SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA baseball team is hosting the Wichita State Shockers in a three-game series in American Athletic Conference play this weekend at Roadrunner Field. The series opens on Friday at 6 p.m., before game two on Saturday is set for 2 p.m. and the series concludes at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Saturday’s game will be May The Fourth/Star Wars themed, in which fans can pick up special Star Wars-themed posters and participate in Star Wars trivia during the game. Sunday’s game is Family Day as fans can collect five trading cards (Broc Parmer, Ryan Ward, Ryan Beaird, Ulises Quiroga and Ryan Jester) and get them signed after the game.
All three games will be broadcasted on ESPN+ with Mike Capps and Karl Schoening on the call.
QUICK HITS
UTSA has won five of its six conference series thus far, picking up a big series win against conference favorite and then-No. 10 ECU, as well as a road series sweep over 2023 AAC Tournament champion Tulane, home series win against 2023 C-USA Tournament champion Charlotte, road series win over Memphis and a home series win over UAB.
The Roadrunners lead the American Athletic Conference in hits (484), sacrifice flies (27) and walks allowed per nine innings (3.56). UTSA is also second in the conference with a .312 batting average (23rd in the nation), 89 hits by pitch (18th in the nation), .398 on-base percentage, 7.3 scoring average, 2.51 strikeout-to-walk ratio and .591 win-loss percentage.
Ruger Riojas has seven victories, which is second in the conference and 19th-most in the nation. Matt King leads the nation with 10 sacrifice flies, while Mason Lytle is the toughest batter to strike out in the AAC (10.4). Lytle takes the top league spot in four categories, including doubles (15), doubles per game (0.35), hits (76), hits per game (1.77) and total bases (127). Lytle’s hits and hits per game numbers are ranked third-most in the nation.
In AAC games only, the Roadrunners lead the conference in hits by pitch, on-base percentage, and sacrifice flies. Mason Lytle leads the conference in hits and at-bats, while King has the most sacrifice flies. Ulises Quiroga is tied for the most wins (5).
SCOUTING THE SHOCKERS
Wichita State holds a 22-25 overall record, following a pair of midweek losses against No. 14 Oklahoma State on Tuesday and Kansas on Wednesday. The Shockers have lost their last two conference series, against Tulane and then-No. 9 East Carolina. They are currently tied for sixth in the American Athletic Conference standings. Wichita State was selected to finish seventh out of 10 teams in the preseason coaches’ poll.
The Shockers lead the conference with 96 doubles and 94 hits by pitch. Derek Williams leads the team offensively with a .338 batting average, 36 RBI and 13 home runs (most in the AAC). On the mound, Saturday starter Caden Favors leads the team with a 3.79 ERA, 73.2 innings pitched and 82 strikeouts.
This weekend’s series will mark the first time the Shockers and Roadrunners face each other.
AAC HONORS FOR THE ‘RUNNERS
Senior right-handed pitcher Ulises Quiroga made his third appearance on the AAC weekly honor roll on April 29, after pitching a quality start of seven innings pitched with only two runs allowed and striking out eight batters.
Senior first baseman/designated hitter Alexander Olivo was named to the weekly honor roll on April 22. During the previous week, he held a team-leading .462 batting average, along with six hits, four runs, four RBI and two doubles.
Junior utility player James Taussig made the weekly honor roll on April 15 after leading the team with a .500 batting average, along with six hits, four runs, four RBI and two home runs.
Quiroga and junior infielder Hector Rodriguez were both named to the conference weekly honor roll on April 8. This was Quiroga’s second time on the honor roll as he turned in a series-clinching quality start against Charlotte on April 7, only allowing one run and striking out seven in a six-inning start. Rodriguez had a breakout week in which he picked up eight hits, five runs, and five RBI for a .615 batting average.
Junior outfielder Mason Lytle made 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.
Quiroga’s first time on the weekly honor roll was 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, recording 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.
THE AMERICAN DREAM
In their first season in the American Athletic Conference, the Roadrunners hold a 12-6 record in conference play through the first six weekends and are second in the standings behind No. 5 East Carolina.
UTSA has picked up a big series win against conference favorite and then-No. 10 ECU, as well as a road series sweep over 2023 AAC Tournament champion Tulane, home series win against 2023 C-USA Tournament champion Charlotte, road series win over Memphis and a home series win over UAB.
In AAC games only, the Roadrunners lead the conference in hits by pitch, on-base percentage, and sacrifice flies. Mason Lytle leads the conference in hits and at-bats, while King has the most sacrifice flies. Ulises Quiroga is tied for the most wins (5).
UTSA officially made the move to the AAC on July 1, 2023, joining 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, including Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Rice and UAB.
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.
LAST WEEK FOR THE ROADRUNNERS
UTSA began this week with a huge rivalry win over Texas State, 11-9, on Tuesday. A grand slam by Mason Lytle was the difference maker in the game. Matt King led the team with a 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and a home run. Braylon Owens (4-1) earned his fourth win, striking out two in 2.2 innings pitched. Fischer Kingsbery closed out the game, recording his fifth save of the season – his second straight save in as many appearances. He kept the Bobcats scoreless in the final 1.1 innings.
Last weekend, UTSA dropped a series to Rice in Houston on April 26-28. The Roadrunners dropped the opener by 9-8 in 10 innings on Friday, despite rallying back from a four-run deficit and tying the game at eight apiece in the top of the ninth. Isaiah Walker led the team as he went 3-for-4 with two runs and a walk.
In game two on Saturday, the Roadrunners fell by 9-3 as the Owls secured the series and gave UTSA their first series loss in conference play this season.
UTSA bounced back in the series finale with a 4-2 victory. A four-run inning in the top of the eighth lifted the Roadrunners to a lead, highlighted by a go-ahead two-run home run by James Taussig. Starting pitcher Ulises Quiroga (6-0) picked up his sixth win of the season, allowing just two runs on four hits and striking out eight batters in seven innings pitched. Fischer Kingsbery recorded his fourth save of the season, allowing just one hit and four strikeouts in the final two frames.
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 don’t have a midweek in this upcoming week due to finals. UTSA will host its final home series next weekend on May 10-12 against South Florida. Senior Day and Graduation will be celebrated prior to the game on Saturday, May 11.
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