WACO, Texas – The UTSA baseball team plays Baylor in a midweek matchup at Baylor Ballpark in Waco, Texas, at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
The game will be streamed on Big 12 Now and ESPN+ with Pat Combs and Mike Leslie on the call.
QUICK HITS
UTSA is coming off a huge conference series win over the reigning American Athletic Conference champions and then-No. 10 East Carolina this past weekend. The Roadrunners took two of three games in the series, including a 4-2 series opener and a 6-5 series finale.
Ruger Riojas was named the American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Weekend after picking up two saves in the ECU series, while Mason Lytle was named to the weekly honor roll for his nine-hit week.
Broc Parmer is currently on a team-leading 17-game reached base streak, while Lytle is on a 10-game streak. Lytle has a team-leading 13 multi-hit games, while Caleb Hill trails with 11. Hill had a program-record five-hit game on March 9.
Lytle is on a hot streak recently, notching multi-hit games in his last seven starts – starting it off with a four-hit game against Northwestern on March 16. He has averaged 1.70 hits per game.
The Roadrunners lead the American Athletic Conference in three different categories, including batting average (.309) and hits (264) – 21st in the nation in that category. UTSA averages 3.24 walks allowed per nine innings, good for second in the AAC and 15th in the nation. The team is also third in the league and 25th in the nation with two shutouts.
Matt King leads the nation with six sacrifice flies. Mason Lytle leads the conference and sits at 18th in the nation with 39 hits. He is also second in the AAC and 21st in the nation with 1.70 hits per game and the toughest batter to strikeout in the league with a 12.0 strikeout rate. Hill leads the conference in runs (32) and runs per game (1.39). Ruger Riojas leads the American with four victories (21st in the nation).
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Baylor holds an 8-15 record this season, after losing two of three games in a series against Texas this past weekend. The Bears were picked to finish 11th out of 13 teams in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Baylor is currently 12th in the Big 12 standings.
The Bears are 21st in the nation with 21 double plays and 30th in the nation with 0.91 double plays per game. Junior outfielder Enzo Apodaca leads the team with a .333 batting average, 28 hits, 18 runs and 18 RBI. He is also fifth in the nation with five sacrifice flies. Tanner Duke will get the start in Tuesday’s matchup; he holds a 0-2 record and 9.39 ERA.
SERIES HISTORY VS BAYLOR
The Bears hold a 36-9 advantage over the Roadrunners in the all-time series record, dating back to 1993. The teams last faced each other last season on Feb. 28, 2023, in which UTSA won the meeting by 8-3 over Baylor in Waco. Drake Smith earned the save in that meeting while Caleb Hill picked up two hits (the most amongst returning players). Three more Roadrunners from this year’s roster played in the game, including Tye Odom, Matt King and Fischer Kingsbery.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ROADRUNNERS
UTSA is coming off a huge series win over then-No. 10 East Carolina this past weekend. The Roadrunners opened up the series with a 4-2 win on Friday. Robert Orloski picked up his third win of the season as he pitched six innings of one-run ball, while Ruger Riojas picked up his second save with four strikeouts in the final three frames.
The Roadrunners battled through a strong hitting game in the Saturday matchup with the Pirates, but ultimately fell by 14-10. Tye Odom (3-for-5 with five RBI and one run) and Hector Rodriguez (3-for-5 with one run) led the team.
UTSA secured the upset series victory with a 6-5 win in the series finale on Sunday. Broc Parmer led the team with three hits (two of those were doubles). Daniel Garza picked up the win and Riojas picked up his third save of the season and second of the week. The series victory was the first time the Roadrunners won a three or four game series against a top-10 team in program history.
The Roadrunners started last week with a heartbreaking, but hard-fought 14-13 loss to Texas State on Tuesday. Despite fighting back from a six-run deficit early and making it a one-run game in the ninth, the Roadrunners were unable to complete the comeback against the rival Bobcats in the Battle of I-35 matchup. Mason Lytle led the team with a 3-for-6 showing at the plate with one run and a double.
RUGER RIOJAS = MR. RELIABLE
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Ruger Riojas was named the American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week
This is the first weekly conference honor for the sophomore from Wimberley, Texas. Riojas was a key component of the Roadrunners earning an upset series victory over No. 10 East Carolina to open up conference play. Riojas closed out the series opener and series finale of the weekend series, earning saves in both of those games – his second and third saves of the season. On the week, he earned two saves, picked up a 0.00 ERA and six strikeouts, and kept opposing batters to a .111 batting average.
This season, Riojas is in the top five of the conference in seven different categories, highlighted by second in ERA (1.53) and first in wins (4). In only the second season of his collegiate career, he has already picked up nine wins and 87 strikeouts.
AAC HONORS FOR THE ‘RUNNERS
Junior outfielder Mason Lytle was named to the weekly honor roll on March 25, after he picked up nine hits, eight runs and a .450 batting average across four starts at center field during the previous week against Texas State and No. 10 East Carolina.
Senior right-handed pitcher Uli Quiroga was named to the weekly honor roll on March 18. He made his second start of the season in a 2-0 shutout over Northwestern on March 17 that secured UTSA’s second series win of the season. He recorded a quality start in which he pitched the first six innings and earned his first win (1-0), while keeping the Wildcats scoreless on just two hits.
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 travel to New Orleans to face Tulane in a three-game conference series, opening it up on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Game two is set for Friday at 6:30 p.m. and the series finale is Sunday at 1 p.m.
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