UTSA baseball’s top 5 players from 2026 

SAN ANTONIO — For the second straight season, UTSA baseball emerged as American Conference regular-season champions. The Roadrunners’ 2026 title bid demanded pivotal performances from nearly every position on the diamond as UTSA navigated losses due to graduation and injury.

The Roadrunners were all-hands-on-deck in 2026, but five players stood above the rest. 

5. Connor Kelley, right-handed pitcher 

When Robert Orloski went down with a shoulder injury 23 pitches into the Roadrunners’ season opener against South Dakota State University, UTSA was suddenly left without a Friday-night starter. Pat Hallmark turned to Kelley for the role beginning with the team’s matchup against Dallas Baptist University. Kelley struggled in the Roadrunners’ non-conference slate, ultimately losing the starting role after a poor outing against the University of Texas at Arlington. 

He rebounded by torching most of the American Conference working out of the bullpen. In the Roadrunners penultimate game against East Carolina University in the American tournament, Kelley punched the Roadrunners’ ticket to the championship game by striking out four of five batters faced. 

4. Caden Miller, utility 

Miller, one of three impressive freshmen from UTSA’s 2025 Super Regional run, did not skip a beat in year two for the Roadrunners. He led the team in OPS (1.141) and runs (68), finishing second behind teammate Drew Detlefsen in nearly every other hitting statistic. 

While he missed a few more than he’d like in the infield, he did make a handful of spectacular grabs anchoring first base for the Roadrunners. Fielding errors are easier to swallow when you deliver at the plate as often as Miller did. It’s unlikely UTSA claims its share of the regular-season title without Miller’s walk-off single against East Carolina in the regular season — seems like a fair trade off. 

3. Sam Simmons, right-handed pitcher 

Each year, Hallmark chooses one pitcher to consistently receive the ball when the game is on the line. In the past, the role has been filled by names such as Simon Miller, Ruger Riojas and the aforementioned Orloski. In 2026, Simmons added his name to the growing list of standouts to be named the Roadrunners’ “stopper.” 

He first made his presence felt with a gutsy, seven-strikeout performance in UTSA’s series opener against Dallas Baptist. From then on, the Roadrunners leaned on Simmons when stakes were high and, substantially more often than not, he delivered.

2. Conor Myles, left-handed pitcher  

After UCLA eliminated UTSA in the Los Angeles Super Regional, Myles was in tears. He had given up two runs in 4.2 innings in what proved to be the Roadrunners’ final postseason outing. “California Love,” by 2Pac and Dr. Dre blasted over the ball park’s speakers, slightly overpowering Myles’ volume, but not his sentiment. 

“I’m just happy for the guys, how far we made it,” Myles said. “We set records. We broke almost every record our school has. It’s a special group of guys. It really is.” 

Myles had 266 days to mull over the loss before he made his 2026 starting debut for UTSA, where he dominated Baylor to help the Roadrunners cap off a flawless weekend in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic. Week in and week out, Myles was UTSA’s best arm, and the American agreed by naming him the American Conference Pitcher of the Year.

1. Drew Detlefsen, outfielder

In its first two seasons in the American, UTSA turned in two Newcomer Position Player of the Year awards winners in Mason Lytle (2024) and Detlefsen (2025). Both have gone on to win the conference’s Player of the Year award with Detlefsen claiming it in 2026. 

Detlefsen led UTSA in batting average (.386), hits (96), home runs (14) and RBIs (70). In the field, he gunned down opposing base runners heading for home and put his body on the line for diving grabs. 

When he arrived at UTSA, Hallmark’s developmental approach with Detlefsen was more mental than physical.

“When most guys get here, they swing the bat fine,” Hallmark explained. “A lot of freshmen need to get more physical, but Drew [already] had that [physicality.] It was really getting rid of that self doubt. 

“Hitting is, by nature, cyclical. So, when the times go down, it’s very easy for a hitter to start questioning if he belongs. You’ve seen it in the big leagues. That’s what the minor leagues are for. So, a lot of it was just getting Drew to believe and get rid of some of that self-doubt.”

Detlefsen spearheaded one of the best offensive attacks in the nation in 2026 and earned the top spot on this list for his efforts.