolades, receiving a 2023 Preseason All-Conference USA nod to start the year after being a 2022 C-USA first-teamer and a member of the 2021 C-USA All-Freshman Team.
- A now-proven addition at both first base and catcher since joining UTSA as a two-time JUCO National Champion from Florida SouthWestern State College, Taylor Jensen paces the team with seven (7) home runs after the double-dose at UIW, batting .299 with a team second-most 35 hits, 14 runs, four (4) doubles and 18 RBI.
- Super senior utility Marena Estell was a member of the Preseason All-Conference USA team and leads the Roadrunners with 27 RBI while batting .297 with 16 runs and 33 hits, including six (6) doubles and six (6) home runs.
- UTSA appears among the top 100 in several national rankings:
- Recording 17 total on the year, UTSA ranks 44th in the NCAA with 0.40 double plays per game.
- With 164 total free passes and 3.81 BB per game, UTSA ranks 29th nationally in walks drawn.
- UTSA led the NCAA in the stat for 14 days from late Feb. to mid-March.
- UTSA has the fourth-most homers among C-USA teams at 33 and the Roadrunners rank 72nd in the NCAA with 0.77 home runs per game.
- Producing an NCAA 105th-most 54 two-baggers, the Roadrunners rank 91st in doubles per game with a 1.26 average.
- Several player performances also appear in the national rankings:
- Garnering NCAA listings for hitting and extra-base prowess, Ibarra ranks 62nd in triples per game, comes in at 143rd in doubles per game and ranks 100th in the NCAA with 54 hits collected.
- Ibarra ties for the most triples and has the fifth-most hits and ties for the fourth-most doubles among C-USA players.
- Sophomore third baseman Camryn Robillard ties for 10th nationally and first in Conference USA with five (5) sacrifice flies.
- Garnering NCAA listings for hitting and extra-base prowess, Ibarra ranks 62nd in triples per game, comes in at 143rd in doubles per game and ranks 100th in the NCAA with 54 hits collected.
- Cutting Close…the Roadrunners have seen their share of close losses this season. UTSA has engaged in 15 one-run contests with six (6) more decided by two runs – nearly 49 percent of games this season.
- In that set of games, UTSA saw 18 of their losses. A few plays in the opposite direction could have completely inverted a sizable chunk of the season record.
- UTSA's Wednesday midweek contest at No. 5 Texas was canceled for anticipated thunderstorms.
Series vs. Middle Tennessee
The Roadrunners and Blue Raiders meet on the softball field for only the 11th time overall, and the first full series since 2019. The series began in 2015, the last time these teams met in Murfreesboro. UTSA controls the series advantage with a 7-3 lead and have won three of the last four, including the Conference USA tournament matchup in 2021 at Western Kentucky. UTSA is 3-0 against the Blue Raiders in Murfreesboro.
Middle Tennessee Quick Hits
- The Blue Raiders are 30-15 and 9-8 in Conference USA play.
- Middle Tennessee is coming off a 2-1 series victory at FIU in Miami, and a 2-1 Western Kentucky series win the week prior – with midweek victories at Tennessee State and Austin Peay scattered between series.
- Already reaching the most victories since 2018, MTSU is batting a conference-leading .305 as a team (41st NCAA) and leading the league with 63 doubles (45th NCAA). The Blue Raiders average 8.38 hits, 3.04 walks and 5.38 runs per game.
- For the pitching staff, MTSU has a staff ERA at 2.59 with a .233 average against, allowing 6.0 hits, 2.67 walks and 3.16 runs per outing.
- Sophomore shortstop Laura Mealer leads Middle Tennessee, C-USA and ranks 35th in the NCAA with a .416 batting average, racking up 63 hits.
- She ranks second in the league and 18th nationally with 14 doubles, also leading the team with a C-USA fourth-most nine (9) home runs.
- Also leads the conference with a .500 on-base percentage
- Mealer paces the Blue Raiders in both RBI (43) and runs scored (54).
- Junior right fielder Amaya Harris is also hitting .363 with 45 hits, eight (8) doubles, 29 RBI and 24 runs.
- This weekend is the final series at home for Middle Tennessee.
- Head coach Jeff Breeden is 239-318 (.429) in his 11th season leading the Blue Raiders.
Series Game Coverage: UTSA at Middle Tennessee
Friday, April 28: 6:00 p.m.
Stream: CUSA.tv
Live Stats: MTSU
Saturday, April 29: 4:00 p.m.
Stream: CUSA.tv
Live Stats: MTSU
Sunday, April 30: 12:00 p.m.
Stream: CUSA.tv
Live Stats: MTSU
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