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Baseball: Roadrunners win a road series in Charlotte to start conference play

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners capped a strong week of play on Sunday with a 6-5 victory on the road against the Charlotte 49ers.

Playing four road games in the past six days, they won three of them, including an 8-7 victory in 12 innings last Tuesday over the eighth-ranked Texas Longhorns. They followed it up by winning two of three in Charlotte against the 49ers.

Charlotte started off strong in the first American Athletic Conference series of the season for both teams, winning 3-2 on Friday night.

Unfazed, UTSA pounded out 14 hits in a 10-3 victory on Saturday and then closed it out Sunday behind the hitting of Mason Lytle and James Taussig and the late-game, clutch pitching from Rob Orloski.

Lytle hit a two-run homer in a three-run fourth inning as the Roadrunners took the lead, 5-2. The 49ers, who have beaten the Roadrunners in conference tournament play in each of the past two seasons, kept chipping away and stayed in it until the end.

They scored two runs in the fifth inning and then added one in the eighth to tie the game when Orloski yielded a one-out, solo home run by Noah Furcht. Orloski, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Idaho, steadied himself and retired the next two batters to prevent further damage.

In the ninth, the Roadrunners took the lead for good. James Taussig rocketed a ball to the opposite field, into the left-center gap, for an RBI double. Caden Miller, who was running on the pitch, scored easily to make it 6-5.

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark stayed with Orloski in the bottom half of the ninth, and the strategy paid off. The big righthander retired three straight batters to pick up the victory.

With the win, the 2023 draft pick of the Boston Red Sox improved his record to 7-0 on the season. Coming into the game in the fifth inning to relieve starter Conor Myles, Orloski battled through some control problems to finish the game.

In 4 and 2/3 innings, he yielded one run on one hit and four walks. Orloski struck out two.

Records

UTSA 19-7, 2-1
Charlotte 11-11, 1-2

Coming up

Texas State at UTSA, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Notable

In three games at Charlotte, UTSA’s Mason Lytle was tough at the plate, stroking seven hits in 15 at bats with two home runs. He had an inside-the-park homer on Friday night and then jerked one over the left field wall in Sunday’s finale for his fourth of the season. UTSA defense also showed up, committing only one error in 27 innings in the AAC series.

Baseball: Stucky, Detlefsen power UTSA past Charlotte, 10-3

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Bouncing back from a series-opening loss, the UTSA Roadrunners homered twice in a six-run third inning and downed the Charlotte 49ers 10-3 Saturday afternoon.

UTSA unleashed a 14-hit attack to back Braylon Owens’ pitching, winning its 18th game of the season and its second on the road this week.

Charlotte won a pitchers’ duel, 3-2, on Friday in the first game of American Athletic Conference play for both teams. The Roadrunners didn’t waste any time taking command of Game 2 in the three-game series. They scored three runs in the top of the first and added six more in the third.

Ty Hodge led off the third with a single to left, and Andrew Stucky followed with a two-run homer on the last pitch of the day thrown by Charlotte starter Andrew Kribbs. It was Stucky’s third home run in as many games this week.

With two outs in the inning, Detlefsen powered a ball out of the park off reliever Ed Wagner for a grand slam and a 9-0 lead.

Owens, who earned the victory at Texas in relief, worked eight innings against Charlotte, improving to 2-0 on the week and to 4-1 on the season. Owens allowed two runs on seven hits. Throwing 107 pitches, he walked only one and struck out seven.

Kribbs was charged with the loss and dropped to 1-1 on the year.

Records

UTSA 18-7, 1-1
Charlotte 11-10, 1-1

Coming up

UTSA at Charlotte, Sunday, noon

Notable

Andrew Stucky is on a roll. He hit a solo home run to decide an 8-7 victory in 12 innings against Texas on Tuesday in Austin. Stucky hit another one Friday night in a 3-2 loss to Charlotte. Continuing the trend, he added his third round tripper of the week and his fourth of the season to spark a six-run inning Saturday.

Charlotte righthander Blake Gillespie shut down UTSA on Friday night. He struck out 13 in eight innings while allowing two runs on five hits. Cody Gunderson stroked four hits and homered for the 49ers. For UTSA, starter Zach Royse struck out nine in seven innings. Royse yielded three runs — two of them earned — and five hits while walking only one.

Roadrunners speedster Mason Lytle tied the game 2-2 in the top of the sixth with an inside-the-park home run. He lashed a ground ball to the right side, with the ball kicking off the second baseman’s glove. Charlotte’s right fielder, caught out of position, watched the ball roll past him and into deep right field as Lytle raced around and slid in head first for the homer. Gunderson broke the tie with a solo homer in the bottom half.

Gonzaga ends UTSA’s season with a 67-51 victory in the WBIT first round

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA’s best season in 16 years came to an end Thursday night in Spokane, Wash. Employing a stifling defense and riding the offense of fifth-year senior forward Yvonne Ejim, the home team Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the Roadrunners 67-51 in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.

The Roadrunners kept the crowd at the McCarthey Athletic Center quiet for only the first few minutes of the game, hitting three 3-point shots in the first five minutes and forging a 17-11 lead. After that, it was pretty much all Gonzaga the rest of the way.

Ejim, from Alberta, Canada, showed off skills on both ends of the court. Not only did she help defend UTSA standout Jordyn Jenkins on one end, she also hit 10 of 15 shots and scored 24 points on the other. Under the boards, she proved to be equally relentless, pulling down a game-high 16 rebounds.

Jenkins, the Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference, had 14 points and eight rebounds in her last game for the Roadrunners. Defended and sometimes doubled with taller players, the 6-foot redshirt senior from Renton, Wash., couldn’t get much going, finishing four of 13 from the field.

As a team, UTSA didn’t have much spark on the offensive end. The Roadrunners shot 31 percent from the field, including 27 percent in the second half. The 51 points matched the team’s effort in a 55-51 loss on opening day at Texas A&M as the lowest output of the season.

“I just thought they were a lot better than we were today,” UTSA coach Karen Aston told Neal Raphael on the team’s radio broadcast. “I thought they were tougher. Obviously their best player played really, really well and showed why she’s who she is. You know, we just didn’t have the toughness that it took to come in here and win a game on the road.

“They shot the ball really well. We had to be really, really good today to beat them on their home court and we just weren’t. I thought we hung in there as long as we could and we just couldn’t make shots. We didn’t have enough people to make shots. That’s totally what it boiled down to.”

With the victory, the 23-10 Bulldogs will move on to face the Colorado Buffaloes in the WBIT’s second round on Sunday. The loss, meanwhile, will send UTSA home with a final record of 26-5. The team won the AAC regular-season title with a 17-1 record, established a program best with 26 victories and went 13-0 at home in the Convocation Center.

Perhaps the only season in the history of women’s basketball at the school that might rival this one would be 2008-09, when the Rae Rippetoe-Blair coached Roadrunners went 24-9, won the Southland Conference title and reached the NCAA tournament, losing by five on the road in the first round to the No. 2 seed Baylor Bears.

“We had a great year,” Aston said. “Super proud of ’em. For lack of a better word, we just ran out of gas.”

Speaking on the last postgame radio broadcast of the season, Aston thanked the fans for turning out and supporting the team. The regular-season finale on March 1 set a school record with 2,500 fans on a day when the Roadrunners clinched the AAC regular-season crown outright and cut down the nets.

“It’s been a special ride,” the coach said. “I appreciate everybody that’s been a part of it. You always hate for a season to end. But I’m extremely proud of how we played.”

Records

UTSA 26-5
Gonzaga 23-10

Notable

UTSA played without guard Aysia Proctor, a key contributor in the Roadrunners’ drive to the AAC title. Proctor, a sophomore from Clemens, averaged 4.5 points in 20 minutes per game off the bench this season. Meanwhile, for Gonzaga, the season continues Sunday with a second-round meeting against the Colorado Buffaloes. Colorado advanced with a 73-41 victory over Southeastern Louisiana.

Individuals

UTSA – Outside of Jenkins, guard Sidney Love emerged as the only other player who made much of an impact on the offensive end. Love produced 15 points, three rebounds and two assists. Love hit five of 12 shots from the field and five of seven at the line. Forward Idara Udo started off well, scoring seven in the first half. But after intermission, she didn’t score, getting herself into foul trouble and later fouling out. Nina De Leon Negron, the Newcomer of the Year in the AAC, had five points and four rebounds in her last game at UTSA.

Gonzaga – Yvonne Ejim was the story for the Bulldogs. Outside of her 24 points and 16 rebounds, she also played the passing lanes and picked up seven steals. A few of her teammates also chipped in with major contributions. Guard Allie Turner scored 13 points and knocked down three 3-point shots. With her long-range shooting, Turner became the school’s single-season leader with 98. Maud Huijbens, a 6-foot-3 post player, had 11 points, three rebounds and two steals. Ejim’s 10 of 15 shooting from the floor allowed Gonzaga to hit 45.5 percent for the game.

First half

After a slow start, Bulldogs rolled to a 36-27 halftime lead.

Ejim, the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, scored 17 points to lead the Zags. On the last play of the half, she stole the ball under the UTSA basket, broke out on the dribble and went all the way to the other end, Euro-stepping her way to a driving layup at the buzzer.

Ejim finished the half shooting seven of eight from the field. The Zags, as a team, shot 51.9 percent. After the opening five minutes, the Roadrunners’ offense scuffled. At the end of the first quarter, in the face of a tricky halfcourt trap, they turned it over five straight times.

As a result, the Zags scored 12 straight points to the end of the period, pushing out to a 23-17 advantage.

Idara Udo scored seven points in the half for the Roadrunners, and star forward Jordyn Jenkins had six. Gonzaga held Jenkins to two of seven shooting. The Roadrunners shot only 35.5 percent in the opening 20 minutes.

UTSA’s Sidney Love on the WBIT: ‘We want to keep winning for ourselves’

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

If the UTSA Roadrunners want to prove a point that they deserved to play at home in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, they will get the opportunity to do so tonight when they take the floor in Spokane, Wash., against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

But as far as Roadrunners guard Sidney Love is concerned, she just wants to win to extend the time she can spend with her teammates.

“We want to keep winning for ourselves,” the former Steele High School standout said. “We’re not really worried about anybody else. Winning is a good feeling, especially with this group that we’ve got.

“We’ve got seniors we want to play for. We’ve got coaches that we want to play for. Everybody’s bought into each other. So, that’s the motivation.”

The Roadrunners (26-4) have experienced an emotional whirlwind in the past 20 days.

On the first day of March, they clinched the American Athletic Conference regular season championship outright, securing the title by beating Florida Atlantic at home and then celebrating it by cutting down the nets at the Convocation Center.

In their regular-season finale on March 4, they journeyed on the road and walloped the East Carolina Pirates, 67-48, putting an exclamation mark on a 17-1 run through the AAC schedule.

UTSA then opened in the AAC tournament on March 10 in Fort Worth against the Rice Owls. The Owls, seeded ninth in the tournament, stunned the top-seeded Roadrunners, 62-58, throwing their postseason destiny into question.

Last Saturday, they held a practice, and then did so again on Sunday as they prepared to watch the postseason bracket announcements. Deep down, the Roadrunners knew they weren’t likely to get the NCAA tournament invitation, realizing that the second-tier WBIT was their most likely destination.

That is how it played out, though they didn’t get the seeding and the home game that they thought they deserved from officials running the WBIT. Instead, they watched as teams such as Florida (16-17) and Villanova (18-14) were seeded in the bracket and were granted home dates to open the tournament.

In the NCAA’s Evaluation Tool rankings, Florida (50) and Villanova (70) were both ranked higher than UTSA (71). But the Roadrunners finished with a far superior win-loss record.

Moreover, UTSA was ranked higher in the NET than Wyoming (80), and yet Wyoming (at 22-11) is seeded fourth in one of the WBIT bracket quadrants and is hosting tonight against Texas Tech.

In the bracket quadrant that includes UTSA, Colorado (20-12) was the top seed, followed by Minnesota (20-11) at No. 2, Missouri State (25-8) at No. 3 and Gonzaga (22-10) at No. 4. With Gonzaga seeded, it earned the right to host in the first round and drew UTSA, one of four unseeded teams in its quadrant and one of 16 in the 32-team bracket at large.

Fourth-year UTSA coach Karen Aston continued to question earlier this week how the Roadrunners did not get the right to host. She mentioned it Monday and again on Tuesday. At the same time, she said that the opportunity to play in a postseason event for the second straight year is “huge” for her program.

Last year, the Roadrunners played in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament and went 1-1 to finish the season 18-15. This year, they advanced themselves to the WBIT, with an opportunity to record a 30-win season if they can win four games. If they can win five, they’d win their second title this spring.

“Four years into this, we are two years in a row in the postseason,” Aston said. “I’ve used the word remarkable several times this year, and it truly is. We felt like it was a big step to go to the NIT last year, and we’ve taken another one. This is a very respectable tournament. I’ve talked to several coaches that were in this tournament last year and they said it was fantastic. It was competitive.”

Added the coach: “They felt really privileged to be in it. They were treated with respect. I’m excited for our kids to feel that.”

Sophomore forward Idara Udo said in interviews on campus Tuesday afternoon that the Roadrunners are just hungry to play again.

“Usually when teams get disappointed in their (conference) tournament and stuff like that, some people check out,” Udo said. “Some people have a shift in mentality. But I think one thing that I’m very proud of with this team is just us staying positive and keeping our heads up. Just coming in here hungry and ready to work.”

Should the Roadrunners win on Thursday night, they’d play again on Sunday. They’d play the winner between Colorado or Southeastern Louisiana (26-5). If Colorado wins at home Tuesday night, CU likely would be at home again in Boulder for the second round.

Records

UTSA 26-4
Gonzaga 22-10

WBIT today

First round

Upper left quadrant
North Carolina A&T at (1) Virginia Tech, 5 p.m.
Texas Tech at (4) Wyoming, 7:30 p.m.
(Winners play Sunday)

Northern Illinois at (3) Florida, 6 p.m.
Hawaii at (2) UNLV, 8:30 p.m.
(Winners play Sunday)

Lower left quadrant
UTSA at (4) Gonzaga, 8 p.m.
Southeastern Louisiana at (1) Colorado, tonight at 8 p.m.
(Winners play Sunday)

Oral Roberts at (3) Missouri State, 6:30 p.m.
(2) Minnesota at Toledo, 6 p.m., (Minnesota unable to host)
(Winners play Sunday)

Upper right quadrant
Davidson at (1) James Madison, 6 p.m.
Marquette at (2) Drake, 4 p.m.
(Winners play Sunday)

Middle Tennessee at (3) Belmont, 6:30 p.m.
Northern Arizona at (2) Arizona, 8 p.m.
(Winners play Sunday)

Lower right quadrant
Albany at (1) St. Joseph’s (Pa.), 6 p.m.
Boston College at (4) Villanova, 6 p.m.
(Winners play Sunday)

Quinnipiac at (3) Seton Hall, 6 p.m.
Portland at (2) Stanford, 9 p.m.
(Winners play Sunday)

Notable

If Colorado wins tonight, it’s likely that Sunday’s second-round game will be held in Boulder. If UTSA and Southeastern Louisiana both win, then the second round could be played in San Antonio.

UTSA sophomore guard Aysia Proctor did not attend Tuesday’s open workout in San Antonio. A spokesman said after the workout that he wasn’t sure about her status to play against Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs struggled early in the season, losing eight of their first 14 games. Powered by forward Yvonne Ejim, they finished on a 16-1 run to the end of the regular season to tie for first in the West Coast Conference standings with Portland. Both teams had a 17-3 WCC record. Gonzaga, slotted into the WCC tournament semifinals, then lost 63-61 to Oregon State.

For the season, Ejim, a 6-1 forward from Canada who was named as the WCC Player of the Year, averaged 20.6 points ad 8.9 rebounds. Six-foot-three forward Maud Huijbens from The Netherlands is another strong post player for the Bulldogs. She averaged 9.3 points and 7.0 boards.

When teams try to collapse on the Gonzaga posts, guards Allie Turner, Claire O’Connor and Portugal native Ines Bettencourt take advantage with their perimeter shooting. Turner hits 45.7 percent from three, while O’Connor (43.4 percent) and Bettencourt (36.6) can also fill it up from behind the arc. Turner is a playmaker, averaging 13.4 points, while passing for 116 assists.

Baseball: UTSA knocks off eighth-ranked Texas, 8-7, in 12 innings

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Andrew Stucky hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the 12th inning, and Braylon Owens retired three straight batters in the bottom half, as the UTSA Roadrunners upset the eighth-ranked Texas Longhorns, 8-7, on a windy Tuesday night in Austin.

Andrew Stucky celebrates at second base after his first-inning double drove in UTSA's first two runs.

Andrew Stucky, shown here in a game from last season, belted a solo home run in the 12th inning Tuesday night to lift UTSA to an 8-7 victory over eighth-ranked Texas. – File photo by Joe Alexander

With the victory, the Roadrunners (17-6) won their third game this month against a prominent in-state college baseball program.

On March 4, they beat the 14th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, 7-4, in College Station. Last weekend, they went 1-2 on the road against 20th-ranked Dallas Baptist, winning the middle game of the series, 15-11, on Saturday. They followed by taking down Texas (17-2) for the first time since 2019, snapping the Longhorns 17-game winning streak in the process.

Owens (3-1) emerged as the winning pitcher for the Roadrunners, while former UTSA star Ruger Riojas (5-1) took the loss for the Longhorns.

For UTSA, freshman Caden Miller from Madisonville hit two solo home runs. He led off the game with a solo shot in a two-run first inning to give the Roadrunners early momentum.

Afterward, the Longhorns retaliated, scoring one run in the first on a Max Belyeu solo blast, two in the second and third innings and another one in the fifth on a solo homer by freshman Adrian Rodriguez. When Rodriguez’s home run left the ball park, Texas had seeming control of the proceedings with a 6-2 lead.

In response, UTSA answered with three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to take a 7-6 lead. Freshman Nathan Hodge capped the three-run sixth with a double off the glove of third baseman Casey Borba. In the seventh, the left-side hitting Miller started the uprising by pulling a pitch and sending a rocket over the right field wall for one run. The other came home on a throwing error by Borba.

The Longhorns answered in the eighth when junior catcher Rylan Galvan homered. His solo shot off UTSA reliever Kendall Dove landed far beyond the left field wall and tied the game, 7-7.

Drama unfolded in the top of the ninth inning when the Longhorns sent Riojas into the game to pitch to his former teammates. For the last two seasons, the Wimberley native had been a fixture in the UTSA program as one of the Roadrunners’ top arms. Last season, he led UTSA in wins (10), saves (seven) and earned run average (3.25). In the offseason, he entered the transfer portal and elected to move to a higher level to pitch for Texas.

With UTSA in the visitors’ dugout in Texas’ home ballpark and the Longhorns’ 17-game streak on the line, Riojas ended up pitching the last four innings of the game. From the ninth through the 11th, he was brilliant, holding the Roadrunners off the scoreboard in each frame. In the 11th, UTSA had a great chance to win it with runners at second and third base and nobody out. But Riojas retired three straight — the first two on strikeouts — to get out of the jam unscathed.

In the 12th, the Roadrunners finally caught up with him. After he retired brothers Ty Hodge and Nathan Hodge, Stucky stepped up and barreled a ball over the left field wall for the go-ahead run.

UTSA pitching, in turn, was masterful down the stretch. Roadrunners pitchers allowed the Longhorns only one run in the last seven innings of the game. Dove pitched three and two-thirds, giving up only the solo homer in the eighth. Afterward, Zach Royse, Robert Orloski and Owens combined to work the last four innings scoreless.

In the bottom of the 12th, Owens retired Galvan on a ground ball before making a key defensive play. Jaden Duplantier hit a slow roller that Owens fielded cleanly, firing to first for the out. Gasparino, who has a .549 slugging percentage, came to the plate as the Longhorns’ last hope and struck out swinging to end the game..

Interestingly enough, Royse, Orloski and Owens are three fixtures in UTSA’s weekend rotation. Royse and Owens are starters and Orloski is a reliever, the team’s designated stopper with a 6-0 record. Moreover, UTSA’s opening series in the American Athletic Conference is coming up this weekend in Charlotte, N.C. The series against the 49ers starts Friday night.

Records

UTSA 17-6
Texas 17-2

Coming up

UTSA at Charlotte, Friday, 5 p.m.

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UTSA turns up the noise in preparation for a WBIT road test at Gonzaga

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

At times, the piped-in, ear-ringing noise in the Convocation Center Tuesday afternoon made it difficult to think, which was precisely the point that UTSA coach Karen Aston wanted to make.

Jordyn Jenkins. Top-seeded UTSA lost to ninth-seeded Rice 62-58 in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, March 10, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Jordyn Jenkins will lead the UTSA Roadrunners into the WBIT against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Aston’s Roadrunners are scheduled to play their first-round game in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament Thursday night on the homecourt of the Gonzaga Bulldogs, one of the noisiest arenas in college basketball.

So, in the last UTSA practice before the team travels to Spokane, Wash., she wanted her players to experience the adversity, speak up and communicate with one another.

They’ll need to do that to win at the 6,000-seat McCarthey Athletic Center, otherwise known as the “The Kennel.”

Standing on the court at the Convo Tuesday on an otherwise sleepy afternoon on campus, the noise in the old building almost sounded like a construction site. It isn’t the first time Aston has used sound effects to get her players’ attention.

“We have done that periodically throughout the year,” Aston said. “It’s interesting, but I told the group, it’s sort of like a full-circle moment. In our preparation for our first game of the year, we knew it was Education Day at Texas A&M.

“They had about 5,000 screaming kids. So it feels like a full-circle moment. Obviously we hope this is not our last game. We’re not planning on it being, but it kind of felt that way as this is how we started, and here we are again.”

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins said it was fun to run through a practice with the noise cranked up to high levels.

“You know, it was a little different,” she said. “We got to prepare for everything. We have to make sure we’re communicating on the court. So, that was just something to test us a little bit.”

The Roadrunners will be tested in many ways as they enter their second national tournament in the past two seasons. After winning the regular-season title in the American Athletic Conference at 17-1, they dropped their opener in the AAC tournament at Fort Worth.

A 62-58 loss to the ninth-seeded Rice Owls in the quarterfinals sent them home much earlier than they wanted. By the weekend, the pain continued as they were left out of the NCAA tournament. On top of that, they didn’t even get the reward of a first-round game in the WBIT, despite a program-best 26-4 record on the season.

“We did have a tough loss, obviously, in the tournament,” Jenkins said. “But, we had a little break and, you know, we think we can make a run in this tournament. It’s just about being together, staying together and realizing that not a lot of teams are playing in March right now. So, we need to be grateful and get this dub (victory).”

Asked what it takes to rebound from disappointment, Jenkins said, “honestly, just a little time.”

“You know, I always say time heals,” she said. “And it really does. I spent a little time at home back in Seattle. It was good to feel the rain and breathe the fresh air before I got back here and got back to work.”

Coincidentally, she returned to San Antonio, only to find out Sunday evening in a team gathering that the Roadrunners would be traveling back to Washington state for their first game. She said her family plans to make the trip. “They already booked their flights,” Jenkins said.

The Roadrunners and the Bulldogs have had similar experiences this season. UTSA has had a 10-game winning streak and had a 19-1 record in their last 20 games leading into the AAC tournament, only to lose their AAC tournament opener. Gonzaga had a 14-game winning streak and had a 16-1 record in their last 17 going into the West Coast tournament, losing its opener to Oregon State.

In addition, while Jenkins tops the Roadrunners in scoring and in several other categories, Gonzaga forward Yvonne Ejim leads the Bulldogs. Ejim, at 6-foot-1, averages 20.6 points and 8.9 rebounds. Not only is she a 52 percent shooter from the field, she also paces the Bulldogs with 38 steals and 31 blocked shots.

“They’re a post-oriented team, and they’re really good rebounders,” Jenkins said. “So, it’s going to be a fight in the paint.”

Records

UTSA 26-4
Gonzaga 22-10

Coming up

UTSA at Gonzaga, Thursday, 8 p.m., WBIT first round

Baseball: UTSA wins 14th straight by rallying to beat Texas Southern

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners extended their school-record winning streak to 14 games Sunday by rallying for five runs in the eighth inning and coming away with a 7-4 victory over the Texas Southern Tigers.

After going on the road to defeat 14th-ranked Texas A&M last Tuesday, the Roadrunners returned home and swept three from Texas Southern. They’ll play again on Tuesday at home against the University of the Incarnate Word.

Records

Texas Southern 4-12
UTSA 15-3

Coming up

Incarnate Word at UTSA, Tuesday, 6 p.

Notable

Here are season records for UTSA’s opponents this year and their records against UTSA:

UT Arlington 4-8 … 2-1
Baylor 12-3 … 1-0
Long Island 5-11 … 0-4
Houston Christian 9-4 … 0-1
Oakland, Mich. 3-14 … 0-1
Youngstown State 1-13 … 0-4
Texas A&M 9-6 … 0-1
Texas Southern 4-12 … 0-3

Baylor baseball shuts down UTSA on a cold day in Waco

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Enzo Apodaca smashed a two-run homer on a cold and windy afternoon in Waco on Tuesday, backing an eight-hit performance by five pitchers and lifting the undefeated Baylor Bears to a 5-0 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Carson Bailey, Caleb Bunch, Caleb Jameson, RJ Ruaix and Gabe Craig combined to strike out 12 and hold the Roadrunners to seven singles and a double. As a result, Baylor improved to 4-0 on the season as Bailey started and pitched three innings to earn the victory.

In addition, the Bears beat the Roadrunners for the first time since 2022 and snapped a two-game losing streak in the series. UTSA starting pitcher James Hubbard worked two innings, yielded one run and took the loss.

UTSA had won games in Waco each of the last two years coming into the game, which was played with wind blowing in on the hitters and temperatures in the 40s. The loss left the Roadrunners at 1-3 on the season, with all of the games played on the road.

Last weekend, the Roadrunners dropped two straight to open the season and then won the finale, 6-3, on the road Sunday against the UT Arlington Mavericks.

Scoring and hitting with runners on base have been a problem, as the Roadrunners have been held to 10 runs in four games and have been shut out twice. They left 11 on base against the Bears, including runners at second and third to end the game.

Coming up

Long Island at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
Long Island at UTSA, doubleheader, noon
Long Island at UTSA, Sunday, 11 a.m.

Records

UTSA 1-3
Baylor 4-0

Notable

The UTSA brother duo of Ty and Nathan Hodge from College Station started and played shortstop and third base, respectively. Ty had two hits on the day and both committed errors in the field.

Mason Lytle, the preseason Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference, finished two for five on the day and struck out twice.

Roadrunners right fielder James Taussig sat out the Baylor game with a hamstring injury. Taussig batted three for six in the series at UT Arlington.

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.

Lendeborg, UAB hold off UTSA 81-78 in Birmingham

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Multi-skilled center Yaxel Lendeborg produced 24 points and 14 rebounds Tuesday night as the UAB Blazers won their fifth straight, holding on at the end to beat the UTSA Roadrunners, 81-78, in Birmingham, Ala.

Lendeborg also had seven assists, three blocks and a steal to help hand the Roadrunners their second straight loss in the American Athletic Conference.

In the game played at Bartow Arena, the Blazers held a decided advantage in rebounding — 47-32 — and also made 26 out of 30 free throws. The Roadrunners stayed in the game by drilling 13 of 34 from 3-point distance.

Guard Primo Spears led the Roadrunners with 27 points and Damari Monsanto scored 21. Spears pulled UTSA to within one with a 15-footer at the free-throw line with 22 seconds left.

On the other end, Spears fouled Vasquez, who knocked down two free throws with 11.3 seconds remaining for the eventual final score.

A Monsanto attempted three pointer was off the mark with two seconds left, giving the victory to the Blazers, who played in the NCAA tournament last year after winning the AAC postseason title.

The Roadrunners played with seven players in the rotation as guard Tai’Reon Joseph was not in the game.

All in all, it was a good effort by the Roadrunners against the preseason conference favorites. Spears scored 18 in the second half and Monsanto 15. Monsanto hit six three pointers in the game.

“To win these games, got to make a couple more plays than we did,” UTSA coach Austin Claunch told the team’s radio broadcast. “Got to finish at the rim better than we did. I thought second-half (on the boards) was better. First half, I think their physicality caught us off guard a little bit.”

“But I was really proud of our group. We really fought. Cut that lead back to one … and then there at the end, that’s on me. Damari, I kind of put him in a tough spot. Thought we could get him on a little switch out and they guarded well.

“But our fight to stay in the game was really good.”

UAB coach Andy Kennedy told the ESPN television network afterward that it was not his team’s best effort but that he was proud of his players.

“These things have value,” he said. “They don’t have value on my blood pressure. But they have value for our team, because it makes us concentrate and grind through when you’re not at your best. So I’m proud of our guys for pulling it out.”

Kennedy said forward Christian Coleman did a good job forcing the miss at the end and “finally we were able to secure a rebound.”

The coach said Lendeborg is a special player. “I’m sure his stat line tonight was ridiculous,” Kennedy said. “It always is, and I’m always wanting more, because I think there’s more there. He’s an incredible kid, a great ambassador for our university.”

First half

The UAB Blazers surged into an early 11-point lead, only to see the UTSA Roadrunners come back with their fast pace and 3-point shooting. In the end, the Blazers took a 38-32 advantage into intermission.

Marcus Millender scored 10 points and Spears had nine for the Roadrunners.

For UAB, Lendeborg had nine points, eight rebounds and four assists. Forward Christian Coleman had eight points and four boards. Efrem Johnson scored eight.

The Blazers pounded the glass, winning the rebounding battle 29-14.

Records

UTSA 8-10, 2-4
UAB 12-7, 5-1

Coming up

Temple at UTSA, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Notable

Tai’Reon Joseph had 19 points Saturday in San Antonio when UTSA fell 72-57 to the North Texas Mean Green.

Joseph’s absence was one thing, but the Roadrunners also have been short-handed on the front line for weeks without 6-11 center Mo Njie (foot injury) and 6-8 forward Jaquan Scott (away from the team on a family matter). At one point late in the game Tuesday night, Mo Njie’s younger brother, 6-foot-5 freshman Baboucarr Njie, was guarding the 6-9, 240-pound Lendeborg.