New-look UTSA women reload after a championship season

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UTSA's Ereauna Hardaway is a senior point guard from Jonesboro, Ark., and North Texas. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA newcomer Ereauna Hardaway is a senior point guard from Jonesboro, Ark. She played three seasons at North Texas, averaging 10 points and 3.5 assists last year as a junior. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With Jordyn Jenkins and Nina De Leon Negron pursuing professional basketball careers, and with Sidney Love now suiting up for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the UTSA women are forging ahead without the leadership core that led the team to a school-record 26 wins and a regular-season conference championship last season.

Karen Aston. UTSA beat Florida Atlantic 60-52 on Senior Day to clinch the American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center.

Fifth-year UTSA coach Karen Aston signed a contract extension through 2030 after leading the Roadrunners to the American Conference regular-season title. – File photo by Joe Alexander

“We’ll be different,” fifth-year UTSA coach Karen Aston said Wednesday. “We have a different team.” But, that’s not to say the Roadrunners won’t be good again. Far from it.

Nine players return, mixing with six newcomers, on the 15-player roster. The Roadrunners will have some experience to lean on with four seniors, four juniors and four sophomores, including promising returning wing players Mia Hammonds and Damara Allen.

They’ll also have athleticism and length, with four players listed at either 6-foot-4 or 6-3.

Returning starters include center Idara Udo and forward Maya Linton. Forwards Cheyenne Rowe and Nyayongah Gony also figure to be in the rotation, though the multi-skilled, 6-4 Gony is working her way back from a knee injury that limited her to 12 games last season.

Newcomers to watch are senior transfer Ereauna Hardaway and freshman Adriana Robles, who split time at Wednesday’s workout running the team at point guard.

Freshman forward Sema Udo, Idara’s younger sister, is also an athlete that appears to have skills and athleticism to make an immediate contribution.

“I love all the newcomers,” Aston said. “But it is really a meshing process. It’s going to take some time.”

The Roadrunners will face a challenging early schedule. They’ll play four power conference programs, including Texas Tech, Houston, Auburn and Baylor. They’ll also play three teams — Grand Canyon, Baylor and Columbia — that reached the NCAA tournament last year.

UTSA finished 26-5 last season, including 17-1 in the American Conference. The Roadrunners registered a 13-0 record at home. Jenkins was the Player of the Year in the American, while De Leon Negron and Love supplied steady leadership as the starting backcourt.

Taking a 26-3 record into the postseason, the Roadrunners lost to Rice in the American tournament opener and then fell on the road at Gonzaga in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.

UTSA's Sema Udo is a freshman forward from Plano East High School. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Sema Udo, the younger sister of junior center Idara Udo, is a freshman forward from Plano East High School. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Aston has put her players through three extended practices as they ramp up preparations for the Nov. 6 opener at Texas Tech.

A few injuries and illnesses have held the Roadrunners back recently, the most notable being a lower left leg injury to promising sophomore forward Taylor Ross. Aston said Ross’ availability is expected to be clarified in a few weeks.

Guard Siena Guttadauro is new mother, having given birth to a son, Dante, on July 24. She played in just five games last season before learning that she was pregnant, according to a story by Sean Cartell on the UTSA athletics website.

Aston said it’s good to have the native Californian back on the team but cautioned that “it’ll be awhile” before she is ready to play.

UTSA roster

x-Sema Udo, 6-0 freshman forward
Siena Guttadauro, 5-6 redshirt junior guard
x-Ereauna Hardaway, 5-8 senior point guard
x-Saher Alizada, 5-10 junior point guard
Damara Allen, 5-10 sophomore guard
Mia Hammonds, 6-3 sophomore guard
Nyayongah Gony, 6-4 redshirt senior forward
x-Sanaa Bean, 6-3 freshman forward
x-Jayda Holiman, 5-6 junior point guard
Taylor Ross, 6-1 sophomore forward
x-Adriana Robles, 5-5 freshman point guard
Maya Linton, 5-11 senior guard
Cheyenne Rowe, 6-2 senior forward
Idara Udo, 6-1 junior forward
Emilia Dannebaurer, 6-4 sophomore forward/center

x-newcomers

Notable

The UTSA women will participate in Rowdy Jam on Oct. 16 at the Convocation Center. It’ll be the fans’ first opportunity to see the UTSA women and men on the court.

The event starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Cupid, the Linedance King is scheduled to perform.

On Oct. 25, the women will host Texas A&M-International in an exhibition, followed on the same day by the men against Incarnate Word. The women’s game is set for 1 p.m., followed by the men at 3:30.

The season opener for the women is set for Nov. 6 at Texas Tech. Love, a three-year UTSA starter, transferred to play for the Big 12 Red Raiders last summer.

UTSA had four guards transfer out of the program, including Love, Aysia Proctor (to North Texas), Alexis Parker (to Lamar) and Emma Lucio (Southeastern Louisiana).

UTSA's Adriana Robles is a freshman point guard from Arecibob, Puerto Rico, and Fossil Ridge High School. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Adriana Robles has played internationally for her native Puerto Rico and emerged as a standout at Fort Worth’s Fossil Ridge High School. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA men’s basketball looking forward to a new season

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Baboucarr Njie. UTSA beat Rice 84-56 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Baboucarr Njie emerged as a pleasant surprise last year for the Roadrunners, playing in 24 games and starting two as a freshman. – File photo by Joe Alexander

With 11 newcomers on the roster, UTSA men’s basketball is working toward a new season under second-year coach Austin Claunch.

The Roadrunners, hoping to bounce back from a 12-19 season a year ago, hosted the media Thursday for an afternoon workout at the Convocation Center.

Coach Austin Claunch at UTSA men's basketball practice at the Convocation Center on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Austin Claunch. – photo by Joe Alexander

Among the new faces this season, four played last year for Power Four programs, including guards Vasean Allette from TCU and Austin Nunez from Arizona State, along with guard-forward Macaleab Rich from Kansas State and Stanley Borden from Duke.

Allette averaged 11.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals with the Horned Frogs. Nunez, who played at Wagner High School in San Antonio, has spent time at Arizona State, Ole Miss and Arizona State again in his college career.

Returning players include brothers Mo and Baboucarr Njie. Also returning are LJ Brown and Jackson Fazande.

UTSA will host Rowdy Jam at the Convo on Oct. 16 to introduce both the men’s and women’s teams to the fans.

The event starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Cupid, the Linedance King is scheduled to perform.

Moving forward, UTSA women and men’s teams will play exhibitions at the Convo on Oct. 25. The women will take on Texas A&M-San Antonio at 1 p.m., followed by the men against Incarnate Word at 3:30 p.m.

NCAA Division I teams open the regular season on Nov. 3, but the early portion of the UTSA men’s schedule hasn’t been announced.

Claunch’s program has announced road dates against three Power Four conference teams, including games at Alabama on Dec. 7, at Colorado on Dec. 13 and at USC on Dec. 17.

The American Conference opener is set for Dec. 31 at Florida Atlantic, with the trip continuing at Temple on Jan. 3.

UTSA will tip off the conference slate at home on Jan. 7 against Charlotte and on Jan. 10 against Tulane.

The conference tournament will be played in Birmingham, Ala., with games set for March 11-15.

UTSA men’s team roster:

Dorian Hayes 6-5 freshman guard
Kaidon Rayfield 6-8 freshman forward
Austin Nunez 6-2 senior guard
Vasean Allette 6-2 junior point guard
Brent Moss 6-6 junior guard/forward
Pierce Spencer 6-3 graduate guard
Macaleab Rich 6-7 junior guard/forward
Jamir Simpson 6-5 graduate guard
x-LJ Brown 6-2 redshirt senior guard
x-Mo Njie 6-11 graduate center
Daniel Akitoby 6-9 graduate forward
Stanley Borden 7-0 graduate center
Matheo Coffi 6-8 freshman forward
x-Baboucarr Njie 6-6 sophomore forward/guard
x-Jackson Fazande 6-3 redshirt sophomore forward

x-returning players

Former Missions outfielder Jakob Marsee delivers in his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins

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Jakob Marsee. The Amarillo Sod Poodles beat the San Antonio Missions 6-3 in Game 3 of the Texas League South Division playoffs on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Former Missions outfielder Jakob Marsee made his major league debut in style this weekend. He led the Miami Marlins to a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees. = File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
For The JB Replay

Last week, former San Antonio Missions outfielder Jakob Marsee was a Triple-A baseball player, a member of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

By Friday, he had received a promotion and was in the lineup for the Miami Marlins, who were preparing to play a home series against the New York Yankees.

Marsee made the most of the opportunity, stunning the Yankees with four extra-base hits on the weekend as the Marlins swept to three straight victories. In all, Marsee reached base eight times, going four for eight at the plate while drawing four walks.

On Sunday, he doubled and tripled in a two-for-four performance as the Marlins won 7-3 and improved to 30-14 since June 13. In his last at bat, he ripped an RBI triple to center to account for the last run of the game.

It was a big weekend all the way around for Marsee, who played in San Antonio for parts of the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

His family and friends made the trip to Miami to see him make his debut in the show. By Friday night, they were all high-fiving in the stands after Marsee doubled and drew three walks. Better yet, the Marlins overcame three deficits in the game to win 13-12 in 11 innings.

“I think that was way more than I could have ever expected,” Marsee told Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. “Obviously, I knew it was going to be fun and exciting, but to have a packed house with the Yankees here, everything, it was super cool.”

After sweeping the Yankees for the first time in team history, the Marlins improved to 55-55. Once buried in the National League standings, they’re now in the hunt for the playoffs, with at least three former Missions players in the mix.

One is Marsee, and the others are third baseman Graham Pauley and relief pitcher Lake Bachar. All three played in the San Diego Padres’ organization as part of the Missions’ 2023 Texas League playoff squad.

Bachar was the first of the three players to join the Miami franchise. After electing free agency, he signed with the Marlins in September 2023 as a free agent. Marsee switched teams in June of 2024 as part of a Marlins-Padres trade. A month later, in a separate deal, Pauley came over.

San Antonio area athletes in the MLB draft’s first round: From Roger Metzger and Pat Rockett to Kayson Cunningham

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday selected Johnson High School shortstop Kayson Cunningham with the 18th pick on the first round of the Major League Baseball draft.

Cunningham, who has committed to the University of Texas, could command a signing bonus of more than $4 million to turn pro. The value of the 18th pick is $4.58 million, according to the mlb.com website.

Regarded as possibly the best pure hitter among high school prospects in this year’s draft, the 5-foot-10, 182-pounder swings the bat from the left side.

He hit .417 for Team USA during the 18-and-under World Cup qualifier in Panama last summer.

Cunningham slapped the go-ahead hit in the gold medal-clinching victory, and was named as the tournament MVP, according to a story published on the Diamondbacks’ website.

He was also USA Baseball’s Player of the Year in 2024, and this past spring, he was named Gatorade’s Texas High School Player of the Year after hitting .509 in his senior year at Johnson.

According to research conducted by The JB Replay, Cunningham is believed to be the 14th player from the San Antonio area to be selected in the first round of the MLB draft, which started in 1965.

In the draft’s earliest years, the highest pick from the Alamo City was John Langerhans, from South San High School, who in 1968 was taken 36th overall on the second round by the Minnesota Twins.

Infielder Roger Metzger from Holy Cross High School became the first player from the San Antonio area taken in the first round. He was selected 16th overall by the Chicago Cubs in 1969 out of St. Edward’s University. Lee infielder Pat Rockett, who went to the Atlanta Braves in 1973, was the city’s first top 10 pick.

Rockett went No. 10 to the Atlanta Braves in 1973.

Cunningham joins Rockett, John Gibbons, Tyler Gonzales and Forrest Whitley as San Antonio-area players drafted in the first round out of high school.

San Antonio-area players, through the years, selected in the first round:

2025 – Infielder Kayson Cunningham, Johnson High School, 18th overall, to the Arizona Diamondbacks
2022 – Infielder Jace Jung, MacArthur High School, 12th overall, out of Texas Tech University, to the Detroit Tigers
2020 – Pitcher Asa Lacy, Kerrville Tivy, fourth overall, out of Texas A&M, to the Kansas City Royals
2020 — Shortstop Jordan Westburg, New Braunfels, 30th overall, out of Mississippi State, to the Baltimore Orioles (competitive balance Round A).
2019 – Infielder Josh Jung, MacArthur, eighth overall, out of Texas Tech, to the Texas Rangers
2016 – Pitcher Forrest Whitley, Alamo Heights, 17th overall, out of high school, to the Houston Astros
2012 – Tyler Gonzales, Madison, 60th overall (supplemental first round), out of high school, to the Toronto Blue Jays
1997 – Third baseman Brandon Larson, Holmes, 14th overall out of LSU, to the Cincinnati Reds
1997 – Outfielder/first baseman Lance Berkman, New Braunfels Canyon, 16th overall out of Rice University, to the Houston Astros
1989 – Outfielder/first baseman Scott Bryant, Churchill, 20th overall out of the University of Texas, to the Cincinnati Reds
1984 – Pitcher Norm Charlton, Madison, 28th overall, out of Rice University, to the Montreal Expos
1980 – Catcher John Gibbons, MacArthur, 24th overall, out of high school, to the New York Mets
1973 – Infielder Pat Rockett, Lee, 10th overall, out of high school, to the Atlanta Braves
1969 — Infielder Roger Metzger, Holy Cross, 16th overall, out of St. Edward’s University, to the Chicago Cubs

UTSA’s Aston receives contract extension through 2029-30

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UTSA women’s basketball coach Karen Aston has received a five-year contract extension through the 2029-30 season.

Aston’s extension will start at $375,000 in 2025-26. From there, it will increase to $385,000 in ’26-27 and to $415,000 for the final three seasons through ’29-30. The contract runs through March 31, 2030, according to UTSA.

After starting at UTSA in 2021-22, Aston inherited a team that had won only two games at 2-18. In her tenure, she has improved the program gradually, building to last year’s run to the American Athletic Conference regular-season title.

The Roadrunners, led by forward Jordyn Jenkins, reached the WBIT national postseason tournament and finished 26-5.

UTSA extends baseball coach Pat Hallmark’s contract through the 2029 season

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UTSA baseball will move forward with Head Coach Pat Hallmark recently receiving an extension on his contract through the 2029 season.

The extension, which runs through May 31, 2029, will pay Hallmark a base salary of:

*$350,000 for the 2025-26 year
*$375,000 in ’26-27
*$400,000 in ’27-28
*And, finally, $425,000 in ’28-29.

UTSA announced the agreement on June 17 after the program’s best season, in which Hallmark led the Roadrunners to the Super Regional round of the NCAA playoffs.

Hallmark, the 2025 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, led the Roadrunners to their first NCAA Regional Championship and first Super Regional appearance.

UTSA established a program-best 47 wins and a program-low 15 losses. Hallmark also directed the team to its third-ever conference regular-season championship with a 23-4 mark in The American.

The 2025 Roadrunners re-wrote the program records in:

*Runs scored (530)
*RBI (488)
*On-base percentage (.423)
*Fewest errors (47)
*Fielding percentage (.978)
*At-bats (2,098)
*And, hit by pitches (125).

Hallmark was named UTSA’s head coach on June 16, 2019. He has led the team to a record of 187-111, including four consecutive 30-plus win seasons. The streak ties a UTSA school record.

His career record is 253-159, which includes two season at the University of the Incarnate Word.

UTSA Roadrunners say they gave it their ‘best shot’ against the UCLA Bruins

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The greatest season in UTSA Roadrunners’ baseball history has come to a painful end.

After losing Saturday and needing to win twice in two days to stay alive in the NCAA tournament, the Roadrunners couldn’t get it done. They couldn’t deliver with the big hit against excellent pitching on Sunday.

As a result, the 15th-seeded UCLA Bruins downed UTSA 7-0 to sweep two games at the Los Angeles Super Regional, advancing to the Men’s College World Series next week in Omaha, Neb.

“Similar to yesterday, I mostly tip my hat to UCLA, for playing clean baseball,” UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said. “They’ve got a lot of talent. They deserved to win.”

Run-scoring singles by Toussaint Bythewood in the fourth inning and Roch Cholowski in the fifth gave the Bruins a 2-0 cushion. The Bruins added two more runs in the eighth on an infield throwing error and a sacrifice fly by Phoenix Call.

To make matters worse, Roadrunners pitcher Braylon Owens had to exit the game with an injury during the uprising after he was hit with a line drive. In the ninth, the Bruins blew the game open with three runs against Gunnar Brown, who likely would have been the Game 3 starter on Monday if UTSA could have mounted a comeback.

UCLA pitching held UTSA to just four hits on a frustrating afternoon for the offense. The Roadrunners, who had multiple opportunities to score, hit only 1 for 13 with runners on base and 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.

“Like coach said, they were playing some clean ball,” UTSA freshman Jordan Ballin said. “They weren’t throwing many balls. They weren’t walking us like they do. Other than that, we gave it our best shot.”

Regardless of setbacks to the Bruins on Saturday (by a score of 5-2) and again on Sunday, the Roadrunners left Jackie Robinson Stadium feeling some satisfaction in becoming the only team in school history to reach the super regional round.

“Obviously unhappy with the result,” said Conor Myles, who started and took the loss in the finale. “But, just happy for the guys, how far we made it. We set records. We broke almost every record that school has. It’s a special group of guys. It really is.”

Finishing with a 47-15 record, they won the American Athletic Conference regular-season title, notched their highest win total in 34 seasons and beat the in-state heavyweight Texas Longhorns three times, including two in the Austin Regional last weekend.

The Longhorns were the second-seeded team in the NCAA tournament, so the Roadrunners arrived in Los Angeles late last week brimming with confidence. They will leave knowing that the Bruins’ pitching and defense, in the end, were just too good to overcome.

“I did not anticipate making a super regional,” Hallmark said “I would be some kind of arrogant sociopath if I did. Which, I hope I’m not. But I did think we had a good team … I thought we had a good chance to win the league. I knew East Carolina lost some people, which was going to help us.

“I knew we had a good team once we got our hands on ’em and saw the athletic ability of (Norris) McClure. I knew (shortstop) Ty Hodge was physical and athletic, because he’s (from) closer to home. I knew we had a good team. But a super regional was above and beyond what I expected, there’s no doubt about that.”

Hallmark said he will always be grateful to have coached this team.

“Again,” the coach continued, “all the credit to the players. It’s all a coach wants. It’s improvement. Buy in. And it just kept coming. Not our best baseball this weekend, but it wasn’t ugly baseball. I really tip my hat to UCLA. When I first watched ’em, I thought … they might have a slight problem in their bullpen.”

Hallmark explained that his initial assessment was only based on how many players Coach John Savage pitched out of the pen.

“Usually the really strong bullpens are two guys who come in and really shove the ball down your throat,” the UTSA coach said. “Credit coach Savage. It’s not a chink. It’s not a hole (in the roster). He just has a lot of parts in that bullpen. And he’s such a great pitching coach. I didn’t realize it until I played ’em, but the bullpen is one of their strengths.”

Starter Landon Stump opened the game on the mound for the Big Ten Conference co-champions and worked four innings. Chris Grothues, Cal Randall, August Souza and Easton Hawk pitched in relief. Grothues (4-1) earned the victory by working two and two thirds innings, holding the Roadrunners hitless and scoreless.

All told, UCLA pitching struck out nine and walked two. Meanwhile, Myles (5-2) took the loss. The Australia native had good stuff but gave up the first two runs of the game and seven hits across four and two thirds innings.

Owens, meanwhile, was charged with two runs on three hits in two and a third. One of the standouts in last week’s Austin Regional exited the game with no outs in the eighth after he was hit by a line drive off the bat of Brennan.

The play started with a baserunner at second. Brennan smashed a pitch right back to the box, and it caromed off Owens and into foul territory.

First baseman Lorenzo Morresi fielded it and flipped it past Owens for a throwing error, allowing the run to score. AJ Salgado, who opened the inning with a double, came around to score.

At that point, it was determined that Owens wouldn’t be able to continue, so he got an emotional hug from Hallmark and then a rousing ovation from UTSA fans in attendance.

Later, Phoenix Call added to UTSA’s misery with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring the second run of the inning and widening the UCLA lead to 4-0. The Bruins added three runs in the ninth to clinch it.

Records

UTSA 47-15
UCLA 47-16

Schedule

UCLA advances to the College World Series, June 13-23, at Omaha, Neb.

Notable

UTSA finished with program records in wins (47) and fewest losses (15). They also had records in runs (528), RBI (487) and hit by pitches (125), according to the school’s information department.

Mason Lytle appeared in his 62nd game, a UTSA single-season record. Myles started his 17th game, tying him for second on the all-time single-season list

Owens reached 100 strikeouts on the season, becoming the second Roadrunner to reach the century mark. He finished second on the single-season leader board behind Karan Patel who fanned 104 in 2019.

UCLA pitching clamped down on UTSA’s three hottest hitters in the last game of the season. The Bruins held McClure, Lytle and James Taussig to a combined 2 for 12 at the plate. McClure and Lytle were one for four and Taussig zero for four.

Taussig, the most outstanding player in the Austin Regional, was held hitless in two games in Los Angeles.

UCLA beats UTSA 5-2 in Game 1 of the Los Angeles Super Regional

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Roman Martin delivered a two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday night as the the 15th-seeded UCLA Bruins scored a 5-2 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners in Game 1 of the Los Angeles Super Regional.

Playing in the first Super Regional in program history, UTSA jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the co-champions of the Big Ten Conference. Mason Lytle opened the game at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium with a leadoff home run.

In the second inning, the Roadrunners surprised everyone when Caden Miller stole home for the second run of the game.

From there, the Bruins settled down and scored two runs to tie in the third. The big hit was a run-scoring double by Mulivai Levu. In the fourth, UCLA struck again against UTSA starter Zach Royse by loading the bases on three singles. One of them was a slow roller that died on the infield grass near the third-base line.

With bases loaded and one out, Dean West gave the Bruins a 3-2 lead on a sacrifice fly to left.

UCLA pitching turned out to be the story in the middle innings and beyond as UTSA’s prolific offense could generate little momentum. In the end, the Bruins held the Roadrunners scoreless from the third through the ninth. UCLA’s bullpen held UTSA hitless for four of the last five innings.

Starter Michael Barnett (12-1) earned the victory by working six innings, giving up two runs on six hits. Relievers Jack O’Connor, August Souza and Easton Hawk combined to hold the Roadrunners hitless in one inning apiece to close the game. All night, Bruins pitching filled up the strike zone, not walking one batter.

The Roadrunners, who have relied on free passes to manufacture big innings this season, received only one against UCLA — when Barnett plunked Andrew Stucky with a pitch in the second.

It was a heartbreaking day for Royse (9-5). After earning the victory against Kansas State last Friday in the first game of the Austin Regional, he took the loss against the Bruins. He pitched five innings and allowed all three runs on nine hits. Royse struck out three and walked three.

After Connor Kelley entered for Royse in the sixth inning, he struggled and put two runners on base. One with a walk. Another with a hit by pitch. At that point, Rob Orloski entered and retired three straight batters. First, he forced UCLA star Roch Cholowski to pop up, and then he retired Levu and Martin to escape trouble.

Orloski, a sophomore from Idaho, continued to pitch well through the seventh, sending three straight batters back to the dugout. But in the eighth, the UTSA righthander’s control started to falter.

On consecutive batters, he walked Phoenix Call and hit West with a breaking ball, putting runners at first and second. Getting tough again, he retired Cholowski and Levu on a fly ball and an infield pop up, respectively. With two out, he was nearly out of trouble when Martin worked the count to three balls and two strikes.

Ultimately, Martin won the battle, bashing a drive into the gap in right center. UTSA right fielder James Taussig looked like he might have a play on the ball, but it sailed past him, bouncing to the wall as Call scored from third base and West raced all the way around to score from first.

With the victory, UCLA now can clinch a trip to the Men’s College World Series with a victory Sunday. For UTSA to win the Super Regional, it will need to win Sunday and Monday to advance to the eight-team MCWS in Omaha, Neb.

Records

UTSA 47-14
UCLA 46-16

Schedule

Los Angeles Super Regional
Game 2 — UTSA at UCLA, Sunday, 2 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary) — UTSA at UCLA, Monday, TBA

Notable

UTSA’s James Taussig, the most outstanding player in the Austin regional, went hitless on four at bats. He flied out, grounded out twice and struck out in the eighth inning.

The eighth was a big inning for Bruins pitching as Souza, throwing nasty sliders, shut down the top of the Roadrunners’ batting order. He struck out Lytle and Taussig to start the inning and then retired Norris McClure on a ground ball.

Lytle, who finished one for four, entered the Super Regional leading the team with a .369 average. Taussig followed at .358. Taussig has been one of the team’s hottest power threat lately, hitting safely in 25 of 27 games entering the Super Regional.

He also was held without an RBI for only the ninth time in is last 36 games.

Quotable

In the postgame news conference, UTSA coach Pat Hallmark issued an opening statement, saying that the difference in the game was UCLA’s error-free defense and its pitching that didn’t allow a walk.

“I thought UCLA pitched and defended fantastic,” he said. “That was the difference in the game, was their defense. They didn’t give us anything. Zero errors. Zero walks by them. Just tip my hat to those guys, and we’ll be ready to play tomorrow.”

Hallmark credited UCLA starter Michael Barnett for throwing strikes.

“Barnett’s good,” Hallmark said. “The challenge was all the strikes he was throwing. We needed to get him early in the count and we just didn’t. We just fouled ’em off, or we didn’t just quite smash it early in the count.

“He did a really good job throwing strikes early in the count, and then once he gets ahead, if you don’t smash one of those early ones, he’s not going to throw you one centered when he’s ahead. So, hitting becomes harder.”

Surprising 47-win UTSA set to play UCLA in the NCAA Los Angeles Super Regional

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UTSA's James Taussig celebrates with the fans after UTSA beat Texas 9-7 on Saturday, May 31, 2025, in the NCAA baseball tournament Austin Regional. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Outfielder James Taussig leads UTSA into its first super regional tournament tonight in Los Angeles. The 6-foot-6 rightfielder earned Most Outstanding Player honors last weekend in the Austin Regional. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With confidence stoked by two straight victories last weekend against the seeded-second team in the NCAA tournament, the UTSA Roadrunners will open the Los Angeles Super Regional on Saturday night against the No. 15 UCLA Bruins.

The winner of the best-of-three format will advance to the Men’s College World Series next week. For the 47-win Roadrunners, it is their first trip to the super regional round in 34 years as a program.

They are a surprising team on a roll, having run away with the regular-season title in the American Athletic Conference at 23-4 after being picked to finish fourth.

Entering the first weekend of the tournament, they had never won an NCAA game in three previous trips (0-6) before winning three straight in the Austin Regional against power conference competition.

In Austin, they were seeded second in the four-team field and stormed to the crown behind most outstanding player James Taussig, clutch pitching and team defense.

After beating Kansas State 10-2 in the opener, they moved forward and eliminated host Texas by scores of 9-7 and 7-4.

Texas, ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of the season, took the tournament’s No. 2 overall seed into the regional after winning the regular-season title in the Southeastern Conference.

Now, the Roadrunners will try to take down the co-champions in the Big Ten.

Powered by Dick Howser Trophy finalist Roch Cholowski, UCLA shared first place in the newly-formed Big Ten with Oregon, and then swept through three games in the Los Angeles Regional, beating Fresno State, UC Irvine and Arizona State.

The Bruins rolled to regional title by outscoring opponents, 38-14.

Records

UTSA 47-13
UCLA 45-16

Schedule

NCAA Los Angeles Super Regional

(Best of three, at Jackie Robinson Stadium)
UTSA at UCLA, Saturday, 6 p.m.
UTSA at UCLA, Sunday, 2 p.m.
UTSA at UCLA, Monday, TBA (if necessary)

Drew Detlefsen update

Speaking with the media Friday, UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said he didn’t know whether Drew Detlefsen, the team’s home run and RBI leader, would play.

Detlefsen tweaked a hamstring while chasing down a ball in foul territory last Saturday against Texas and had to come out of the game. He did not play Sunday. The UTSA leftfielder has been getting treatment and hitting but has not been running full speed.

The coach said Detlefsen has been hitting well in practice, which is a good sign. At the same time, Hallmark said he has “capable people” to use in his place if he can’t play.

Pitching questions

Senior Zach Royse started and won the opener of the Austin Regional against Kansas State, pitching five and a third innings and allowing only one run on three hits. But Hallmark said he wasn’t ready to name bis starter for the opener in the super regional.

He said he doesn’t know who will start for UCLA, either, though he said the Bruins have started Ian May on the first night of weekend series in the second half of the season. Hallmark said the rotation down the stretch of the season for UCLA was May, Zach Barnett and then Landon Stump.

Hallmark also said Wylan Moss is a possibility.

“He’s been hurt,” the coach said. “He’s back. Really good arm. Freshman … the arm’s really good, really talented. It’s the classic UCLA type big, big pro prospect. So, I wouldn’t be shocked if any one of those four start.”

The coach said UCLA used May out of the bullpen in the regional to give them a left-handed stopper late in the games.

A star at shortstop

Hallmark said UCLA sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowski “might be the best player in the country” and is a “phenomenal” talent,” one that could be taken with the first overall pick in the 2026 draft.

“The kid is a really good baseball player,” Hallmark said. “You’re not going to hold him down for three games.”

Cholowski usually bats second for the Bruins. Batting after him in the three hole is a productive left-side bat in Mulivai Levu.

“Big, physical left-handed hitter,” Hallmark said. “He’s got 85 RBI on the season. Part of it is because Roch’s on base all the time. But, that’s where they start, offensively … those two guys. They’re dangerous.”

Hallmark said UCLA is like UTSA in that they draw walks, they get hit by pitches and they don’t strike out.

As a result, Hallmark told his pitchers, “Be ready to feel like you’re pitching against your teammates. They’re not going to go away easily. They’re going to foul off some tough pitches. They’re going to hang around up there.”

Last team from Texas

UTSA is the last team from the state of Texas remaining in the NCAA baseball tournament. The Roadrunners eliminated the Texas Longhorns in the finals of the Austin Regional. Also in Austin, the Houston Christian Huskies went down with two straight losses. Dallas Baptist was eliminated in the semifinals of the Baton Rouge Regional. TCU lost two straight in the Corvallis Regional.

Once again, UTSA’s Hallmark stresses need for an enhanced baseball stadium

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The ball is rolling downhill for the UTSA baseball program in terms of capturing the attention of its local fan base.

After San Antonio media blanketed the Roadrunners with coverage in last week’s trip to the NCAA Austin Regional, the players responded with a dynamic performance, sweeping to three straight victories, including two over the Texas Longhorns.

Pat Hallmark. UTSA beat Rice 15-7 on Thursday night in American Athletic Conference baseball at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sixth-year UTSA coach Pat Hallmark says he’d like to see a plan for an enhanced home stadium so that the program doesn’t fall behind in recruiting. – File photo by Joe Alexander

As a result, a crowd of people turned out on short notice for a welcome-home celebration on Monday.

Another crowd showed up Thursday when the team left Roadrunner Field for a trip to the Los Angeles Super Regional.

So, where is all this going?

Well, in the immediate future, the program is headed west for a best-of-three series against the UCLA Bruins, starting Saturday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Coming out on top won’t be easy.

The Bruins are ranked as the 15th-best team in the tournament, and they have a player in Roch Cholowski who is among four finalists for the Dick Howser Award, college baseball’s version of the Heisman Trophy.

All that aside, UTSA is playing well, too. Correction. They are playing lights out. The Roadrunners beat the No. 2 overall seed in the Longhorns twice last week in Austin. So, they are hot, and they know how to get it done.

Given all that, what else is at stake this weekend for the most ascendant athletic program at UTSA, besides a trip to the Men’s College World Series?

Well, one enticing possibility is that the university decides to move forward with a plan to upgrade Roadrunner Field. Coach Pat Hallmark has been pushing that idea aggressively.

Another possibility is that UTSA continues on its current plan to enhance player training as its next project, without a concrete course of action on an enhanced competition site.

If that is the case, it seems that another baseball program on another campus could approach Hallmark with a better deal, and he might take it.

Why do I say this? Well, for one thing, Hallmark is a hot commodity. One of the hottest in this part of the country. His team is one of 16 remaining in the NCAA tournament.

In addition, he seems to be getting more antsy and more blunt when he discusses the need for a stadium upgrade. Specifically, one with more comforts for the fans.

He talked about it in mid-May with reporters after one of his last regular-season home games. The subject came up again in an interview Monday with radio talk show host Jason Minnix on San Antonio Sports Star, FM 94.1. Most recently, the subject was broached on Friday on the eve of his team’s first game at UCLA.

Asked on a media zoom conference if he could sense how the team has started to attract more and more attention from local fans in the wake of its success in Austin, Hallmark said he probably hasn’t grasped the situation in its entirety just yet.

“It’s a bigger deal than I anticipated, not that I knew we were going to be here,” the coach said. “But I knew we had a good team. I knew we had a shot when we officially got in the regional.”

Hallmark said “a lot of people are reaching out” in terms of fans who came out to Roadrunner Field on Monday and again on Thursday.

“People are pulling me aside, talking about a new stadium,” he said. “I have not heard that from UTSA. I’m not saying that. But I’ve never heard that from anyone, ever, in the city. From (anybody).“

The coach said he thinks people realize now that the program needs a better playing facility.

“What we’re doing this year (on the field) does not have to be an anomaly,” he said. “I’m not ready to say we can do it every single year. But we can do this more than not. This can become the goal every year, instead of some huge deal.

“Like, ‘Oh, my God. Look what we did.’ It doesn’t have to be that,” he said. “So, I’m ready to talk about this stadium as much as anybody wants to talk about it, because I want to stay in San Antonio.”

Asked for specifics on what he wanted on that front, Hallmark said he hopes UTSA officials can come up with a plan “for something” soon.

“I know it’s a huge, huge undertaking,” he said. “But that’s what we need, first and foremost, even above a bigger NIL budget and scholarships.

“You know, (with) baseball scholarships, this is the last year that they’re capped at 11.7 (per team). You’re allowed to have 34 scholarships next year. The NIL collective is a thing.”

But even before addressing those issues, he said his first priority “is and always has been” some kind of facility enhancement.

“It doesn’t have to be the Taj Mahal,” he said. “We need something so we don’t lose recruits and players, just something that says we care about baseball, and we are invested.

“When you, the baseball player at UTSA, overachieves (and) does what you are currently doing, we want to give back to you. That message needs to be sent by the people running UTSA.”

Otherwise, he said, the Roadrunners will lose players to their competition “and we don’t do this anymore.” Meaning, they’ll fall behind in terms of their ability to vie for championships in the years to come.

“If that’s what they want,” the coach said, “that’s what they’re going to get.”