SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA Baseball team hosts UT Arlington in a four-game series to open the 2024 season this Friday through Sunday at Roadrunner Field. Opening day first pitch is set for 4 p.m. (CT) on Friday. Saturday will feature a doubleheader, starting with game one at 12 p.m. and the second game to follow shortly after. Sunday will close out the series at 1 p.m.
All four games can be viewed on ESPN+. Karl Schoening and Mike Capps will be on the call for all UTSA Baseball home games this season.
FAN INFO
Fans attending UTSA Baseball games during the 2024 season should be advised of the following parking information, which includes changes from past seasons.
Free parking for fans will continue to be available in unmarked spaces in the Barshop lot directly across from Roadrunner Field. Please be advised that a number of the spaces in the Barshop lot are now marked as Residential due to the construction of Blanco Hall. Parking in a Residential space at any time 24/7 is not permitted and may result in a parking ticket.
Additionally, free parking for fans is available in unmarked spaces in the BK4 lot at the corner of Brackenridge Ave. and Barshop Blvd. near the roundabout and across from the Roadrunner Athletics Center for Excellence.
For weekday games, unmarked spaces in the Barshop and BK4 lots will become available for fan parking two hours prior to first pitch. For weekend games, all unmarked spaces and A&B parking spaces are available for fan parking.
UTSA Athletics has also implemented a 2024 Prohibited items list this season.
SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
UT Arlington is coming off a 2023 season in which it went an even 29-29, ending its season in the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. The Mavericks were picked to finish fifth in the WAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Redshirt junior and outfielder Garrison Berkley was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team. Berkley started all 58 games last season and recorded a .365 batting average, 85 runs, 60 runs, 38 RBI and 26 extra-base hits.
Two more Mavericks hit over .300 last season. Sophomore infielder Ryan Black had a .336 batting average with 75 hits, 46 runs and 57 RBI. Senior outfielder Tyson Pointer had a .303 average with 67 hits, 35 runs and 51 RBI.
SERIES HISTORY VS UT ARLINGTON
The Mavericks hold a 47-33 advantage in the all-time series over the Roadrunners. The two teams last played each other in a four-game series on March 5-7, 2021, at Roadrunner Field. UTSA took three of the four games against UT Arlington in that series. Daniel Garza is the lone Roadrunner who saw action in that 2021 series who is on the 2024 roster.
ROTATION BREAKDOWN
UT Arlington: Opening Day starter Zach Norris held a 2-2 record with two saves and a 4.63 ERA last season. On Saturday, the Mavericks will start Aaron Calhoun, who transferred from Oklahoma, in game one. Calhoun held a 0-1 record with one save, 8.16 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 14.1 innings pitched last season with the Sooners. Freshman Dygert will start Saturday’s second game, while Sunday’s starter is to be determined.
UTSA: Opening Day starter Robert Orloski is a freshman from Middleton, Idaho, who was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 20th round of the 2023 MLB Draft but chose to come to UTSA instead. Sophomores Ruger Riojas and Zach Royse will take the mound for Saturday’s games. Riojas posted a 5-0 record last season with 57 strikeouts in 46.0 innings pitched, being named to the C-USA All-Conference Freshman Team at the end of the season. Royse posted a 0-1 record in eight appearances, striking out five batters. Sunday’s starter is also to be determined.
THREE’S A LUCKY NUMBER
The Roadrunners were picked to finish third in their first season in the American Athletic Conference.
Ahead of UTSA in this year’s AAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, powerhouse East Carolina took the top spot. Charlotte, who made the move to the AAC with UTSA this year and won last year’s C-USA Tournament, earned second place.
Following UTSA is Florida Atlantic, South Florida, Memphis, Wichita State, Rice, Tulane and UAB took the fourth-10th spots, respectively.
ALL HAIL THE KING
Junior third baseman Matt King was named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference Team. Amongst the returners, he led the team with a .918 OPS, 69 hits and 110 total bases last season.
The Kingwood, Texas, native played in all 57 games last season, collecting 45 runs, 11 doubles, six triples, six home runs, .318 batting average and a .411 on-base percentage. He picked up 22 multi-hit games, including two four-hit games.
THE AMERICAN DREAM
UTSA officially made the move to the American Athletic Conference on July 1, 2023. The Roadrunners join a strong baseball conference, already consisting of East Carolina, Memphis, Wichita State and Tulane.
A handful of former Conference USA opponents also made the transition with UTSA, bringing along some strong squads to the AAC. Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Rice and UAB all also joined the American on July 1, 2023.
The Roadrunners have seen success in every conference they’ve joined. UTSA went 283-277 in the Southland Conference with two tournament championships and two regular season championships from 1993-2012. In their lone season in the Western Athletic Conference in 2013, the Roadrunners had a 15-11 conference mark and won the tournament. From 2014-2023 in the Conference USA, UTSA posted a 139-127 record.
FRESH FACES
The Roadrunners’ 2024 roster consists of 23 newcomers, including nine freshmen, eight junior college transfers, five transfers from D1 schools and one from a Division 3 school.
Three of the newcomers are international players, including Lorenzo Morresi from Italy, Conor Myles from Australia and Hector Rodriguez from Venezuela.
Nine freshmen join UTSA this season: Diego Diaz, Robert Orloski, Tanner Sever, Barrett Johnson, Whitt Joyce, Collin Carrejo, Lucas Moore, Hank Howard and Ryan Jester.
The eight junior college transfers include New Mexico JC’s Morresi and Mark Henning, Galveston College’s Rodriguez, Pima JC’s Andrew Stucky, McLennan JC’s Cooper Hrbacek, Paris JC’s Connor Kelley, Odessa JC’s Conor Myles, and Gulf Coast State JC’s Broc Parmer.
The four-year college transfers include Mason Lytle of Oregon, Zane Spinn of Sam Houston, Ty Tilson of USC Upstate, Anthony Giannette of Louisiana Tech, Zach Longshore of D3 Texas Lutheran, and Alexander Olivo from Texas Southern.
ON DECK
The Roadrunners are set to face Tarleton in Stephenville, Texas, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 4 p.m.
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