Jordan Ballin has emerged as one of three freshmen, along with Caden Miller and Nathan Hodge, to make a significant impact on a UTSA team that has started 23-7 with victories over Texas A&M and Texas. – File photo by Joe Alexander
By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
With a 23-7 record, the UTSA Roadrunners have established arguably the best 30-game start in Coach Pat Hallmark’s six years with the program.
After winning on the road at Texas A&M and Texas and starting 5-1 in the American Athletic Conference, they’ll try to add to their body of work tonight when they play a midweek game in Fort Worth against the 21-8 TCU Horned Frogs of the Big 12.
“We’re resilient and persistent, two things we try to be,” UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said. “So we’re prepared, but that doesn’t guarantee you anything. TCU is really good. Kirk Saarloos is a terrific coach. He’s been doing this a long time. He knows what he’s doing.”
The Horned Frogs have started to click with seven wins in their last nine games, including a non-conference road victory at 15th-ranked Dallas Baptist, and a pair of 2-1 Big 12 road series victories over Texas Tech and Houston.
In the most recent ratings percentage index, TCU will enter the game tonight at No. 33 nationally. UTSA is not far behind, slotted in at No. 41, which represents a 30-spot jump from last week.
The Roadrunners made the jump after two straight strong weekends of play in the American. From March 21-23, they won two of three at Charlotte.
Last weekend, they played at home and beat the FAU Owls three straight, coming from behind in each of the victories.
“We can get better on defense, certainly, but (we’re) pleased with the way we played,” Hallmark said.
In the Horned Frogs, the Roadrunners will be facing a midweek challenge that is likely every bit as tough as the Aggies or the Longhorns. TCU is 7-0 in midweek games this season and is 14-0 in midweek home games dating back to 2023.
“Their arms will be really good,” Hallmark said. “They’ll have as good of pitching as anyone we’ve faced. But we’ll be ready. I think we’ll be prepared.”
The Roadrunners are starting to play so well that some have drawn comparisons to Hallmark’s standout teams in 2022 and 2023. Both years, UTSA won 38 games, one win shy of the school record.
In 2022, the Roadrunners rolled out a 30-game start of 19-11, which included a home win over second-ranked Stanford and a road victory at TCU. In 2023, they started 23-7, with the best wins in non-conference coming at home over Houston and on the road at Baylor.
The ’22 team was an offensive juggernaut powered by Leyton Barry, Chase Keng and Ryan Flores. The Roadrunners had nine players batting .300 or better. Luke Malone, who went 9-3 and finished with a 2.67 earned run average, paced a deep pitching staff.
At the end of the season, they got hot and nearly won the Conference USA tournament, beating nationally-ranked Southern Miss twice on its home field before losing in the title game to Louisiana Tech.
In 2023, the Roadrunners had seven players hitting .300 or better, led by Antonio Valdez at .387. Moreover, they also hit 78 home runs.
Paced by Malone and ace reliever Simon Miller, the ’23 team hit its stride late in the C-USA regular season, moving into the Top 25 of multiple national polls in March and early April.
After finishing second in the C-USA at 21-8, the Roadrunners were ousted from the double-elimination tournament after two games. Neither team, in either 2022 or 2023, received an NCAA at-large bid.
This season, the Roadrunners have five regulars batting .300 or better, led by Mason Lytle’s .391. Lytle ranks eighth in NCAA Division I with 50 hits. Newcomer Drew Detlefsen ranks among national leaders in home runs (eight) and RBI (48).
Pitching, perhaps deeper than it has been in previous years, is anchored by starters Zach Royse, Braylon Owens and Conor Myles. Robert Orloski is 7-0 with one save out of the bullpen.
Hallmark said he hasn’t thought much about how his two 38-win teams might compare to this one except to say that a few years ago the Roadrunners were led by older, mature leaders such as Jonathan Tapia, Ian Bailey and Chase Keng (in 2022) and Luke Malone (in 2022 and 2023).
The current team’s level of maturity is similar, the coach said, even though it relies heavily on freshmen such as Jordan Ballin, Caden Miller and Nathan Hodge.
“Athletically,” he said, “I think we might be a tick more athletic this year. We have a good combination of physical kids that can really move pretty good, which you don’t always see at a mid major.
“Then I think our pitching may be similar, with older, more experienced pitchers,” he said. “Guys like Luke Malone were the leaders of those (previous) teams.
“Braylon Owens is one of our leaders (this year). He’s older. He’s been around. So, some similarities in the pitching, (with) strike throwers.”
Records
UTSA 23-7
TCU 21-8
Coming up
UTSA at TCU, tonight, 6 p.m.
UTSA at UAB, Friday, 5 p.m.
UTSA at UAB, Saturday, 2 p.m.
UTSA at UAB, Sunday, 1 p.m.