SAN ANTONIO -- Sitting in second place in the Conference USA standings, UTSA baseball will host Marshall in a three-game series, starting on Friday at 6 p.m. at Roadrunner Field. The series will resume on Saturday at 2 p.m. and conclude on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. with all three games broadcast live on CUSA TV.
UTSA (30-15, 14-7 C-USA) sits three games back of juggernaut No. 7 Southern Miss (17-4) in the league standings with nine games remaining. The Roadrunners will host Marshall before traveling to face the Golden Eagles for three games in Hattiesburg May 13-15, and then concluding the regular-season schedule with UAB (10-11) May 19-21. The C-USA Championships are hosted by Southern Miss May 25-29.
The Roadrunners have a unique opportunity to continue to assert themselves as a potential NCAA Tournament at-large team, something no other UTSA team – in any sport with the same postseason structure – has ever accomplished. After a loss on Tuesday vs. UTRGV, UTSA's RPI sank 12 points to No. 56 which makes the remaining nine games crucial to UTSA's postseason hopes. Marshall enters the series with a No. 210 RPI, Southern Miss owns a No. 9 RPI and UAB sports a No. 71 RPI. In the human polls, UTSA has received votes in eight of 11 weeks, including five consecutive polls.
UTSA suffered just its fourth loss in 21 home games on Tuesday, as UTRGV snapped a nine-game home winning streak with six homers in a 12-1 win as UTSA finished its midweek record in 2022 with an 8-3 mark that included wins over No. 2 Stanford, at No. 11 TCU and No. 7 Texas State. The .810 winning percentage at home still marks the best in program history. The Roadrunners are 17-5 over their last 22 games after going 15-3 in April.
Weekend Pitching Matchups
The Roadrunners will turn to sophomore righty Daniel Garza (2-0, 3.68 ERA) on Friday in the series opener. Junior righty Luke Malone (7-1, 1.99 ERA) takes the ball in game two and sophomore right-hander Drake Smith (0-0, 8.71 ERA) will make his third career start on Sunday. Marshall will counter with senior right-hander Jeffrey Purnell (5-3, 4.13 ERA) on Friday, sophomore righty Patrick Copen (2-3, 5.48 ERA) on Saturday and sophomore right-hander Zac Addkison (1-2, 6.02 ERA) on Sunday.
Garza turned in the best outing of his career last week at Middle Tennessee, allowing just a run over 5.2 innings, allowing just five hits and one walk, striking out a career-high seven. Garza has appeared in nine games with two starts in 2022, allowing 25 hits and 12 walks in 22 innings, fanning 27. In his career, Garza has a 3-2 record and a 4.43 ERA in 22 games and two starts, working 44.2 innings with 50 strikeouts. Marshall started senior righty Jeffrey Purnell (5-3, 4.13 ERA) on Friday vs. Charlotte, allowing three runs on three innings, walking three and striking out four. Purnell has started 11 games for the Herd, working 61 innings, allowing only 57 hits and 21 walks, striking out 63 and holding foes to a .251 average.
Malone won his seventh game in eight decisions last week, working 6.2 innings at Middle Tennessee, allowing nine hits and one walk, striking out five with three runs allowed, coming in single tallies in the second, sixth and seventh inning as UTSA owned an 8-1 lead at his exit. On the year Malone, who ranks among the NCAA's top four in ERA among pitchers who have thrown at least 60 innings, has appeared in 13 games with 10 starts, working 63.1 innings, allowing 56 hits and 11 walks, striking out 48. In his career, he is 9-3 with a 4.09 ERA in 34 games and 18 starts. Marshall 6-foot-6 sophomore righty Patrick Copen (2-3, 5.48 ERA) worked 1.2 innings in a start on Saturday for the Herd vs. Charlotte, allowing five runs on three hits and five walks. Copen has appeared in 11 games with eight starts, allowing only 36 hits and walking 29 in 47.2 innings, striking out 51.
Smith made his eighth appearance and second career start on Sunday at Middle Tennessee, working two innings with two hits and one run allowed, walking three and striking out three. On the year, Smith has worked 10.1 innings with seven walks and 17 strikeouts. UTSA has also used Braden Davis (2-2, 5.77 ERA), Ulises Quiroga (1-3, 8.77 ERA), Jacob Jimenez (2-1, 5.08 ERA), Grant Miller (1-0, 9.20 ERA) and Braylon Owens (2-1, 5.75 ERA) in weekend starts in 2022. Marshall junior right-hander Ryan Capuano (2-5, 7.63 ERA) worked two innings in a start for Marshall on Sunday vs. Charlotte, allowing five runs on three walks and six hits. Capuano has appeared in 13 games with eight starts, working 48.1 innings, allowing 57 hits and 21 walks, striking out 55. Marshall has also used San Antonio native Zac Addkison (1-2, 6.02 ERA) – a 6-foot-4, 220-pound sophomore right-hander – in 11 games and seven starts in 2022, going for 57 strikeouts in 49.1 innings, allowing 57 hits and 17 walks.
Leading the Roadrunners
UTSA (30-15, 14-7 C-USA) has won six of its last eight games and are 17-5 over its last 22 games. The Roadrunners have hit .304/.403/.473 with 376 runs in 45 games, ripping 102 doubles, 13 triples and 47 homers, stealing 24 bases. On the mound, UTSA has a 5.32 team ERA in 389.1 innings, allowing 370 hits and 220 walks, striking out 423 with opponents hitting .247. Defensively, the Roadrunners are fielding at a .968 clip, turning 27 double plays and nabbing 11 runners stealing.
At the dish, senior centerfielder Shane Sirdashney leads the club with a .357 average, owning 10 doubles, three homers and 27 RBI. Senior second baseman Leyton Barry has hit .339 with 12 doubles, two triples, four homers and 33 RBI, while junior catcher Sammy Diaz has hit .331 with three homers and 25 RBI, owning a 14-9 walk-strikeout ratio in 124 at-bats. Fifth-year senior Jonathan Tapia has hit .311 with 18 doubles, five homers and 39 RBI, while fifth-year senior rightfielder Chase Keng owns a .310 average with 12 doubles, two triples, five homers and 47 RBI. Sixth-year senior leftfielder Ian Bailey has batted .307 with 12 doubles, three triples, 11 homers and 43 RBI. Senior first sacker Ryan Flores has hit .303 with seven homers and 38 RBI, while sophomore Garrett Poston owns a .302 average with a homer and 21 RBI and freshman shortstop Matt King has hit .246 with 10 doubles and 22 RBI. Sophomore catcher Josh Killeen has added a .329 average with three homers and 14 RBI.
In relief, Daniel Shafer (3-1, 3.29 ERA) owns the 12th-most saves in UTSA single season history (five) with 38 strikeouts and just 13 hits allowed in 27.1 innings. John Chomko (2-0, 3.10 ERA), Simon Miller (2-3, 4.33 ERA), Ryan Ward (1-0, 5.40 ERA), Ryan Beaird (2-3, 5.79 ERA), Fischer Kingsbery (0-0, 5.87 ERA) and Reece Easterling (2-0, 7.43 ERA) have each appeared in double-digit games in relief. Simon Miller has struck out 43 in 27 innings.
Series history
The Roadrunners lead the all-time series with Marshall, 11-6, including a 6-3 mark in games played in San Antonio. UTSA split the last meeting in the series, which was just two games played in Huntington due to weather. UTSA won the opener 11-7 before falling 3-2 the following day in 2019. UTSA swept the last series in San Antonio in 2018, outscoring Marshall 27-7 over three games. Marshall won the 2016 series in San Antonio, its lone series win in San Antonio, and also won the series in 2017 in Huntington.
Scouting the Herd
The Thundering Herd (19-24-1, 8-13 C-USA) have hit .268 as a team through 44 games, with 253 runs scored, 47 homers and a 193-373 walk-strikeout ratio, stealing 49 bases. On the mound, Marshall has a 6.05 team ERA in 381 innings, allowing 384 hits and 202 walks, striking out 394 and holding foes to a .261 average. Defensively, Marshall has fielded .967 with 53 errors in 44 outings.
Marshall is coming off a cancelled game on Wednesday vs. No. 5 Virginia Tech and were most recently swept by Charlotte last weekend in Huntington. The Herd posted a sweep at Western Kentucky the previous weekend for their first series win in league play. The Herd finish with a rugged league slate, traveling to face second-place UTSA this weekend before venturing off to red-hot Old Dominion the following weekend and concluding at Florida Atlantic.
Centerfielder Luke Edwards leads the Herd with a .344 average, owning 11 homers and 40 RBI, stealing seven bases. Catcher Ryan Leitch has hit .310 with 14 doubles, one triple, 10 homers and 37 RBI, while rightfielder Jordan Billups has hit .295 with nine homers and 32 RBI. Second baseman Christian Lucio has hit .280 with three homers, 14 RBI and 11 steals. In relief, Cole Agemy (2-2, 6.04 ERA) has appeared in a team-leading 17 games with one save in 28.1 innings, walking 20 and striking out 32.
Schedule
Friday * UTSA vs. Marshall * 6 p.m. [CUSA TV]
Saturday * UTSA vs. Marshall * 2 p.m. [CUSA TV]
Sunday * UTSA vs. Marshall * 11:30 a.m. [CUSA TV]
Weekend Promotions
Friday
- Baseball T-Shirt Giveaway for the first 100 fans
- UTSA great Trent Lockwood to throw out first pitch
Saturday
- Baseball Pennant Giveaway for the first 100 fans
- Men's basketball coach Steve Henson to throw out first pitch
Sunday
- Run the Bases postgame, presented by Raising Canes
Projected Weekend Rotation
Friday
So., RHP Daniel Garza (2-0, 3.68 ERA) vs. Sr., RHP Jeffrey Purnell (5-3, 4.13 ERA)
Saturday
R-Jr., RHP Luke Malone (7-1, 1.99 ERA) vs. So., RHP Patrick Copen (2-3, 5.48 ERA
Sunday
So., RHP Drake Smith (0-0, 8.71 ERA) vs. So., RHP Zac Addkison (1-2, 6.02 ERA)
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