Monthly Archives: May 2025

Hallmark says UTSA players deserve credit for clinching a title share with two weeks to play

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Update: UTSA’s game against the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at UIW, has been canceled due to rain. The Roadrunners (37-10 overall, 18-3 in the American Athletic Conference) are scheduled to play on the road this weekend in a three-game series at East Carolina. The Roadrunners, who have already clinched at least a share of the conference title, will play the Pirates in the AAC series opener on Friday afternoon in Greenville, N.C.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Coach Pat Hallmark’s UTSA Roadrunners have come ever so close to a regular-season championship, finishing in a tie for third, in second place and in second again, respectively, in each of the past three seasons.

The past two seasons have been particularly trying.

Pat Hallmark. UTSA beat A&M-Corpus Christi 4-2 in non-conference baseball on Tuesday, April 15, 2024, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Pat Hallmark’s UTSA Roadrunners have won eight games in a row and have swept two straight weekend series in the AAC. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Leading the standings for much of the year and then and coming up short against Dallas Baptist in the 2023 Conference USA race left a sour taste. Same thing last year as the Roadrunners held first place for much of the way before the East Carolina Pirates rallied late to win in UTSA’s first year in the American.

This year, UTSA lost a few star players to the transfer portal, brought in several new faces and learned last December that it had been picked to finish fourth in the American.

At media day, held a few days before the start of the season, Hallmark talked about hoping to be in position to play for the title going into their series at East Carolina.

As it turned out, the Roadrunners surprised outsiders and even their own coaches by putting together a late run to clinch a tie for the AAC’s regular-season title – with two weeks remaining on the schedule.

“It’s very satisfying,” Hallmark said Monday. “We’re not quite where we want to be. I guess technically we could still share it. But we’re in a good position with two weeks left. I certainly didn’t think we’d be here (at this point on the schedule). I’m not surprised we’re in a position to win it.

“I thought we’d have a chance to do that. But this early is a little bit of a surprise.”

Coming off eight straight wins and two AAC weekend series sweeps, the Roadrunners (37-10 overall, 18-3 in conference) lead the Florida Atlantic Owls, the Charlotte 49ers and the South Florida Bulls by six games with six to play.

They’re two wins shy of the school record going into Tuesday afternoon’s non-conference game at Incarnate Word and, on top of that, they can clinch the AAC title outright along with the No. 1 seed in the AAC tournament with a win at East Carolina on Friday.

The conference has told UTSA that it needs only one win its last six conference games to secure the No. 1 seed for the AAC tournament, which runs from May 20-25 in Clearwater, Fla.

“It’s satisfying,” Hallmark said on his weekly media zoom call. “I’m very happy for the players. I can’t overstate that. These guys deserve it.”

Before this season, the Roadrunners hadn’t won a regular-season title since Sherman Corbett’s 2007 and 2008 teams did it in the Southland. Players likely are far from satisfied with their achievement, though, because they ultimately want to have a chance to play in an NCAA regional, as well.

They haven’t reached the NCAA tournament since the Jason Marshall-coached 2013 squad played in the Corvallis (Ore.) Regional.

Coming up

UTSA at Incarnate Word, Tuesday, 2 p.m.
UTSA at East Carolina, Friday, 5 p.m.
UTSA at East Carolina, Saturday, 3 p.m.
UTSA at East Carolina, Sunday, noon
Rice at UTSA, May 15, 6 p.m.
Rice at UTSA, May 16, 6 p.m.
Rice at UTSA, May 17, 1 p.m.
AAC tournament, at Clearwater, Fla., May 20-25

Records

UTSA (American) 37-10, 18-3
Incarnate Word (Southland) 17-30, 3-24

Notable

Incarnate Word hopes to sweep the season series against UTSA when it hosts its crosstown rivals on Tuesday. In the first matchup, Rob Liddington homered twice, doubled and produced six RBI as the Cardinals won 8-5 on March 11 at Roadrunner Field. Gus McKay and Jonah Posey combined to hold UTSA to four earned runs and six hits.

UTSA continues to keep an eye on its standing in the ratings percentage index (RPI), with the Roadrunners being listed on Monday at No. 21 nationally. It’s the highest the team has ascended this season. The RPI is used by the NCAA baseball committee to draw up the 64-team field following all the conference tournaments.

UTSA baseball sweeps South Florida and clinches a share of the AAC regular-season title

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners have clinched at least a share of the regular-season title in baseball in the American Athletic Conference. The AAC confirmed the development in a social media post at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

Braylon Owens pitched into the ninth inning earlier in the day in leading the Roadrunners to a 3-2 victory and an AAC road sweep of the South Florida Bulls.

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 pitched 8 and 2/3 innings for the win in UTSA’s 3-2 victory Sunday at South Florida. – File photo by Joe Alexander

With the victory, coming at USF’s home ball park in Tampa, the first-place Roadrunners (37-10 overall, 18-3 AAC) swept a weekend series in the conference for the second week in a row and extended their winning streak to eight games.

In winning its first regular-season title in 17 years, the Pat Hallmark-coached Roadrunners now lead the conference by six games over Florida Atlantic, Charlotte and South Florida, with everyone having six AAC games to play. UTSA owns series victories over each of the three teams. It is the first conference regular-season championship for the Roadrunners since they won the Southland back to back in 2007 and 2008 under Sherman Corbett.

Owens was masterful on Sunday by working 8 and 2/3 innings. He allowed two runs on four hits with no walks and struck out seven.

Carrying a perfect game through five innings, he yielded a solo homer to Jackson Mayo leading off the bottom of the sixth and a two-out, Stewart Puckett RBI single in the ninth.

With Jacob Green at first, pinch running for Puckett, UTSA relief ace Robert Orloski came on to get the last out of the game. South Florida slugger Sebastian Greico, with 14 home runs on the season, flied to right fielder James Taussig to end it.

Lorenzo Morresi hit his first homer of the season to spark the Roadrunners. He and Taussig both had a couple of hits and an RBI to lead a team that had been averaging more than nine runs per game.

Immediately after Mayo gave South Florida the lead in the sixth, UTSA responded. In the top of the seventh, the Roadrunners tied it 1-1 when Morresi led off with a single and then scored from first base when Drew Detlefsen doubled down the left field line.

The Roadrunners added a run in the eighth to take their first lead. Norris McClure led off the inning when he reached first on a hit by pitch from Bulls starting pitcher Jack Nedrow. Taussig, the next batter, tagged a Nedrow fastball and drove it into the gap in left center. McClure scored, sliding in home ahead of the relay throw, to make it 2-1.

In the top of the ninth, Morresi delivered again. He led off with a solo homer to left field and a 3-1 UTSA lead. Undeterred, the Bulls kept battling in the bottom half. With one out, pinch hitter Matt Rose smacked a one-out single off Owens. When Ryan Pruitt grounded to second base for the second out, Rose moved up. Puckett ripped a single to right, bringing in Rose to cut the lead to one.

With Owens having thrown 107 pitches and Greico coming to the plate, UTSA coach Pat Hallmark decided to make a change. He went to Orloski, who promptly retired the leading home run hitter in the AAC on a high fly ball to right.

For the Roadrunners, the series against the Bulls represented an inflection point on their season. Last Friday, the Bulls took the field alone in second place, three games behind the Roadrunners with a chance to make up ground in the title race.

After getting swept, the Bulls’ title hopes have been all but dashed. UTSA now looks ahead to next week, needing one win in its last six conference games to clinch the regular season championship outright and the No. 1 seed in the AAC tournament.

First, the Roadrunners will play their final non-conference game Tuesday afternoon in San Antonio against the University of the Incarnate Word.

Next, the Roadrunners are set to play three against the traditional powerhouse East Carolina Pirates in Greenville, N.C., starting Friday. The defending champion Pirates are out of the race for first place after losing 8-7 at Wichita State Sunday and falling seven games off the pace at 11-10.

UTSA will return home to close out conference play from May 15-17 with three more against the Rice Owls.

Even though the Roadrunners’ regular-season title is significant, they’re also in position to break the school record for victories in a season. The record is 39, set by Corbett’s 2008 team.

Additionally, a larger goal for players and coaches is to qualify for an NCAA tournament berth for the first time since 2013. UTSA can secure an automatic bid with an AAC postseason crown. The Roadrunners, 21st nationally in the latest ratings percentage index (RPI), also could be in the running for an at-large berth in the 64-team field.

Records

UTSA 18-3, 37-10
South Florida 12-9, 24-21

Coming up

UTSA at Incarnate Word (non conference), Tuesday at 2 p.m.
UTSA at East Carolina, Friday through Sunday
Rice at UTSA, May 15-17
(end of regular season)
AAC tournament, at Clearwater, Fla., May 20-25

Notable

UTSA is seven for seven when it comes to winning three-game weekend series in the AAC. They’ve played seven and won them all, including sweeps against Florida Atlantic, Wichita State, Memphis and South Florida.

AAC standings

UTSA 18-3, 37-10
Florida Atlantic 12-9, 31-16
Charlotte 12-9, 27-20
South Florida 12-9, 24-21
East Carolina 11-10, 27-21
Tulane 11-10, 28-20
Rice 8-13, 14-34
UAB 7-14, 23-25
Memphis 7-14, 19-28
Wichita State 7-14, 15-31

Sunday’s scores

UTSA 3, South Florida 2, at Tampa
Charlotte 12, Rice 2, at Houston
Tulane 6, Florida Atlantic 4, at New Orleans
Memphis 2, UAB 1, at Memphis
Wichita State 8, East Carolina 7, at Wichita

UTSA opens five-game lead in conference after holding off South Florida, 9-7

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners held off the South Florida Bulls 9-7 on Saturday in Tampa to clinch a weekend series and open a five-game lead in the American Athletic Conference baseball race with seven to play.

Starter Conor Myles and relievers Christian Okerholm, Jake Cothran and Connor Kelley pitched the Roadrunners (36-10, 17-3) to their seventh straight win.

Okerholm (3-0) earned the victory and Kelley notched the save. Ty Hodge led the Roadrunners with two hits, including a double, and three RBI.

After South Florida fell behind 9-3, Rafael Betancourt and Sebastian Greico hit two-run homers as the Bulls pulled to within the eventual final score.

Kelley pitched the last three and a third innings scoreless as the Roadrunners moved a step closer to what could be their first regular-season conference baseball title since 2008.

The Bulls made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth inning, advancing baserunners to second and third with two out. With the Bulls needing only a long single to tie the game, Kelley struck out pinch hitter Dawson Mock for the final out.

At the end of the day on Saturday, both Florida Atlantic (12-8, 31-15) and South Florida (12-8, 24-20) were tied for second, trailing UTSA by five games.

Florida Atlantic and Tulane played two in New Orleans on Saturday to make up for a game suspended on Friday night because of weather. FAU won the first game, 16-12, and then rallied for five runs in the eighth to take the second, 10-8.

At the conclusion of Sunday’s action, all teams in the AAC will have two series remaining, three games each on May 9-11 and May 15-17.

After closing out the series against South Florida Sunday, UTSA will play its final non-conference game at the University of the Incarnate Word on Tuesday afternoon, before packing up and traveling again to meet East Carolina on the weekend. UTSA returns to Roadrunner Field for its final three games May 15-17 against the Rice Owls.

The AAC tournament, with the conference’s NCAA automatic bid going to the winner, is set for May 20-25 in Clearwater, Fla. The Roadrunners haven’t played in the NCAA since 2013.

Records

UTSA 17-3, 36-10
South Florida 12-8, 24-20

Coming up

UTSA at South Florida, Sunday, noon
UTSA at Incarnate Word (non conference), Tuesday, 2 p.m.

AAC standings

UTSA 17-3, 36-10
Florida Atlantic 12-8, 31-15
South Florida 12-8, 24-20
East Carolina 11-9, 27-20
Charlotte 11-9, 26-20
Tulane 10-10, 27-20
Rice 8-12, 14-33
UAB 7-13, 23-24
Memphis 6-14, 18-28
Wichita State 6-14, 14-31

Saturday’s scores

UTSA 9, South Florida 7, at Tampa
East Carolina 6, Wichita State 1, at Wichita
Rice 7, Charlotte 6, at Houston
Memphis 12, UAB 10, at Memphis
Florida Atlantic 16, Tulane 12, at New Orleans
Florida Atlantic 10, Tulane 8, at New Orleans

UTSA baseball bolsters title hopes with an 11-5 victory over South Florida

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

First-place UTSA is trying to run away from the rest of the field in the American Athletic Conference.

Freshman Caden Miller slammed a pinch-hit grand slam to highlight a five-run seventh inning Friday night as the Roadrunners rallied to down the South Florida Bulls 11-5 in the opener of a three-game series in Tampa.

Miller, a first-year college player from Madisonville in East Texas, finished the game with five RBI. While the prolific UTSA offense produced 14 hits, starting pitcher Zach Royse (7-4) secured the win and reliever Rob Orloski picked up his fourth save. Orloski worked three innings, allowed no hits and no walks, and struck out three.

With the victory, the Roadrunners (35-10, 16-3) increased their lead to four games with eight to play in the AAC regular season.

UTSA stretched its advantage to four games over South Florida and to five over the Charlotte 49ers, who also lost Friday night, falling to the Rice Owls in Houston. UTSA will play South Florida on Saturday with a chance to win its seventh AAC series in seven tries.

Even though the Roadrunners scored the first run of the game, the Bulls answered with two in the second and two in the third against Royse to take charge. They held the lead for five innings as left-handed starting pitcher Corey Braun kept the AAC’s most explosive offense in check.

Braun struck out 10 and walked one in six and a third innings and left the game in the midst of the seventh with a 5-3 lead, with one out and runners at first and third. As Braun looked on from the dugout, things started to unravel for the home team.

Against hard-throwing righty Landen Yorek from Spring, Texas, UTSA’s Ty Hodge drew a walk to load the bases. Later, with Jordan Ballin at the plate, Yorek continued to struggle, firing a wild pitch that allowed a run to score.

Next, he hit Ballin, just grazing the batter’s elbow, to load the bases. In response, Yorek steadied himself and struck out Norris McClure. One out away from escaping trouble, he sized up the situation as Miller came off the bench to pinch hit.

One of UTSA’s standout first-year players, Miller responded by re-directing a pitch from Yorek on a high arc toward the right field wall. Ultimately, it left the ball park easily, giving the Roadrunners an 8-5 lead.

The Roadrunners tacked on three runs in the ninth to salt away their sixth win in a row and their 35th of the season. The school record for wins in a season is 39. Including a non-conference road test at Incarnate Word next Tuesday, the Roadrunners have nine to play before the AAC tournament.

They’ll play three at East Carolina next weekend, followed by three at home against Rice from May 15-17.

Correction: An earlier version of this story, which was based on running statistics from the game site, mis-identified the winning pitcher. Zach Royse earned his seventh win and Robert Orloski his fourth save, according to statistics posted later on both the UTSA and AAC websites.

Records

UTSA 16-3, 35-10
South Florida 12-7, 24-19

Coming up

UTSA at South Florida, Saturday, 1 p.m.
UTSA at South Florida, Sunday, noon
UTSA at Incarnate Word (non conference), Tuesday, 2 p.m.

Notable

UTSA entered the weekend at No. 26 nationally on the NCAA’s ratings percentage index, or, RPI. South Florida came in at No. 93.

UTSA hasn’t won a regular-season title in baseball in 17 years. The Roadrunners won back-to-back Southland crowns in both 2007 and 2008 under coach Sherman Corbett. Also in 2008, they posted a record of 39-19 for the most wins in a season in school history.

They haven’t played in an NCAA tournament since 2013, when they won the Western Athletic Conference tournament and played in the NCAA Corvallis regional under coach Jason Marshall.

As the Roadrunners played for the first time in Tampa against South Florida, Drew Detlefsen and Hodge both paced the Roadrunners’ offense with three hits apiece. Detlefsen powered a two-run homer to center in the fourth inning to bring UTSA within 4-3. It was Detlefsen’s second homer in as many games and his team-leading 13th of the season. Hodge had two singles and a double and scored twice.

James Taussig’s streak of games with home runs ended at four, but he finished with two hits and two RBI. His single to left brought home the last two runs of the game in UTSA’s three-run ninth.

AAC standings

UTSA 16-3, 35-10
South Florida 12-7, 24-19
Charlotte 11-8, 26-19
FAU 10-8, 29-15
Tulane 10-8, 27-18
East Carolina 10-9, 26-20
UAB 7-12, 23-23
Rice 7-12, 13-33
Wichita State 6-13, 14-30
Memphis 5-14, 17-28