SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA baseball team is set to host WAC powerhouse Grand Canyon on Friday through Sunday at Roadrunner Field. The series opens with a 6 p.m. Friday start, while Saturday’s first pitch is at 2 p.m. and the series concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m.
All three games can be viewed on ESPN+. Karl Schoening and Mike Capps will be on the call for all UTSA Baseball home games this season.
QUICK HITS
Broc Parmer is on a six-game hitting streak which includes two multi-hit games and two multi-RBI games. UTSA is coming off of a big 8-7 win over Houston on Tuesday, in which the team recorded a season-high four home runs and 24 total bases.
The Roadrunners lead the American Athletic Conference in triples (4) and triples per game (0.44). Caleb Hill leads the conference with 13 runs and four home runs, while Matt King leads the AAC with two sac flies. Ryan Ward leads the league with five appearances, while Ruger Riojas leads the American with two victories. Hector Rodriguez is the toughest batter to strike out in the nation with a 0.0 strikeout rate.
SCOUTING THE LOPES
Grand Canyon was picked first in the WAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll for the seventh straight season. The Lopes have started the season with a 5-3 record, after losing three of four against Nebraska this past weekend (Feb. 22-25).
The Lopes’ Friday starter Daniel Avitia was picked as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year. GCU also had three named to the preseason all-conference team, including first baseman Zach Yorke, outfielder Cade Verdusco and right-handed pitcher Avitia. Junior infielder Beau Ankeney leads the team with a .429 batting average, 12 hits and three home runs.
SERIES HISTORY VS GRAND CANYON
The Lopes hold a 5-1 advantage over the Roadrunners in the all-time series record. The two teams previously played a three-game series against each other in both the 1992 and 1993 seasons.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ROADRUNNERS
UTSA opened this week with a hard-fought 8-7 win over Houston on the road. Despite being down by 7-2 in the fifth, the Roadrunners battled back to take the win. The team hit four home runs, including two by Caleb Hill who went 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs. UTSA hit three consecutive home runs in the sixth inning.
Drake Smith earned his first win of the season, pitching 1.2 innings of relief while striking out four batters. Ruger Riojas earned his first save of the season, to go along with his 2-0 record.
Last weekend, The Roadrunners fell to Lamar, 5-3, to close out the Sugar Land Classic on Sunday. Sophomore Aiden Baumann hit his first career home run, while leading the team with two hits.
The Roadrunners lose their Saturday matchup with Big East opponent Creighton by 4-1. Mason Lytle hit two doubles in the game, leading three Roadrunners with two hits.
UTSA started the Sugar Land Classic with a 7-6 win over SFA on Friday. Lytle led the team with a 3-for-5 game, including a run and one RBI. Broc Parmer came in to pinch hit in the seventh as the Roadrunners were down one run. He delivered as he sent a two-run home run to give UTSA a 7-6 lead they would hold onto to win the matchup.
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.
ON DECK
The Roadrunners host Tarleton on Wednesday, March 6, at 4 p.m. at Roadrunner Field.
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