6.2 IP, 3 K, 3 H, 2 R 👏
Not a bad way to end your first weekend start, freshie! #BirdsUp🤙 | @JakeQualia pic.twitter.com/J4QDFv4gW4
— UTSA Baseball ⚾️ (@UTSABSB) May 3, 2026
Jake Qualia made the most of his first weekend start in college baseball, yielding two runs on three hits in six and two thirds innings. – Video from UTSA athletics via x.com.
By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
Freshman Jake Qualia pitched the first-place the UTSA Roadrunners to a 6-3 victory over the Wichita State Shockers Sunday to complete their first American Conference series sweep of the season.
With the win, the Roadrunners opened a two-game lead on the second-place East Carolina Pirates in their quest to repeat as conference regular-season champions.
Later Sunday, the Pirates lost 9-4 to the Memphis Tigers at Memphis. Meanwhile, the UAB Blazers dropped a 10-3 decision to Rice to fall three games back of the league-leading Roadrunners.
When the weekend started, UTSA, East Carolina and UAB were all tied for first place in the American.
Now, after winning 13-7, 8-1 and 6-3 over a two-day span at home, the Roadrunners have a cushion going into the last two weekends of the season.
UTSA will play its second-to-last, non-conference game of the season on Tuesday at nationally-ranked Texas.
The Roadrunners famously won all three of their games against the Longhorns in Austin last season, including two straight to claim the NCAA Austin Regional title.
Pitching in his first collegiate weekend start, Qualia (3-1) notched season highs in innings pitched (six and two thirds) and pitches thrown (75) to earn the victory.
The freshman from Lubbock gave up two runs on three hits, walked two and struck out three.
In the fifth inning, he had a no hitter going when Wichita State’s Jack Quick belted a solo homer to trim the UTSA lead to 2-1.
But after the homer, Qualia didn’t panic. After he yielded a one-out single to Ethan Gonzalez, he retired another batter on a ground ball.
Gonzalez became the last out of the inning when was thrown out at third base.
He was on second and tried to move up on a Qualia pitch that bounced away from UTSA catcher Andrew Stucky.
Stucky responded well, retrieving the ball before throwing out a sliding Gonzalez to end the inning.
In the sixth inning, Qualia issued a one-out walk but was bailed out by first baseman Caden Miller’s quick reaction on a line drive.
Miller snared a shot off the bat of Jaden Gustafson and stepped on the bag to retire Zeb Walker, who had reached on the base on ball.
The seventh inning was Qualia’s last as he yielded a one-out solo home run to Owen Washburn. The righthander retired one more batter before he was pulled for Christopher Gutierrez.
Sam Simmons eventually replaced Gutierrez and got the Roadrunners out of the inning.
Pitching for the second day in a row, Simmons worked two and a third innings and allowed a run on two hits to earn his fifth save.
The lanky righthander from Manvel threw 32 pitches a day after he threw 26 in one and a third innings of relief in a Game 2, 8-1 victory.
Wichita State righthander Johnny Nuanez (4-2) was tagged with the loss. Nuanez, who hadn’t pitched in a few weeks, gave up three runs on five hits.
He walked three and threw two wild pitches, one of them allowing a run to score.
Wild pitches in general hurt the Shockers as three pitchers combined to throw four of them, with three resulting in runs scoring from third base.
Offensively for UTSA, Drew Detlefsen had two of the Roadrunners’ five hits, including an RBI double off the right field wall in the eighth inning.
With the performance, Detlefsen went two for four on the day and extended his hitting streak to 17 games.
Jordan Ballin had his nine-game hitting streak come to an end, but he did come up big with a highlight-worthy defensive play at second base and a gritty at bat in the eighth inning that resulted in a hit by pitch and a run scored.
Detlefsen (.391), Caden Miller (.376) and Lane Haworth (.330) lead the Roadrunners in hitting going into the game in Austin on Tuesday.
The fourth-ranked Longhorns improved to 35-10, including 25-4 at home, when they defeated the No. 10 Mississippi State Bulldogs 11-6 in SEC play on Sunday.
Texas defeated Mississippi State two out of three to claim its seventh SEC series victory.
American standings
UTSA 15-6, 33-14
East Carolina 13-8, 29-19-1
UAB 12-9, 28-19
Rice 11-10, 29-20
Wichita State 10-11, 26-23
FAU 10-11, 24-23
Memphis 10-11, 18-28
Charlotte 8-13, 23-24
South Florida 8-13, 29-18
Tulane 8-13, 23-26
Coming up
UTSA at Texas, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Memphis, Friday, 6 p.m.
UTSA at Memphis, Saturday, 2 p.m.
UTSA at Memphis, Sunday, May 10, 1 p.m.
Notable
After the game at Texas, UTSA will return its focus to conference play with a three-game series at Memphis, now 18-28 overall and 10-11 in the American.
On May 12, UTSA hosts the Texas State Bobcats on a Tuesday night at Roadrunner Field. The resumption of the I-35 rivalry is the team’s last non-conference game.
The Roadrunners will close out their regular-season schedule May 14-16 at home against the UAB Blazers.