CLEARWATER, Fla. – On Friday, UTSA Baseball takes center stage at the American Conference Baseball Championship. The Roadrunners commence their hunt for another league title against Memphis, the conference’s fifth seed. Head Coach Pat Hallmark’s bunch will hit the field at approximately 1 p.m. ET (Noon CT), with first pitch slated for 47 minutes after the conclusion of East Carolina’s bout with Rice. UTSA looks to secure an automatic bid to its second straight NCAA Regional, needing three wins to capture a conference tournament crown for the first time since 2013.
WHAT TO KNOW
What: American Conference Baseball Championship
Who: [5] Memphis (24-32, 13-14 AMER) vs. (1) [RV] UTSA (36-19, 17-10 AMER)
When: Friday, May 22 (approx. 1 p.m. ET)
Where: BayCare Ballpark – Clearwater, Fla.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Stream: ESPN+
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Eight teams entered the American Baseball Championship with a shot at the conference’s automatic NCAA Regional bid. UTSA looks to win its fourth-ever league tournament title and stand as one of the nation’s final 64 teams for the second straight year. With a loss in the opener, the ‘Runners would turn around and play later on Friday evening with their championship hopes on the line.
LAST TIME OUT
Over the weekend, UTSA welcomed UAB for its regular-season finale and Senior Day festivities. The Blazers took two of three, but Friday’s win clinched the Roadrunners’ second straight league title. Eleven home runs from the hosts were not enough to take the series victory as the ‘Runners fell for the second straight weekend after doing the same in Memphis (May 8-10).
THE WONDER FROM DOWN UNDER
On Tuesday, Conor Myles was named American Conference Pitcher of the Year. The Australian finished the regular season at 9-1 overall with a perfect 7-0 mark in league play. His 3.52 ERA was highlighted by a .244 opponent batting average and a 57:19 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
THE DETONATOR
On Tuesday, Drew Detlefsen was named American Conference Player of the Year, becoming the second straight ‘Runner to do so (Mason Lytle, 2025). The senior finished the regular season second in the nation with 92 hits. His 13 home runs powered a .653 slugging percentage as he led UTSA in both metrics.
POSTSEASON AWARDS RECAP
UTSA picked up six American All-Conference selections on Tuesday, tallying two superlative award winners. In addition to Detlefsen (Player of the Year) and Myles (Pitcher of the Year), Andrew Stucky, Caden Miller and Sam Simmons picked up first-team honors. Lastly, Connor Kelley earned a spot on the league’s second team.
THE BATS ARE HOT
UTSA ranks inside the nation’s top 30 with 589 hits (16th), a .431 on-base percentage (ninth), 498 total runs scored (sixth), 41 sacrifice flies (third), a .314 batting average (12th) and 9.1 runs per game (seventh).
In 23 of 55 games this season, UTSA scored at least 10 runs. The group is averaging 1.1 scores per frame, plating 498 runners in 465.1 innings of work. The Roadrunners have hit multiple home runs in more than a third of their outings, doing so 20 times this spring.
HOMER SWEET HOMER
Over the weekend against UAB, UTSA mashed 11 home runs in three games. Diego Diaz led the way with a quartet of four-baggers while Caden Miller went deep twice to cap off a week in which he hit three long balls. In Friday’s championship-clinching win, Jacob Silva hit a home run from each side of the plate, doubling his season total to four.
ABOUT THE TIGERS
Memphis is under the direction of third-year Head Coach Matt Riser, who holds a record of 69-97 in his time with the program. The Tigers are already 2-0 this week in Clearwater, starting off with a four-run win over Charlotte on Wednesday. Thursday’s action pitted the squad against UAB, with the league’s fifth seed coming away victorious by a 7-3 margin. In its past 10 games against conference foes, Riser’s bunch is 7-3, including a series win over UTSA (May 8-10).
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