As College Baseball Changes, the Time to Support UTSA Baseball is Now

It seems that daily the landscape of Collegiate athletics is changing. Name, Image, and Likeness provided a great opportunity for student-athletes to bring in monetary value for the product they deliver on the field and the brand they create off. 

When you narrow that down to individual sports, College Baseball is also changing. And not just the rules from year to year. Roster limits are decreasing to thirty-four. Scholarships will be up to individual schools with no limit on how many and how much you offer. 

One that that has remained constant is the ongoing success of UTSA Baseball. 

With the Roadrunner Baseball team securing their 30^th win in the series win over the Tulane Green Wave, it guaranteed the fourth consecutive season for Coach Hallmark, his staff, and his squad to do that. 

It also is only the second time in program history that it has been done. 

The previous time was from 2006-2009, a squad that tied the program wins record (39) and had two regular season championships. 

During this current run, UTSA has won 38 games twice, achieved the program’s first National Ranking, has finished 2^nd in the regular season twice, has a runner-up finish at the conference tournament, and is currently at the top of the American Athletic Conference Standings. 

UTSA Baseball is trending up. But for how long? 

Another aspect of the changing collegiate landscape is the transfer portal. 

Now, don’t get me wrong. There can be a lot of good from the transfer portal. It can provide athletes a fresh start, an easier path to find something new, or change their surroundings. Previously it seemed it almost required an act of congress to transfer without losing eligibility. 

It also naturally creates a desire to have mid-majors be used as collegiate farm systems that college coaches find, develop, and then are at-risk of losing. If we want UTSA to be these athletes’ home, we need to keep them home. 

But we need to do our part to keep them here. 

We need a local, grassroots effort.

If you are reading this, there is a solid chance you know how passionate I am about UTSA Baseball. I want to see it succeed, grow, stay strong, and blow the doors off what is possible for a mid-major in this changing landscape. 

Let’s take a moment to address the elephant in the room, that may have you thinking the team isn’t deserving of your part yet. The facilities…

The Bird Bath is loved and adored by past, present, future players as well as the Roadrunner faithful. It has that 1993 The Sandlot feel to it where #10 ECU comes in and leaves with a series loss. 

1993 was also a year after the UTSA Baseball program started, and yes, not much has changed. 

While some improvements have been made (especially a much-improved broadcast) there is still plenty to be done. UTSA’s RPI at time of writing is not far off from being a legitimate consideration for hosting a regional. 

The awkward reality is that regional round wouldn’t be at the Bird Bath. It would be at Nelson Wolff Stadium, home of the San Antonio Missions.

A ballpark and facilities renovation are going to cost millions. If the answer to make noise with NIL support is wait until that is completed, the window that is currently open, may be shut soon.

College scholarships are increasing. There isn’t a guarantee that happens immediately. For mid-majors it will be difficult to make big increases in the near future.

There is an unfortunate reality that a lack of scholarships, money for current players, and a lack of facilities could close that window. As successful as Coach Hallmark has been, who’s to say UTSA doesn’t lose him to a program that is willing to provide the above.

As much as players enjoy playing at UTSA, would future prospects be turned off by a lack of doing something to improve those already mentioned resources? To show that they can be supported at UTSA?

Rice University is one of those mid-major programs who has been at the top. They’ve drastically fallen for different reasons. They’ve shown recently they are willing to do whatever it takes to get their Baseball program back to prominence. I have to imagine they are working on far more behind the scenes.

UTSA Baseball doesn’t have to fall off the success ladder. They can continue to climb.

We can do something now. Something realistic. 

The goal is not to create a seven figure, UTSA Baseball NIL budget to lure players from A&M, Texas, TCU, or even ECU to come play at UTSA. 

The goal is to keep the players already here, home. 

Coach Hallmark and his staff have shown they can find talented, gritty Baseball players, develop them, and get their best out of them. 

In 2024 UTSA had a roster turnover of over 50%. They won 32 games, had a .630 winning percentage in conference play and finished 2^nd in the regular season. 

In 2025 they again had a roster turnover of over 50%. Currently, they have won 30 games, have three Top 25 wins, have an RPI under 30, and lead the conference while having yet to drop a conference series. 

This team is trending upwards and is deserving of our support. 

When you take a closer look at the individual performances it is just as impressive. Several newcomers are on pace to break individual season records. Freshman records that were set in 1992 are on pace to be broken. 

In a lot of ways, mid-major College Baseball is turning into a, one year at a time project. With some support and noise, this can flip somewhat. 

It would be wonderful if UTSA could get to the place where 30 wins is the floor, not a notch down from the ceiling. Where programs want to come play at The Bird Bath because winning a road series helps their RPI, gives them a ranked win, appears in the pre-season Top 25 and is in the at-large regional conversation year in and year out. 

But the program can’t get there if Coach Hallmark is replacing key pieces every year. 

Again, the goal is not to poach, but to keep the kids who like playing for UTSA and the coaches, love their teammates, and love playing Baseball home. 

The time is now to get on the train and do something about it.

From the very early onset of Name, Image, and Likeness, Runner’s Rising Project has been there for UTSA student-athletes. R2P is constantly looking for ways to support Roadrunner athletes, find creative ways to raise donations and support, and give it all back to the athlete. 

They have done single game challenges for points scored, sponsored fundraising events like the UTSA Baseball Birdies Fore Baseball event, and worked deals for an entire team. 

It is because of their transparency, genuine love for UTSA Athletics and complete authenticity that I have continued to donate to their collective while focusing mostly on supporting UTSA Baseball. 

Last summer, when similar conversations to this blog were taking place, they created a dedicated page to support UTSA Baseball, leaving no question as to where your donation was going. 

That avenue is still open and available to donate to the NIL area of UTSA Baseball. A direct link is provided below. 

I ask and challenge you consider donating today. 

https://donorbox.org/runners-rising-baseball

I’ll be putting my money where my mouth is, by making a separate one-time donation. I’m also going to visit the drawing board to see how else I can donate as this team keeps winning. 

I wanted to be a part of Alamo Audible and start Around the Bird Bath to shine light on how well these young men play Baseball. They were deserving of that product being covered. They still are.  

Now, with the changing landscape, there is another way we can all support that product. 

It’s a great time to be a Roadrunner. Birds Up! 

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