UTSA Baseball Uses Series Sweep to Break Program Win-Streak

The UTSA Roadrunners found themselves with another series sweep, another weekend with run-rule wins, and another weekend with solid pitching from starters and relievers. Perhaps more highlighted this weekend was the fact that they got their 12^th, 13^th, and 14^th win in a row. 

The now previous consecutive win record was set thirty-one years ago in 1994. That was also the first and only previous time they had faced their weekend opponents, the Tigers from Texas Southern University. After tying the record on Friday night, they would best the record on Saturday while extending the new record with a five-run eighth inning comeback on Sunday.

While the strength of schedule isn’t the greatest, the ‘Runners continue to beat the opponent in front of them and in a convincing manner most of the way. They will need to clean up some areas if they want the winning to continue with some more difficult teams waiting soon. 

STRIKES

A New Record…

I touched on this in the introduction, but let’s take a closer look at what UTSA has done across the last fourteen wins. While the winning streak is impressive enough, the Roadrunners are also an undefeated 13-0 at home this season. They have scored double-digit runs in nine of the contests, while six of the wins were run-rules. 

Like a perfect game or a no-hitter, to get on a streak like this a few things need to go your way. UTSA has had three games the last three weekends decided by three runs or less, winning them all. They won a close match against the Youngstown State Penguins, 16-13. 

On a winning streak, it is impossible to get outscored. What is impressive though is how the pitching has helped them distance the margin of victory. 

The Roadrunners have outscored their opponents 152-44. The pitching staff and defense have delivered two shutouts and secured nine victories in which they restricted their opponents to three or fewer runs. They have conceded five or more runs on only three occasions, with just one instance of allowing double-digit runs. 

(I typically use five runs as the first starting point for a lot of runs, as it is the first deficit you can’t erase with one swing of the bat.)

The program’s record 14-game winning streak and UTSA’s home winning streak will be tested on Tuesday evening as UIW visits the Bird Bath. 

Plate Discipline…

The conditions Saturday afternoon made it seem like the game was being played on the Texas coastline instead of San Antonio. Wind gusts got up to 21 m.p.h. and with the wind blowing in, it favored the pitchers. 

UTSA’s batters did a nice job Saturday and across the weekend, walking more times than they struck out. 

In three games, they only struck out ten times. The series opened with them striking out zero times, and on Sunday when they faced perhaps the best pitching they had seen all weekend they kept the Ks to seven. 

The numbers flip when you look at base on balls. They reached by walk a total of 25 times across the weekend. The biggest game came on Saturday when they reached by walk, fourteen times. Yes, 14. 

Perhaps the most important walk was an intentional one. Even at four runs a piece on Sunday, the Tigers intentionally walked an 0-3 Mason Lytle (the nations hit leader coming into the weekend) to load the bases for Drew Detlefsen. Detlefsen attaked the first pitch for a bases clearing single also aided by a throwing error. That put the Roadrunners on top for good and completed the sweep. 

Depth…

The Roadrunners have played fourteen games in sixteen days. While some of those games have been seven innings with run-rules and double headers, it has been a lot of baseball. Across that span they’ve had two four game series and back-to-back midweek games. Depth is crucial even at this point of the season. 

We saw how good some of that can be this weekend. Garret Gruell had a breakout game on Friday night. From the DH position, Gruell went 3-4 with two RBIs and scoring twice. Cade Sadler continued to have big moments as well. Sadler split time at DH and 1B this weekend going 5-8 and two RBIs. 

UTSA mixed the infield around, making sure that the Hodge brothers, Jordan Ballin, and Caden Miller got time at the plate and in the field. 

Unfortunately, only ten guys (nine in the field) get to play at a time. The ability to have different pieces step in and contribute is a nice problem to have. 

BALLS…

Trying to do too much… 

There were a few different times this weekend it seemed like UTSA was trying to do too much. Whether it be base running mistakes, defensive miscues, or traditional errors, it is something that could create losses against more difficult opponents.

If you look at the box score, there were only two errors, and none on Sunday. The Roadrunners did allow a run to score on a double steal, got caught sleeping on a bunt attempt, and were tagged out at home trying to turn a wild pitch into two free bags. 

Now, when looking at the circumstances, they weren’t game changing, but we’ve seen UTSA make similar mistakes in the past. 

There was also a difficult ground ball where Ty Hodge tried to flip the ball with his glove to Ballin for the double play. With Hodge already moving towards first and the weird angle, it may have been better to try and get just one runner. It was difficult to see from the camera angle if he had time to get the runner at first. 

Middle Inning Woes…

The Tigers scored eleven runs this weekend. Nine of the eleven runs came in the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th inning. We saw two of the three starters struggle more than they have so far this season. 

This may seem unfair, as there was plenty that the UTSA pitching staff did well across the weekend. Zach Royse went five and only allowed one run on three hits. Conor Myles also struck out seven in just 3.2 innings pitched. But only one UTSA starter went at least five innings this weekend. 

Royse may have had more in the tank, being at just 72 pitches after five. But at this point in the season, with a nine-run lead against an opponent like TSU, there is no reason to push him. 

Myles went through the order the first time with no hits allowed. He labored a lot though, walking three and getting up to 86 pitches before the 4^th inning finished. He has had quality starts though so it’s possible working with the wind had him maxed out. 

Braylon Owens went 4.1 while allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk. While his worst start to date, the Tigers’ bats were due after a quiet weekend. 

Duplicate quality starts and averaging five innings from the starter is something the Roadrunners have struggled with even as much as last season. With just fifteen pitchers, getting five innings regularly will be crucial.

THE PAY OFF PITCH

It will be familiar cross-town foe coming to the Bird Bath Tuesday evening. UTSA has an all-time series lead over UIW, 20-12.  UIW has only defeated UTSA twice since 2017. The most recent of that was in 2023, a mid-week melt down that saw UTSA squander their lead only to get walked off on a massive three-run home run. 

Perhaps the most interesting stat that UIW brings into the matchup is from last week’s mid-week matchup. They defeated Texas State at home, on a walk-off, a week after Texas State upset ranked Texas A&M in College Station. The Cardinals will look to play midweek spoiler for the second week in a row, while the Roadrunners look to remain undefeated at home and extend their win streak to fifteen games. 

UIW brings an 8-8 record into the contest. They were swept against HCU at home, who UTSA run-ruled on a Tuesday, but they also swept Texas Southern who UTSA just got done facing. They also are coming off a sweep from this weekend and have lost seven of their last eight. 

D1 Baseball has UIW projected to finish 8^th in the Southland Conference this season. The Cardinals will hope to build on a 2024 campaign where they went 26-31 and 10-14 in conference play. 

Senior Rob Liddington who plays 1B will look to benefit from the hitter’s park that is Roadrunner Field. Liddington has a team leading seven home runs, with five doubles and a triple. 

Closely behind Liddington in the HR category is right fielder Ryan Scott. Scott has five home runs with eighteen RBIS, but has struck out sixteen times. 

The Cardinals have five players with double digit strikeouts, so that seems hopeful for a UTSA pitching staff that has done well in that department. 

On the mound, senior Hunter Hargett looks to be the biggest threat. He has started, made a few appearances, and has a close. Just a 2.53 ERA through 10.2, the Cardinals could open with him to try and get momentum going early. 

Their only other guy with an ERA under four seems to be a weekend starter, former Roadrunner Josh Salinas. Salinas only logged 3.1 innings pitched over two seasons at UTSA. He seems to have found some better results at UIW. 

The opportunity is certainly there for UTSA to get the Tuesday win. I’ve got to think it will be James Hubbard on the mound for the Roadrunners. In three appearances, all starts, Hubbard has a 3.60 ERA in 10 IP. He also has 10 Ks and just 3 BBs. 

It is imperative that UTSA establishes a strong performance at the outset in order to secure an early advantage and decisively extend the streak. 

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