Monthly Archives: February 2025

College baseball: UT Arlington shuts out UTSA 5-0 on opening day

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Righthander Caylon Dygert pitched into the eighth inning and led the UT Arlington Mavericks to a 5-0 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners Friday afternoon in the season opener for both teams.

In the game played on a cold and rainy day at Clay Gould Ballpark in Arlington, Dygert worked 7 and 1/3 innings and yielded only three hits.

He struck out three and walked none in outdueling UTSA starter Zach Royse.

The Roadrunners, trailing by the eventual final score, had Diego Diaz at second base in the top of the eighth when lefty Caden Noah replaced Dygert.

After a ball in the dirt allowed Diaz to take third, Noah struck out Andrew Stucky and Caden Miller to get out of the jam.

In UTSA’s last at bat, Mason Lytle led off with an infield single, speeding down the line to beat a toss from first baseman Tate Bethel to Noah covering the bag.

Noah responded by retiring three straight, as the Mavericks handed the Roadrunners an opening-day loss for the second straight season.

UT Arlington beat UTSA 10-9 on opening day last year in San Antonio at Roadrunner Field.

Cade Dodson, Maxwell Mims and Tyce Armstrong, the Nos. 1-3 hitters in the Mavericks’ lineup, each had multiple-hit performances.

Royse pitched well in the early going, cruising through five scoreless innings on a one-hitter. But with two out in the sixth, the Mavericks strung together five straight singles and scored three runs.

Martinez, Armstrong and Xavier Martinez each had RBI singles in the outburst. In the seventh inning, Mims produced a run-scoring double and Martinez an RBI single off UTSA reliever Sam Simmons.

Royse, a 6-foot-3 junior from Katy Cinco Ranch, finished the day charged with three runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked none in 5 and 2/3 innings.

Despite pitching well enough to win, he took the loss and dropped to 0-5 in his career.

The Roadrunners were limited to four hits on the day, two by newcomer Norris McClure. Lytle, the preseason Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference, finished one for four. Lorenzo Morresi had a double in three at bats for UTSA’s only extra base hit.

Records

UTSA 0-1
UT Arlington 1-0

Coming up

UTSA at UT Arlington, Saturday, 1 p.m.
UTSA at UT Arlington, Sunday, 1 p.m.
UTSA at Baylor, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

UTSA’s starting lineup in the opener had Caden Miller leading off and playing first base, followed by Lytle in center field, James Taussig in right field, Drew Detlefsen in left field, McClure at designated hitter, Morresi at catcher, Diaz at second base, Ty Hodge at shortstop and Jordan Ballin at third.

Miller, Detlefsen, McClure, Hodge, Ballin and relief pitcher Sam Simmons each made their UTSA debuts. Ballin is a freshman from Boerne Champion High School who entered college regarded as one of the top players out of the San Antonio area.

After playing two more games in Arlington this weekend and then traveling to Waco to meet the Baylor Bears on Tuesday, UTSA returns home for a series against the Long Island University starting next Friday, Feb. 21, at Roadrunner Field.

College baseball: No. 1 Texas A&M opens today under first-year coach Michael Earley

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The Texas A&M Aggies open a baseball season with national title hopes tonight, playing at home against Elon College of North Carolina.

The top-ranked Aggies will enter the new year led by a first-year coach, Michael Earley, who was promoted from his assistant’s post to take over for Jim Schlossnagle.

Schlossnagle sparked outrage in Aggieland last summer as he left College Station to take the head coaching job in Austin. He made the move within days after leading A&M to the finals of the Men’s College World Series.

Initially, Earley was expected to join his former boss on the UT staff, but A&M coaxed him to come back to College Station as the Aggies head coach.

Now he leads a team headlined by outfielder Jace LaViolette, infielder Gavin Grahovac, Penn transfer and infielder Wyatt Henseler and pitcher Ryan Prager, who is expected to start on the mound for the Aggies tonight.

Four teams from the state are ranked in the Top 25 of the D1 Baseball poll, including A&M at No. 1, Texas (19th), Dallas Baptist (20th) and TCU (23rd).

Tonight, the Longhorns open under Schlossnagle in Arlington, at Globe Life Field, against the Louisville Cardinals. The Patriots host North Dakota State and the Horned Frogs start on the road against the University of San Diego.

Locally, the UTSA Roadrunners open today in Arlington against the UT Arlington Mavericks. Also, the Incarnate Word Cardinals play host to Saint Peter’s (N.J.), and the San Marcos-based Texas State Bobcats host Binghamton (N.Y.)

Editor’s note: Please see The JB Replay’s list of athletes from San Antonio-area high schools on NCAA Division I baseball rosters. The list, an annual research project of this news outlet, is likely not inclusive of all San Antonio area players. It will be updated when new information comes to light.

UTSA

Jordan Ballin, freshman infielder from Boerne Champion High School
Josh Vaughn, junior infielder from Clark High School
Whitt Joyce, sophomore catcher from Lytle, Medina Valley High School
Ryan Jester, redshirt freshman pitcher from Bracken Christian

Texas State

Cole Tabor, junior infielder from Reagan, transfer from Temple JC
Ryne Farber, sophomore infielder from Johnson High School
Matthew Tippie, senior pitcher from Wimberley, Angelina College
Rocco Garza-Gongora, junior outfielder-infielder from Laredo Alexander, Oklahoma
Jackson Teer, redshirt senior pitcher from Johnson
Carson Laws, junior pitcher from Clark High School, Midland College
Rashawn Galloway, junior catcher from Boerne High School
Zachary Gingrich, freshman outfielder from Smithson Valley High School
Tyler Walton, freshman pitcher from San Antonio Johnson High School
Kutter Webb, freshman infielder from San Marcos High School

Virginia

Will Broderick, freshman catcher/outfielder from Alamo Heights

Vanderbilt

Tristan Bristow, freshman pitcher from Harlan High School

Texas

Jalin Flores, junior infielder from Brandeis High School
Ruger Riojas, junior pitcher from Wimberley High School and UTSA

Baylor

Andrew Petrowski, redshirt senior from Clark High School and San Jacinto College
Brytton Clements, freshman infielder from Laredo Alexander

TCU

Anthony Silva, junior infielder from Clark High School
Cohen Feser, redshirt junior pitcher from Reagan High School
Mason Bixby, sophomore pitcher from Johnson High School
Jacob Silva, freshman catcher from Clark High School

Incarnate Word

Isaiah Zavala, grad student pitcher from Southwest High School
EJ Garcia, sophomore pitcher from New Braunfels Canyon
AJ Herrera, freshman catcher from Central Catholic
Rey Mendoza, grad student outfielder from Eagle Pass
Julio Riggs, grad student infielder from Boerne High School

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Chad Pantuso, freshman utility player from Johnson High School
Chance Reisdorph, senior catcher from New Braunfels Canyon High School
Zach Garcia, senior pitcher from New Braunfels High School
Alberto Santos IV, freshman pitcher from San Marcos High School

UT Rio Grande Valley

Austin Stracener, redshirt junior infielder from New Braunfels Canyon; Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas State
Evan Janner, sophomore outfielder from New Braunfels Canyon
Francisco Hernandez, redshirt senior pitcher from Laredo Alexander
Arturo Garcia, freshman pitcher from Laredo United South High School
Emir Encalada, junior pitcher from Laredo Alexander High School

Wichita State

Camden Johnson, sophomore infielder from Boerne High School

Tarleton State

Jack Burcham, senior pitcher from Reagan High School
Ryan Beaird, senior pitcher from Reagan High School, UTSA

Duke

Edward Hart, junior pitcher from Alamo Heights High School

Lamar

Coleson Abel, junior pitcher from Kerrville Tivy, Lubbock Christian
Aiden Baumann, junior outfielder from New Braunfels High School, UTSA

Houston

David Stich, redshirt junior pitcher from Boerne, San Antonio Cornerston Christian

Sam Houston State

Connor Zaruba, sophomore pitcher from Yoakum High School; McLennan College

Stephen F. Austin

Dylan Hummel, junior infielder from Madison High School and Coastal Bend Community College

UTSA women beat East Carolina 60-46 to stay undefeated at home this season

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Sidney Love. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Teammates hoist UTSA guard Sidney Love into the limelight with the gold ‘Cash In’ chain for her efforts against the East Carolina Pirates. Love scored 15 points on six of eight shooting, and she also had three steals. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women kept alive their chances for an undefeated season at home Wednesday night with a 60-46 victory over the East Carolina Pirates in a physical American Athletic Conference encounter at the Convocation Center.

Jordyn Jenkins produced 23 points and six rebounds as first-place UTSA (21-3, 12-1 in the AAC) improved its home winning streak to 14 games, dating back to last year. The Roadrunners are 11-0 at home this season.

East Carolina (13-12, 5-8) came into San Antonio having won two in a row and three of four, including a road win at UAB. But UTSA was relentless with a defensive effort that held the visitors to 26 percent shooting from the field.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins contributed 23 points and also six rebounds. She shot 10 of 17 from the floor, as UTSA stayed one game in the loss column ahead of South Florida in the AAC title race. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Pirates guard Khia Miller was ejected from the game early in the second half for an intentional foul on Roadrunners’ forward Maya Linton. Linton also was assessed a technical, her second, which disqualified her for the remainder of the game.

Addressing the media afterward, UTSA coach Karen Aston wasn’t happy that one of her players was ejected. She didn’t love the idea that her team turned it over 21 times, either, or that East Carolina won the rebounding battle (41-39).

But she will take a 14-point victory in which her team led for almost the entire 40 minutes and led by as many as 20 in the second half.

“Happy to get another win here in the Convo, for sure,” Aston said. “(The season is) winding down and (it’s) hard to believe we just have two more of these (home games) in here. I thought we played really well, for the most part.

“We’ll look back on it and nit-pick a little bit about some careless turnovers. Obviously, the rebounding was a big one that we’ve got to clean up before we play (Memphis, at home) on Saturday. But I thought we had a better aggressiveness about ourselves today. A better tempo for the way we played offensively.

“That’s really what I was hoping for tonight. So, we’ll clean up the rest of it.”

UTSA forward Maya Linton picked up technical fouls in the second and third quarters. By rule, she was disqualified after the second one and was sent to the dressing room. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In what is shaping up as a possible dream season for the Roadrunners, they have won four straight overall and 14 of their last 15, with five to go in the regular season.

Sitting on 21 wins, they are tied with the 1983-84 Roadrunners for the third most in a season in school history, behind only the 2007-08 team with 23 and the ’08-09 team with 24.

Defeating ECU also allowed them to stay a game in the loss column ahead of the second-place South Florida Bulls (17-8, 10-2) and two games ahead of the third-place North Texas Mean Green (18-7, 10-3) in the AAC regular-season title race.

South Florida and North Texas both won at home Wednesday night to keep the pressure on the Roadrunners, with the Bulls downing the Rice Owls, 82-77 in three overtimes, and the Mean Green pounding the Memphis Tigers, 97-57.

In the UTSA postgame, Jenkins talked about what it was like to be on the floor, at home, and to be able to hold East Carolina to four points in a 17-4, second-quarter show of force.

“The home crowd obviously helps, really getting into it and chanting ‘D-Up,’ ” Jenkins said. “But it comes with communication on the court. When we’ve got solid communication, it’s fun, and it makes things easier.

“We have trouble with that a lot during practice. We need to be better at that so we can consecutively have good possessions.”

Cheyenne Rowe. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Cheyenne Rowe came off the bench for eight points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes. — Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s second quarter was a defensive clinic. The Roadrunners held the Pirates to one for 16 shooting from the field and forced five turnovers.

In addition, two UTSA forwards off the bench, Cheyenne Rowe and Taylor Ross, had a major impact. Both had five rebounds in the period alone and Ross, a freshman from Brennan, also blocked a shot.

Rowe (eight points, 10 rebounds for the game) and Ross (three and seven) both played 18 minutes total and allowed the Roadrunners to cruise to an easy victory, even with foul-plagued starters Idara Udo and Linton not being major factors in the game.

Asked about Rowe and Ross’ contributions, Aston said, “That’s what I’ve been looking for.”

Another narrative coming into the game centered on what happened between the Roadrunners and the Pirates the last time they played.

Last March 12 in Fort Worth, East Carolina rallied from a pair of 11-point deficits in the fourth quarter to beat UTSA, 55-54, in the AAC semifinals, ending the Roadrunners’ quest for the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Love and Jenkins both chuckled at a question about whether there was any talk among players in the last few days about last year’s disappointment against the Pirates.

“No, we kind of wanted to leave that in the past,” Love said. “I don’t know. I think we just moved on and focused on being in the present and being where we are right now.”

Forward Amiyah Joyner led the Pirates with 18 points and eight rebounds. The 6-foot-2 forward hit six of 13 shots from the field. The rest of her teammates shot a combined 11 of 52.

Karen Aston. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston has led UTSA to a 21-3 record, with five games to play before the AAC tournament. The program record for wins in a season is 24. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Records

East Carolina 13-12, 5-8
UTSA 21-3, 12-1

Coming up

Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2 p.m.
UTSA at Rice, Saturday, Feb. 22, 4 p.m.

First half

Dominating with physical play in the paint and effective position defense on the perimeter, the Roadrunners held the Pirates to four points in the second quarter. Consequently, they surged to a 29-17 lead at halftime.

UTSA shrugged off a sluggish start and outscored ECU 17-4 in the second. ECU got flustered at the end of the period after Love tied up Joyner.

Trying to hang on to the ball, Joyner was pulled down to the floor. Once there, she tossed the ball and hit UTSA forward Maya Linton in the midsection. Linton tossed it back, prompting officials to stop play and go to the replay monitors.

After it was sorted out, both Joyner and Linton were hit with technical fouls.

Notable

Early in the third quarter, emotions boiled over once again. It started with Miller bringing the ball over halfcourt on the dribble, with Linton meeting her to contest. Trying to clear space, Miller swung her arms while clutching the ball.

Kim McNeill. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

East Carolina coach Kim McNeill led the Pirates to 23 wins and a trip to the NCAA tournament in 2023. Her team beat UTSA last March in the AAC semifinals and then lost to Rice in the title game. – Photo by Joe Alexander

She appeared to land an elbow on Linton, who held her head with both hands momentarily. Afterward, she looked up and appeared to say something in frustration. Referees stopped the action again and went to the monitors to assess what happened.

Miller was hit with an intentional foul and an automatic ejection. Linton also got a technical. Combined with the one she had in the first half, she was sent to the dressing room.

Quotable

Aston said she didn’t see what caused the flaring of tempers between Joyner and Linton in the second quarter.

“I honestly didn’t see anything until the tail end,” Aston said. “They called a jump ball, and I’m trying to figure out whose possession it is. There’s only five seconds left. I’ll have to look at these situations on film and see if we can handle ourselves a little differently than what we did.

“I thought we re-grouped at halftime. We talked about it and then the little episode in the third quarter (between Miller and Linton) I thought really hurt us, to be honest with you, because it took away our aggression, because we didn’t quite know what to do with that, and we tried to monitor what was going on. I thought it took away from the flow of the game for us, definitely.

“So, we got to learn some lessons from that.”

AAC contenders

Basketball teams in the AAC play 18 games in the regular season. Here is a look at the top five in the AAC women’s title chase:

UTSA 12-1, 21-3
South Florida 10-2, 17-8
North Texas 10-3, 18-7
Tulane 8-4, 15-8
Temple 8-5, 14-10

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated UTSA’s record in the AAC regular season. UTSA is 12-1 in conference.

Taylor Ross. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman Taylor Ross contributed three points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots in 18 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Wichita State men win a close one at home, defeating UTSA, 69-64

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Guard Harlond Beverly scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half Wednesday night as the Wichita State Shockers won at home, turning back the UTSA Roadrunners, 69-64, in American Athletic Conference men’s basketball.

Forward Corey Robinson led the Shockers with 17 points and 12 rebounds, and guard Xavier Bell scored 12. Wichita State dominated on the boards, winning the rebounding battle, 50-29, including 16-7 on the offensive glass.

With the win, the Shockers (14-10, 4-7) earned a split in the season series with the Roadrunners. UTSA beat Wichita State 88-75 on Jan. 11 in San Antonio.

The Roadrunners (10-14, 4-8) lost their third straight game despite the efforts of Raekwon Horton, who produced a double double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Marcus Millender contributed 13 points and Primo Spears 12. Damari Monsanto scored 11.

Records

UTSA 10-14, 4-8
Wichita State 14-10, 4-7

Coming up

UTSA at Tulsa, Saturday, 5 p.m.

Enjoying the grind: first-place UTSA women set to host the East Carolina Pirates

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Sidney Love blocked shot. UTSA beat North Texas 54-52 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

The UTSA Roadrunners host the East Carolina Pirates tonight at the Convocation Center. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Relay

The UTSA women’s basketball team is in a balancing act right now, trying at once to enjoy its historic success, while at the same time staying dialed into the serious business of winning a championship.

It’s an exhilarating — yet challenging — experience for the Roadrunners. Not only are they coming off an emotional victory that yielded the first 20-win season at UTSA in 16 years, but they’re also preparing for a home game against a surging opponent, hungry for its own continued success.

With her team holding a one-game lead in the loss column over its nearest competitor, UTSA coach Karen Aston says that “it’s really tough” to know exactly how to deal with the nuances of keeping her players loose and also focused with a competitive edge.

“It’s kind of a feel,” she said. “This particular team seems to do better when your foot is kind of on the gas a little bit and you have a sense of urgency in practice, no matter how long practice is, which none of them are really very long right now.

“But I think, it’s not a science. They’re kids. They’re human. They have other stuff going on. And to be able to find some kind of balance. Yeah, get in the gym, work on your shot. Don’t lose your skill set, but keep fresh legs.”

After staging a remarkable rally in the last few minutes to win last Saturday at Wichita State, improving to 20-3 on the season, UTSA returns home to face the East Carolina Pirates tonight. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

Winning is fun, yes. But the last thing Aston wants is for her players to feel mentally as if they’ve arrived, and they start to skip some steps on the practice court.

Then again, that’s something that could have happened before now and it hasn’t, likely because the players enjoy the work as much as they enjoy being around each other.

“Again, it’s not a science,” Aston said. “We kind of take every week as it goes. Every day as it goes. Kind of looking at what the week looks like and try to lighten some of their load, for some that have maybe logged a lot of minutes.

“You know, you want to keep the other guys … in game mode on practice days, the ones that don’t log as many minutes. They have to stay ready, and I think this group has done a great job with that. They enjoy practice for the most part, which makes it fun.

“And I appreciate how they’ve approached whatever we’ve given them. They don’t seem to question whatever the day is going to bring. I appreciate that about this group.”

Records

East Carolina 13-11, 5-7
UTSA 20-3, 11-1

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, tonight, 6:30 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Notable

UTSA has won 13 of its last 14 games, including three straight victories since it dropped a 75-63 decision on the road at South Florida on Jan. 29.

The Roadrunners (11-1 in the AAC) have six games left on their regular-season schedule and lead the Bulls (9-2) by a game in the loss column.

One area of concern for UTSA lately is perimeter shooting. UTSA has hit only 16 percent (nine of 56) from the three-point arc over its last three games.

East Carolina started conference by losing three straight and six of its first eight, but has rebounded to win three of its last four, including a five-point road win at UAB last Wednesday. Coach Kim McNeill’s Pirates won at home on Saturday, defeating the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, 73-64.

Two years ago, the Pirates won 23 games and the AAC’s postseason title on their way to the NCAA tournament.

Last year, they reached the AAC title game by rallying in the fourth quarter of the semifinals to beat the Roadrunners, 55-54. Amiya Joyner, who had 13 rebounds in the victory, is ECU’s top player this season.

Joyner, a 6-foot-2 junior forward, is averaging 14.2 points and 8.5 rebounds. Freshman point guard Devin Hagemann leads the team with 59 assists. Hagemann passed for eight assists in the victory over the Golden Hurricane.

AAC standings

UTSA 11-1, 20-3
South Florida 9-2, 16-8
North Texas 9-3, 17-7
Tulane 8-4, 15-8
Temple 8-5, 14-10
Tulsa 6-6, 12-12
UAB 6-7, 15-10
Rice 5-6, 12-11
East Carolina 5-7, 13-11
Memphis 4-7, 6-16
Charlotte 2-9, 7-15
Florida Atlantic 2-10, 10-15
Wichita State 2-10, 8-17

Wednesday’s games

Wichita State at Charlotte
Rice at South Florida
East Carolina at UTSA
Memphis at North Texas

UTSA beat North Texas 54-52 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Tonight, the UTSA women will face the East Carolina Pirates, a team that eliminated them from the AAC tournament last season. – File photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Claunch reached out to console one of his star players after a heart-wrenching loss

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Primo Spears. UTSA men's basketball lost to Tulsa 82-77 in American Athletic Conference action on Monday, Jan. 7, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Primo Spears and the UTSA Roadrunners will try to bounce back from two tough losses at home as they prepare to play road games this week at Wichita State and Tulsa. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Not too long after UTSA coach Austin Claunch left the Convocation Center Saturday night, he sent a text to Roadrunners point guard Primo Spears.

Knowing the inner fire that drives Spears as one of the most competitive players in the American Athletic Conference, the coach wanted to reach out to make sure he wasn’t taking the Roadrunners’ 80-79 loss to the East Carolina Pirates too hard.

Spears made two costly turnovers in the final 21 seconds that led to the Pirates erasing a 79-75 deficit and stealing away with a victory.

“You know, this is a guy who’s had an incredible year,” Claunch said Monday morning, “and he’s going to continue to have an incredible year. (But), you know, physical mistakes happen.

“I just texted him (immediately after the game) and told him I love him, and we’ll grow from this. And, he knows. He wants to win. That’s a guy who’s a competitor.”

Claunch’s words were not hyperbole. Spears has emerged after an offseason transfer from Florida State as the Roadrunners’ leading scorer at 20.2 points per game. He’s led the team in scoring in 13 of 23 games and in five of their 10 victories.

From my vantage point, Spears has made some of the most jaw-dropping, athletic shots that I can remember of anyone in a UTSA uniform since Jhivvan Jackson.

Spears is a little like Jackson in another way, as well. He will shrug off an injury and play at less than 100-percent of his usual explosive self.

Recently, he went down with a left foot injury at practice and continued to play through it for a few games. UTSA coaches finally sat him down last week. He sat for one game last Wednesday, when the Roadrunners played the Tulane Green Wave at home.

As Spears watched from the side in a walking boot, the Roadrunners played well and appeared to have the game won a few times down the stretch. Led by sophomore guard Marcus Millender, they were up 10 with three minutes left.

Later, they were still up nine with two minutes left. Eventually, however, the Green Wave outscored the Roadrunners 12-1 over the last 2:48, including the last 10 points of the game, to win 61-60 on two Rowan Brumbaugh free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining.

All of which compounded the misery they felt Saturday night after they lost to East Carolina.

“Quite frankly, it’s two that we felt like we gave away,” Claunch said. “(We have) a sizeable lead against Tulane with two minutes left and they make the plays and we don’t. Then the ECU game, we’ve got a two possession lead in the final seconds … ”

In analyzing basketball, I like to focus on things a team does to win rather than dwell on what someone else does to lose. In keeping with that, I will tell you that the Pirates won the game because they were the aggressors in the final minute, on both sides of the ball.

They trapped in the backcourt, attacking Spears as he tried to dribble out of trouble and get over the midcourt line. On the replay, it appeared that UTSA’s Raekwon Horton was open beyond midcourt, on the other side of the floor.

A pass from Spears to Horton right there might have saved the Roadrunners, who were up by four.

But Spears kept pounding the dribble, trying to get over midcourt. ECU’s Trevion LaBeaux had other ideas. He came up with a clean steal, leading to a drive to the bucket and a three-point play by Jordan Riley with 17.9 seconds left.

Leading by one at that juncture, UTSA came out of a timeout and called on Damari Monsanto to inbound.

The ball was tossed up the side, parallel to the ECU bench, and as Spears came over and reached out to grab it, the Pirates swarmed him in the corner and forced a held ball, which gave them possession.

Ultimately, they inbounded, and eventually tossed it to C.J. Walker. The ECU power forward made a sweet move, spun and knocked down a 14-foot jumper with four seconds left for a one-point lead. For the Roadrunners, they were left with one more desperation play, a 30-foot heave by Horton that missed.

Some in the Convocation Center might have been down on Mr. Spears after the shocking turn of events. But as for me, I just can’t be too critical of a kid who plays as hard as he does all the time. I’ve seen him do too many good things to help the team.

A reminder:

* Spears exploded for 15 of his 29 points in the last three minutes on Nov. 27 as the Roadrunners rallied from a late 14-point deficit to beat the Merrimack College Warriors, 76-74, in a neutral site game at Troy, Ala.

* On Dec. 3, at Moraga, Calif., he scored eight points in the last five and a half minutes of regulation and five in overtime in an 82-74 loss to the Saint Mary’s Gaels.

* And on Dec. 13, he poured in 10 of his 28 points in the final two minutes as the Roadrunners held off the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, 80-76, at the Convo.

In addition, I’ll offer some pure speculation. If the Roadrunners are faced with the same adversity again this week, with road games at Wichita State on Wednesday and Tulsa on Saturday, I’m certain Coach Claunch will be calling on Spears to make some plays.

Claunch, I suspect, will remain steadfast in Spears’ corner.

“It’s easy for me to play Monday morning quarterback right now and pause the film and say, hey, you’ve got to do this, that and the third,” the first-year UTSA coach said. “It’s a lot harder when you’re out there and you’re moving at a high pace.

“These guys want to win and … (they) got to continue to trust and believe in each other in these situations and (try to) find a way to get it done.”

East Carolina men rally in the last minute to top UTSA, 80-79

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C.J. Walker, a grad transfer from UCF, calmly knocks down the game-winning shot for the East Carolina Pirates with four seconds left. – Video by The JB Replay

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Forward C.J. Walker hit a turnaround jumper in the key with four seconds remaining Saturday night, lifting the East Carolina Pirates over the UTSA Roadrunners, 80-79, at the Convocation Center.

Walker, a 6-foot-8 transfer from UCF in his first year at East Carolina, finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds.

He had 18 of his points in the second half, when the Roadrunners were going to sophomore guard Marcus Millender, who scored 17 of his team-high 21 after intermission.

C.J. Walker, East Carolina. East Carolina beat UTSA 80-79 at the Convocation Center in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

East Carolina forward C.J. Walker scored a game-high 28 points on nine of 15 shooting from the field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Pirates coach Michael Schwartz credited Walker for keeping his focus during a game in which he was asked to come off the bench.

Schwartz said the plan was to get the ball to Walker at the end.

“We felt like that’s how we had to go,” Schwartz said, “to play through C.J. He delivered, and he’s delivered a lot of times this year. Really proud of C.J.

“Love his approach. He didn’t start tonight. That’s the maturity of someone that came off the bench as obviously a main guy and a starter, to come in and stay totally focused on the task at hand.”

The Pirates trailed by four with 48 seconds remaining and still managed to pull out the victory on the Roadrunners’ home floor.

Turnovers by the Roadrunners set up the Pirates’ last two possessions and the last five points of the game.

First, ECU’s Trevian LeBeaux made a steal, leading to a driving layup by guard Jordan Riley, who was fouled on the play.

After the whistle, Riley went to the line and sank the free throw with 17.9 seconds remaining, bringing the Pirates to within one.

On the ensuing inbounds play, UTSA’s Primo Spears was trapped in the backcourt, and guard RJ Felton forced a turnover that gave the Pirates the ball with 14 seconds left.

Marcus Millender. East Carolina beat UTSA 80-79 at the Convocation Center in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA sophomore Marcus Millender scored a team-high 21 points for his second straight game in the 20s. He had a career-high 28 on Wednesday night against Tulane. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Cam Hayes received the inbounds pass about 35 feet from the hoop and fed it to Walker just outside the top of the key. Dribbling left and then spinning back to his right, Walker fired a turn-around jumper from the free-throw line over Horton for the winning basket.

As UTSA rushed the ball up the other way, Horton missed a desperation three at the buzzer from about 30 feet, sealing the team’s second straight heartbreaking loss at home.

The Roadrunners gave up a 10-point lead in the last three minutes and lost 61-60 to the Tulane Green Wave on Wednesday night.

UTSA coach Austin Claunch said he felt like his team played well enough to win the game but just couldn’t make the plays at the end to clinch it.

Claunch said the Roadrunners will need to get back to work to reverse their fortunes. Responding to a reporter who asked how his players recover from close losses, “You know, it’s hard. You got to get up and go to work.

“You know, we’ll be in a lot more of these games as we move forward. We just got to figure out how to finish them better.”

Records

East Carolina 13-11, 5-6
UTSA 10-13, 4-7

Coming up

UTSA at Wichita State, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Tulsa, Saturday, Feb. 15, 5 p.m.

First half

The UTSA Roadrunners heated up late in the half, knocking down five of their last six shots against the East Carolina Pirates, as they took a 40-33 lead into intermission. For the half, they Roadrunners shot 47 percent from the field.

Primo Spears. East Carolina beat UTSA 80-79 at the Convocation Center in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Primo Spears returned after sitting out with an injured foot against Tulane and scored 13 points in 37 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Pirates got the early jump to start the game, driving the ball inside, getting to the free throw line and moving out to a 10-5 lead. From there, the Roadrunners started to click, sprinting away on a 14-0 run.

After two straight baskets by reserve forward Jonnivius Smith, the Roadrunners led 19-10 with 11:03 remaining. The Pirates responded with a run of their own, tying the game 23-23. But the Roadrunners retaliated, taking an aggressive approach. With the ball moving on offense, Damari Monsanto finished two plays with three pointers.

Another highlight came when Raekwon Horton lobbed a pass above the rim, where Baboucarr Njie soared to dunk it.

Horton led the Roadrunners in the half with 11 points, and Horton had nine. Smith was effective with four points, four rebounds and two steals.

For the Pirates, C.J. Walker came off the bench for 10 points ad six rebounds. Guard Jordan Riley scored nine, all from the free-throw line, where he made nine of 10.

AAC standings

Memphis 9-1, 19-4
UAB 8-2, 15-8
North Texas 8-3, 17-6
Tulane 7-4, 13-11
Temple 6-4, 14-9
FAU 6-4, 13-10
South Florida 5-5, 12-11
East Carolina 5-6, 13-11
UTSA 4-7, 10-13
Rice 3-8, 12-12
Tulsa 3-8, 9-15
Wichita State 2-7, 12-10
Charlotte 2-9, 9-15

Saturday’s results

FAU 79, Tulsa 55
North Texas 76, Tulane 66
Charlotte 78, Rice 75
East Carolina 80, UTSA 79

Sunday

Temple at Memphis, 1 p.m.
Wichita State at South Florida, 1 p.m.

Raekwon Horton. East Carolina beat UTSA 80-79 at the Convocation Center in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Raekwon Horton started fast against East Carolina., scoring 11 of his 15 points before intermission. Horton also had five rebounds, four assists and a steal. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA wins its 20th game of the season with a 60-49 victory over Wichita State

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Discombobulated and not playing very well most of the afternoon, the UTSA women pulled it together in the final minutes Saturday to win their 20th game of the season, posting a 60-49 road victory over the Wichita State Shockers.

As a result, the Roadrunners improved to 20-3 for their first 20-win season in 16 years and only the fourth in 44 years of program history. They also maintained the lead in the American Athletic Conference at 11-1.

UTSA hopes to win the AAC title and reach the NCAA tournament this year, but reaching 20 wins has always been a goal for a coaching staff that took over a 2-18 team when it arrived in 2021.

“We’ve talked about it since we got here four years ago,” UTSA coach Karen Aston told Neal Raphael on the team’s radio broadcast. “It’s just something that I think is a benchmark of a good basketball team and a successful season.

“The kids knew that. Maybe they were a little anxious about it. I don’t know. They really wanted to get to 20, and they did it.”

With a 13-1 record in their last 14 games, the Roadrunners’ AAC title quest continues Wednesday night when they host the East Carolina Pirates at the Convocation Center. They’ll play two at home next week, including a game against Memphis on Saturday, Feb. 15.

With the game against Wichita State tied midway through the fourth period, statistics showed that the Roadrunners had made only nine of 49 shots from the field to that point.

But they shrugged it off and hit five field goals on their next five possessions to take charge against a team that was tied for last in the conference.

It started when Nina De Leon Negron pushed the pace on a breakout, feeding Jordyn Jenkins for a layup. After Jayla Murray sank a three from the left wing to give the Shockers a 43-42 lead, Roadrunners’ sophomore Aysia Proctor answered with a three out of the left corner.

Following a miss by Wichita State, forward Idara Udo sank a layup off a feed from Jenkins, pushing UTSA’s lead to four. Shockers guard Taylor Jameson attacked on the other end and hit a crazy, no-look flip shot from under the basket to make it a two-point game.

At that point, the Roadrunners sensed a victory was at hand and would not be denied. First, Sidney Love sliced inside and flipped in a finger roll. When Wichita State turned it over on the next possession, Love again responded, catching a feed from De Leon Negron and laying it in for a 51-45 advantage.

Wichita State made one last push to stay in the game when Maimouna Cissoko, the sister of former Spurs guard Sidy Cissoko, sprinted ahead for a layup. When it fell, UTSA’s lead had been trimmed to four and the Shockers had some momentum.

But as Love brought the ball up for the Roadrunners, she was contested by a defender at halfcourt and drew a foul. Shockers coach Terry Nooner vocally protested the call and was hit with a technical. As a result, the Roadrunners were awarded four free throws — two for the personal foul and one for the tech — and made three of them.

They also were awarded the next possession, and they capitalized when Jenkins followed a miss to make it a nine-point game with 1:48 left. The Shockers never threatened again.

First half

Salese Blow scored 11 points over the opening two quarters and Wichita State held sluggish UTSA to 23 percent shooting. As a result, the Shockers took a 27-23 advantage into the dressing room at halftime.

Looking for answers and, perhaps, a hot hand shooting the ball, UTSA coach Karen Aston sent 11 players into the game. But the results were not pretty. The Roadrunners hit only six of 26 from the field and two of 11 from three.

Meanwhile, the last-place Shockers did just enough to give themselves a cushion. They fell behind early, but then took advantage of sloppy play from the Roadrunners to kick the lead up gradually to nine points in the second quarter.

Idara Udo led the Roadrunners with six points and four rebounds. Jordyn Jenkins had five points on one of six shooting. The Shockers did a good job on Jenkins, forcing multiple turnovers when the Roadrunners tried to pass inside to her.

Records

UTSA 20-3, 11-1
Wichita State 8-17, 2-10

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2 p.m.

UTSA women have 20 wins in mind as they prepare for a road test at Wichita State

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

A 20-win season is in reach for the surging UTSA Roadrunners.

Karen Aston. UTSA beat Temple 70-61 on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Karen Aston’s first-place UTSA Roadrunners lead in the AAC standings by one game in the loss column over the South Florida Bulls. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston’s first-place Roadrunners (19-3, 10-1) will play on the road against the Wichita State Shockers (8-16, 2-9) in an American Athletic Conference game that tips off at 1 p.m. Saturday at Koch Arena.

UTSA has won 20 in a season only three times in the first 43 years of the program. The Roadrunners first hit the plateau in 1983-84 when they went 21-6 under Coach Bill MacLeay. They did it again in 2007-08 and ’08-09 when they carved out back-to-back marks of 23-10 and 24-9, respectively, under Rae Rippetoe-Blair.

For Aston, winning 20 would be a meaningful milestone because she has always thought it represented a successful season. It might be more meaningful for the fourth-year coach this time, considering UTSA was 2-18 in 2020-21, the year before she was hired.

Aston has won 20 eight times in her 16 previous seasons as a head coach. She reached the plateau twice in four years at Charlotte and six times in eight seasons at Texas.

The Roadrunners are on a roll, registering a 12-1 record in their last 13 games. The only loss in the streak came Jan. 22 at South Florida. On that day, they played without star forward Jordyn Jenkins for the only time this season and fell 75-63 to the Bulls.

UTSA, in its last two games, played at home and downed a pair of AAC challengers in the Temple Owls and the North Texas Mean Green. Against North Texas on Tuesday night, Jenkins produced 26 points and eight rebounds, Idara Udo notched a double double and Sidney Love blocked a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer. The Roadrunners came away with a 54-52 victory.

The Roadrunners are trying for a series sweep against Wichita State. They beat the Shockers 69-51 on Jan. 11 in San Antonio.

Men’s basketball

Meanwhile, the UTSA men will play later Saturday at home in the Convocation Center when they host the East Carolina Pirates. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m.

The Roadrunners (10-12, 4-6) lost the first game in the second half of the AAC schedule in heartbreaking fashion Wednesday night, allowing the Tulane Green Wave to erase a 10-point deficit in the final three minutes to win 61-60. Marcus Millender scored a career-high 28 points in the loss.

The Pirates (12-11, 4-6) also lost a home game on Wednesday, falling 73-60 to the Rice Owls.

Baseball preview: Owens, Royse, Orloski in line to pitch on opening weekend for UTSA

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Braylon Owens made his first start of the season and allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings. UTSA played Wichita State in the second game of an American Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at Roadrunner-Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Braylon Owens was 4-1 with a 4.99 earned run average last season. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Pitchers Braylon Owens, Zach Royse and Rob Orloski are in the running to start for the UTSA Roadrunners as they prepare for the season-opening baseball series next weekend at UT Arlington, Coach Pat Hallmark said Wednesday.

“I don’t know if they’ll all three be starters, because someone needs to fill the role left by Ruger (Riojas last year) and then the year before, Simon Miller, which we call stopper,” Hallmark said. “I think in the major leagues you call it a closer. But we use ’em sooner than they do in the major leagues.

Zach Royse. Sam Houston State beat UTSA 18-2 in non-conference baseball on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Zach Royse, a junior from Katy Cinco Ranch, has moved into consideration as an opening weekend starter for the UTSA Roadrunners – File photo by Joe Alexander

“In other words, we’ll use ’em sooner. We’ll use ’em in the fifth inning. We need to fill that role, and it could be one of those three guys. But two of those guys I think are starters, and maybe one of those three guys is the stopper, but we’ve got some other good pitchers, too. We just need to see what they do against people that don’t wear the same color uniforms. In other words, not in an intrasquad game.”

Even though the staff this season might not be as experienced as last year top to bottom, Hallmark said he likes the talent.

“It’s good,” he said. “It’s not deep. I don’t think it’s deep enough. But it could be.”

Owens, Royse and Orloski apparently have separated themselves from the others going into the final week of preparation.

“We’re super excited to have ’em,” Hallmark said. “They’re going to be good. They’re going to be reliable, steady, and they’re going to pitch a lot – as long as they’re healthy.

“I joked with ’em already,” he said. “I used to tell ’em, if you walk two guys in an inning, I’m going to come and take you out. I hope they don’t walk two in an inning, but I’ve already told ’em I’m going to be leaving them in there a little longer than I used to.

“So, we need to get some development from some of the younger guys, or some of the new guys, and I think they’re on their way to doing that.”

The Roadrunners, picked to finish fourth in the American Athletic Conference, will open the season on Friday, Feb. 14, on the road in the first of a three-game series against UT Arlington.

Robert Orloski. UTSA beat Incarnate Word 13-3 in non-conference baseball on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Righthander Robert Orloski beat East Carolina last season at Roadrunner Field. – File photo by Joe Alexander

After playing a mid-week game at Baylor on Feb. 18, the Roadrunners will open at home Feb. 21-23 with four games against the Long Island University Sharks.

Center fielder Mason Lytle is the team’s top returning player. Back in December, he was tabbed as the preseason Player of the Year in the American. The Roadrunners lost two other stars — Riojas and shortstop Matt King — to the transfer portal. Riojas is now at Texas and King at Arizona State.

Here’s a look at the Roadrunners, position by position, going into next week:

Pitchers – Robert Orloski, Braylon Owens, Zach Royse

Catchers – Lorenzo Morresi, Andrew Stucky, Broc Parmer

First base – Caden Miller, Lorenzo Morresi, Cade Sadler

Second base – Diego Diaz, Jordan Ballin

Shortstop – Ty Hodge, Jordan Ballin

Mason Lytle, a senior center fielder for UTSA baseball. At UTSA media day at Roadrunner Field, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2005. - Photo by Joe Alexander.

Outfielder Mason Lytle is the preseason Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference. ,- Photo by Joe Alexander

Third base – Norris McClure, Jordan Ballin

Right field – James Taussig

Center field – Mason Lytle

Left field – Tye Odom

Designated hitter — Garrett Gruell, Drew Detlefsen

Notable

Shortstop is a position in transition at UTSA with the departure of King, a former three-year starter. Ty Hodge, who’s played at Texas A&M one season and Houston Christian for two, is the leading candidate to take over at the position.

“Very, very talented player,” Hallmark said. “Lots of tools. A little bit banged up, that’s been the only knock on him in his college career. He’s a fourth-year college player … Missed one season because of an injury. And he’s a little banged up now, but the talent is there to be a terrific baseball player.

“If Ty’s not able to go, it’ll be Jordan Ballin, local freshman from Boerne (Champion High School). Terrific player.”

Cade Sadler, an infield prospect at first base with a power bat, recently dislocated his shoulder and likely won’t be available right away. Meaning that Caden Miller a freshman from Madisonville High School, might get the opening day start. Lorenzo Morresi, who might be the No. 1 catcher, can also play first.

James Taussig, a senior right fielder for UTSA baseball. At UTSA media day at Roadrunner Field, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2005. - Photo by Joe Alexander.

Senior and returning veteran James Taussig is set to play right field for the Roadrunners. – Photo by Joe Alexander.

The battle for playing time at catcher is interesting. Morresi has the best arm, but Andrew Stucky can hit, and was the team’s leader in home runs in the fall. Also, Broc Parmer has multiple skills.

Said Hallmark: “Right now, there’s not enough innings to go around behind the plate, but we’ll get ’em all in there.”

The outfield appears to be in good shape with Tye Odom in left, Mason Lytle in center and James Taussig in right. Lytle, obviously, is the headliner. He hit .348 last year. Also had 11 home runs and 43 RBI. His batting average was tied for third in the AAC, So were his 142 total bases.

In left, Odom will be taking over for Caleb Hill, one of the mainstays for a team that finished second in the American. Odom is an athlete who can take on the challenge. Last year, he was off to a fast start when he was sidelined by a hamstring injury. Still, he hit .333 with gap power and a .598 slugging percentage in 30 games.

Taussig, at 6-foot-6, hit .307 with six homers and 37 RBI.

“We got two other (outfielders) who can really swing the bat, that we need to find a spot for, Garrett Gruell and Drew Detlefsen,” Hallmark said. “So, one of those guys could end up (at designated hitter), and we could platoon lefty-righty some, as well.”

Next season, the Roadrunners could be in line to offer more than the standard 11.7 scholarships as part of the new structure of college athletics. The top teams in the nation are expected to jump from 11.7 to 34. Teams in the American Athletic Conference likely won’t add that many, but more could be added.

Norris McClure, third baseman for UTSA baseball, spent four seasons at Division-II Spring Hill College in Alabama. At UTSA media day at Roadrunner Field, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2005. - Photo by Joe Alexander.

UTSA third baseman Norris McClure hit .375 over four seasons at Division II Spring Hill College in Alabama, including .401 as a junior in 2023. – Photo by Joe Alexander.