By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
The UTSA Roadrunners hope to see their offense come to life tonight in their home-field season finale when they host the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals.
The final non-conference game for both of San Antonio’s NCAA Division I baseball programs will get underway at 6 p.m. at Roadrunner Field.
Over their last 10 games, the Roadrunners have struggled offensively, hitting .257, almost 50 points below their season average. In that stretch, a team that has suffered from some injury issues has averaged 5.1 runs.
UTSA is 5-5 in its last 10, including 4-5 in the American Athletic Conference.
The Roadrunners perked up slightly last weekend, when they hit .272 as a team in three games at home against South Florida. But they left 16 on base on Saturday and 10 more on Sunday.
Fortunately for the Roadrunners, their pitching came through as they won two of three in the series and pulled to within one game of the lead in the American Athletic Conference going into the final weekend.
UTSA will take to the road for its final three games of the regular season on Thursday, Friday and Saturday against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Boca Raton. The AAC tournament will open a week from today in Clearwater, Fla.
UIW comes into the game on a slide, having lost six straight and 11 of their last 12. The Cardinals are also set to close out the regular season on the road with their final three in the Southland Conference Thursday through Saturday at Houston Christian.
UTSA is 19-12 in the series against UIW, including 12-6 at Roadrunner Field. UTSA has won five straight at home in the series. UIW hasn’t won at UTSA since 2016. The Roadrunners beat the Cardinals 7-4 on April 2 at UIW.
Records
Incarnate Word 24-26
UTSA 29-21
Coming up
For the UTSA Roadrunners
Non conference: Incarnate Word at UTSA
Tonight at 6
AAC series: UTSA at Florida Atlantic
Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Friday at 3 p.m.
Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
AAC tournament: At Clearwater, Fla.
May 21-26
For the UIW Cardinals
Non-conference: UIW at UTSA
Tonight at 6
Southland series: UIW at Houston Christian
Thursday at 2 p.m.
Friday at 1 p.m.
Saturday at 2 p.m.
Southland tournament: At Hammond, La.
May 22-25