Westburg slams the 44th home run of his minor league career

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Weekend highlights

Baltimore Orioles’ prospect Jordan Westburg hit his second home run of the season for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides on Sunday afternoon.

The former standout at New Braunfels High School and Mississippi State has clubbed 44 homers in his three-year career in the minor leagues. Westburg homered 27 times last season as he split time between Double-A and Triple-A in the Orioles’ system.

In addition, Minnesota Twins prospect Dalton Shuffield also had a good weekend, picking up two hits and two RBIs for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. Shuffield, who played primarily at shortstop at Johnson High School and Texas State, has played outfield and some infield so far this season.

Here’s an updated list of San Antonio-area players in minor league baseball:

Douglas Hodo III: Started his second season in the minors playing outfield for the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds, an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Hodo split time between rookie and Single-A ball in the Orioles’ system last year. The Orioles selected Hodo on the sixth round of the 2022 draft out of the University of Texas. He played at Boerne High School.

Tristan Stivors: Named to the opening-day roster of the High-A Winston-Salem Dash, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. The 24-year-old righthander pitched four games last season, split between the White Sox’ Rookie and Single A levels. The Sox selected him on the 16th round of the 2022 draft after a season at Texas State University in which he led the Bobcats to the NCAA tournament and was named first-team All American as a closer. Stivors played in the San Antonio area at Medina Valley High School.

Forrest Whitley: Opened his eighth year in the minors last week at Triple-A Sugar Land, an Astros affiliate, by pitching out of the bullpen. The 6-7 righthander retired the first 10 batters he faced and ultimately gave up one run on four hits to earn the victory against Round Rock. Whitley, a former Astros top prospect, has had multiple setbacks in his career, including a 2021 Tommy John elbow surgery. The 17th overall choice by the Astros in the 2016 draft is 10-17 with a 4.97 earned run average.

Asa Lacy: Started the season on the 7-day injured list at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, a Kansas City Royals affiliate. Lacy is 4-7 with a 7.09 ERA in two minor league seasons. The Royals selected Lacy with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Texas A&M University. He pitched previously at Kerrville Tivy High School.

James McArthur: Opened as a starting pitcher at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The 6-foot-7, 26-year-old righthander is starting his fifth season in the minors. He is 9-20 with a 4.31 earned run average. McArthur was selected in in the 2018 draft on the 12th round by the Phillies out of Ole Miss. Played in high school at New Braunfels.

Justin Lange: Assigned to the Tampa Tarpons, a Class A affiliate of the New York Yankees. Lange is a 21-year-old right-handed pitcher. He is 3-4 with a 6.63 earned run average over two previous seasons in the minors. Traded from the San Diego Padres organization to the Yankees in March 2022. Lange was drafted 34th overall by the Padres out of Llano High School in 2020. Native of Fredericksburg.

Nick Fraze: Started the season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Fraze, a 25-year-old, right-handed pitcher, picked up his first victory of the season in two innings of relief. He is 8-8 with a 3.44 earned run average as a professional. Drafted in the 22nd round in 2019 by the Blue Jays out of Texas State University in San Marcos. Played at Hebron High School.

Bryan Arias: Has played two games at Triple-A Sugar Land. Arias is in his fifth year and fourth season in the minors. He toiled last season for Double-A Corpus Christi, playing in 92 games and batting .220. He played at San Antonio’s Marshall High School and in college for the UTSA Roadrunners. Drafted in the 28th round in 2019 out of UTSA.

David Hamilton: Made his 2023 debut at shortstop with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox. Known for his speed, Hamilton has stolen 124 bases in two seasons in the minors. He was traded in December 2021 from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Boston Red Sox organization. Hamilton was drafted out of the University of Texas in 2019. He went in the eighth round to the Brewers. Hamilton played at San Marcos High School.

Jordan Westburg: Opened the year with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The 24-year-old infielder, entering his fourth year in the minors, is a career .273 hitter, with 44 home runs and 192 RBIs. He was drafted 30th overall by the Orioles in 2020 out of Mississippi State University. He previously played for New Braunfels High School.

Jace Jung: Started the season with the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps. Jung was a 2022 first-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers out of Texas Tech University. The younger brother of Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung played in high school at MacArthur High School.

Dalton Shuffield: Homered in his season debut Thursday for the Single-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. Shuffield is in his second year in the minor leagues with the Minnesota Twins organization. Shuffield hit .271 across three levels last year, which included 14 games at Triple-A St. Paul. Drafted in 2022 by the Twins on the 10th round out of Texas State University. He previously played at Johnson High School in San Antonio.

Jalen Battles: Named to start at shortstop Friday for the Charleston River Dogs. Battles played five games at the rookie league level last year and is starting this season at Single-A in Charleston, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays affiliate. He made a name for himself as a shortstop at the University of Arkansas, an NCAA Division I powerhouse. Drafted by the Rays in the fifth round in 2022. Previously played in San Antonio at Madison High School.

Hudson Head: Started in center field at High A Greensboro, N.C., with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 22-year-old outfielder from Churchill is starting his fourth season in the minors. He hit 15 home runs at Single A Bradenton in 2021 and another 10 at Greensboro last season. Selected in the third round of the 2019 draft by the San Diego Padres. Traded to the Pirates, in January of 2021.

Forrest Whitley shines in season debut at Triple-A Sugar Land

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Could this be the year for Forrest Whitley to reach the major leagues with the Houston Astros?

Whitley, from Alamo Heights High School, is off to a good start.

Pitching for the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys on Thursday, the 25-year-old righthander made his season debut out of the bullpen and retired the first 10 batters he faced, striking out two.

Whitley (1-0) was credited with the win in Sugar Land’s 5-2 victory over Round Rock. The 6-7 righthander worked four innings and allowed one run on four hits. He struck out four and walked one.

He was drafted in 2016 by the Astros out of Alamo Heights. The Astros selected him in the first round with the 17th overall pick.

Through seven years in the minors, he has battled through injuries and assorted adversities to a 10-17 record a 4.97 ERA.

With the minor-league baseball season underway, here’s a look at some of the other notable players from the San Antonio and South Texas area:

Tristan Stivors: Named to the opening-day roster of the High-A Winston-Salem Dash, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. The 24-year-old righthander pitched four games last season, split between the White Sox’ Rookie and Single A levels. The Sox selected him on the 16th round of the 2022 draft after a season at Texas State University in which he led the Bobcats to the NCAA tournament and was named first-team All American as a closer. Stivors played in the San Antonio area at Medina Valley High School.

Asa Lacy: Started the season on the 7-day injured list at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, a Kansas City Royals affiliate. Lacy is 4-7 with a 7.09 ERA in two minor league seasons. The Royals selected Lacy with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Texas A&M University. He pitched previously at Kerrville Tivy High School.

James McArthur: Opened as a starting pitcher at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The 6-foot-7, 26-year-old righthander is starting his fifth season in the minors. He is 9-20 with a 4.31 earned run average. McArthur was selected in in the 2018 draft on the 12th round by the Phillies out of Ole Miss. Played in high school at New Braunfels.

Justin Lange: Assigned to the Tampa Tarpons, a Class A affiliate of the New York Yankees. Lange is a 21-year-old right-handed pitcher. He is 3-4 with a 6.63 earned run average over two previous seasons in the minors. Traded from the San Diego Padres organization to the Yankees in March 2022. Lange was drafted 34th overall by the Padres out of Llano High School in 2020. Native of Fredericksburg.

Nick Fraze: Started the season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Fraze, a 25-year-old, right-handed pitcher, picked up his first victory of the season in two innings of relief. He is 8-8 with a 3.44 earned run average as a professional. Drafted in the 22nd round in 2019 by the Blue Jays out of Texas State University in San Marcos. Played at Hebron High School.

Bryan Arias: Has played two games at Triple-A Sugar Land. Arias is in his fifth year and fourth season in the minors. He toiled last season for Double-A Corpus Christi, playing in 92 games and batting .220. He played at San Antonio’s Marshall High School and in college for the UTSA Roadrunners. Drafted in the 28th round in 2019 out of UTSA.

David Hamilton: Made his 2023 debut at shortstop with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox. Known for his speed, Hamilton has stolen 124 bases in two seasons in the minors. He was traded in December 2021 from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Boston Red Sox organization. Hamilton was drafted out of the University of Texas in 2019. He went in the eighth round to the Brewers. Hamilton played at San Marcos High School.

Jordan Westburg: Opened the year with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The 24-year-old infielder, entering his fourth year in the minors, is a career .273 hitter, with 43 home runs and 189 RBIs. He was drafted 30th overall by the Orioles in 2020 out of Mississippi State University. He previously played for New Braunfels High School.

Jace Jung: Started the season with the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps. Jung was a 2022 first-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers out of Texas Tech University. The younger brother of Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung played in high school at MacArthur High School.

Dalton Shuffield: Homered in his season debut Thursday for the Single-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. Shuffield is in his second year in the minor leagues with the Minnesota Twins organization. Shuffield hit .271 across three levels last year, which included 14 games at Triple-A St. Paul. Drafted in 2022 by the Twins on the 10th round out of Texas State University. He previously played at Johnson High School in San Antonio.

Jalen Battles: Named to start at shortstop Friday for the Charleston River Dogs. Battles played five games at the rookie league level last year and is starting this season at Single-A in Charleston, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays affiliate. He made a name for himself as a shortstop at the University of Arkansas, an NCAA Division I powerhouse. Drafted by the Rays in the fifth round in 2022. Previously played in San Antonio at Madison High School.

Hudson Head: Started in center field at High A Greensboro, N.C., with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 22-year-old outfielder from Churchill is starting his fourth season in the minors. He hit 15 home runs at Single A Bradenton in 2021 and another 10 at Greensboro last season. Selected in the third round of the 2019 draft by the San Diego Padres. Traded to the Pirates, in January of 2021.

Charlotte hits four homers, rallies for a 12-10 victory and a doubleheader split against UTSA

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By Jerry Briggs
For The JB Replay

Austin Knight hit two home runs, and Cam Fisher and Brandon Stahlman added one apiece as the Charlotte 49ers erased a seven-run deficit in their home park, downing the 24th-ranked UTSA Roadrunners 12-10 Thursday night in Conference USA baseball.

Charlotte outscored UTSA 12-5 after a 2 hour and 48-minute weather delay. With the victory, the 49ers salvaged a split of a doubleheader. The Roadrunners won the opener, 5-3. Game 3 of the series is scheduled for Friday at 5 p.m.

It’s been a wild week for UTSA. The Roadrunners learned on Monday that they had been ranked in the top 25 in the nation for the first time in school history. They were listed at No. 24 in the poll by Baseball America magazine.

By Tuesday, they were on the road, playing a non-conference game on the campus of the University of the Incarnate Word. Against UIW, they bolted to a 6-1 lead and held a 6-4 advantage going into the ninth inning, only to see the Cardinals rally for a 9-6 victory on a Rey Mendoza three-run, walk-off homer.

By Thursday, they were in Charlotte, playing two against the 49ers because of forecasted rain in the area. In the first game, the Roadrunners claimed a victory behind the hitting and baserunning of Antonio Valdez and the pitching of Luke Malone and Simon Miller.

In the second game, the Roadrunners started fast, moving out to a 5-0 lead before a weather delay forced the teams off the field. Once play resumed, the Roadrunners tacked on two more and looked to be in control, 7-0.

From there, the UTSA pitching started to falter and the Charlotte bats came alive. The 49ers created big-time momentum with a six-run fourth inning, capped by back-to-back home runs from Stahlman and Knight.

Right after Stahlman ripped a three-run shot, Knight unloaded with a solo shot, trimming UTSA’s lead to 7-6. After the Roadrunners scored once in the top of the fifth on Taylor Smith’s solo home run, the 49ers retaliated with two runs of their own in the bottom half, tying the game at 8-8.

Knight vaulted the 49ers into the lead in the sixth inning, blasting another solo homer to make it 9-8. Though the Roadrunners would come back to tie with a run in the seventh, their pitching just would not hold. The 49ers exploded with three runs in the eighth to make it 12-9.

Isaiah Walker lashed an RBI double in the ninth for the Roadrunners. But that was it, as Charlotte reliever Paxton Thompson retired two in a row to end it.

Thompson (3-1) was the winning pitcher, working 4 and 2/3 innings, giving up two runs, only one of them earned, while yielding three hits. Pitching in relief, UTSA’s Ulises Quiroga (4-1) was saddled with the loss. Charlotte touched him for three runs on four hits in two innings.

Records

UTSA 24-8, 9-2
Charlotte 15-15, 6-5

Coming up

UTSA at Charlotte, Friday, 5 p.m.

Antonio Valdez steals three bases in one inning as UTSA downs Charlotte, 5-3, in series opener

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By Jerry Briggs
For The JB Replay

Antonio Valdez stole three bases in one inning, sparking the 24th-ranked UTSA Roadrunners to a 5-3 victory over the Charlotte 49ers Thursday in Conference USA baseball.

In the first game of a C-USA doubleheader at Charlotte, UTSA bounced back from a mid-week loss at Incarnate Word behind Valdez, a breakout offensive star in his first year with the team after transferring from Baylor.

Valdez produced three hits, including an RBI triple, plus three stolen bases, including a daring, eighth-inning steal of home. Plus, he also scored twice.

Luke Malone (4-2) pitched into the sixth inning to earn the victory, and Simon Miller closed with 3 and 2/3 of scoreless relief to earn his sixth save. Charlotte starter Wyatt Hudepohl (2-4) worked seven innings and took the loss.

With rain in the forecast in North Carolina, UTSA and Charlotte elected to play twice on Thursday. Game 3 is tentatively set for Saturday afternoon.

Charlotte trailed by three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when Will Butcher golfed a two-run homer to left field off Malone, pulling the 49ers to within 4-3. Two batters later, Miller entered the game and issued a walk to put runners at first and second.

The UTSA infield turned a double play to end it. The infield defense did it again in the seventh inning, picking up another twin killing to protect a one-run lead. Second baseman Leyton Barry made slick relay plays to first base to facilitate both defensive gems.

Two innings later, in the top of the eight, Valdez electrified the Roadrunners’ bench with his base running.

After reaching on a fielder’s choice, he stole second base, third base and then stole home to give UTSA a two-run cushion.

On the steal of home, Valdez danced off third and broke for the plate after the catcher tossed the ball back to the pitcher. Sliding head first, he beat the throw to the plate, giving the Roadrunners’ a two-run cushion. Afterward, players met him at the dugout steps with high-fives and shouts of encouragement.

The Roadrunners started the week on Monday by learning that they had been ranked in the top 25 in the nation for the first time. Baseball America moved them up to the No. 24 spot.

On Tuesday night, they played a road game in San Antonio against the University of Incarnate Word and allowed a five-run lead to slip away from them, eventually giving up five in the ninth inning and losing 9-6 on a walk off home run by Rey Mendoza.

It was the third time in the last three weeks that UTSA lost mid-week games and then turned around a few days later to win a C-USA series opener.

Two weeks ago, they lost at UT-Rio Grande Valley and then won at Rice. Last week, they lost at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and then won at home against Western Kentucky. This week, after the stunning collapse at UIW, they played a game in North Carolina on less than a 48-hour turnaround and won again.

Records

UTSA 24-7, 9-1
Charlotte 14-15, 5-5

Coming up

UTSA at Charlotte, today, second game of a doubleheader.

Wild celebration follows Incarnate Word’s ninth-inning rally for a 9-6 victory over 24th-ranked UTSA

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Athletes were jumping up and down and cups of water were flying everywhere. Even a large water cooler went airborne at one point over a gaggle of ball players celebrating at home plate.

This is how the night’s activity ended after a Tuesday night battle between San Antonio’s two NCAA Division I baseball teams.

Paced by clutch hitting from Alec Carr and Rey Mendoza, the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals rallied from a two-run deficit with five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, coming from behind on their home field for an emotional 9-6 victory over the 24th-ranked UTSA Roadrunners.

With the victory, UIW improved to 6-2 over its last eight games and to 13-7 over its last 20 since falling 2-1 to UTSA at Roadrunner Field back on March 1.

In the ninth inning, the Cardinals took advantage of a couple of walks and another batter hit by a pitch to load the bases against UTSA reliever Daniel Shafer.

Up stepped Carr, who stroked a one-out, two-run single to tie the game. It looked like extra innings might be in store when Shafer retired Hernan Yanez on a ground ball for the second out.

But with two men remaining on the bases, Mendoza, a left-side hitting grad transfer from the University of Houston, knew what to do.

He fouled off a pitch and then yanked the next offering way over the wall in right field for a three-run homer, the game winner.

How did Mendoza feel about it all?

“Phenomenal,” he said. “I mean, it couldn’t happen without the guys right next to me in the dugout, you know. The pitchers, they pitched great all game, and we hung around. We were able to make something happen in the ninth inning. Good things happen when you keep it simple.”

Mendoza looked calm as he stepped into the plate for his at bat.

“We knew that against lefties, he was throwing a lot of sliders,” he said. “I got a slider first pitch, and I hooked a foul. Then I saw it out of his hand again, and I put a good swing on it.”

In the teams’ previous meeting, UTSA won the game with a double steal of home plate by Antonio Valdez. If that didn’t sting enough, UIW players watched as the Roadrunners rolled to victory after victory and finally into a national ranking for the first time this week.

UTSA was ranked in three polls on Monday, the most notable being Baseball America magazine’s No. 24.

“We knew,” Mendoza said. “We found out before the game. We were just like, ‘It’s another day. It’s just another day at the park. We’ve been doing this for a lot of months now. We just took it as another day at the park, did what we did and came out on top.”

Records

Incarnate Word 16-13
UTSA 23-7

Coming up

UIW, a three-game series in the Southland Conference at Nicholls State (La.), from Thursday through Saturday.

UTSA, a three-game series in Conference USA at Charlotte (N.C.), from Thursday through Saturday.

Roadrunners earn first national rankings going into a road game at UIW

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The UTSA Roadrunners have been ranked in the top 25 nationally in baseball for the first time in program history.

Riding a 23-6 record into tonight’s game at the University of the Incarnate Word, Coach Pat Hallmark’s Roadrunners are 23rd by Perfect Game and 24th in Baseball America magazine and also 27th by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

UTSA will face a challenge tonight in playing at the University of the Incarnate Word, a San Antonio-based opponent from the Southland Conference. First pitch at UIW’s Sullivan Field is at 6:30 p.m. UTSA beat UIW 2-1 on March 1 at Roadrunner Field. Hallmark coached at UIW in 2018 and 2019 before taking the head coaching job at UTSA.

The Roadrunners have lost their last two midweek road games at UT-Rio Grande Valley and at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

UTSA returns to Conference USA play with a series at Charlotte from Thursday through Saturday. UTSA’s leads the C-USA standings with an 8-1 record, two games ahead of conference newcomer Dallas Baptist.

The Cardinals have played well lately, going 5-2 in their last seven. UIW won two of three at home against Houston Christian, defeated Prairie View A&M last Tuesday and then won two of three on the road last weekend at Southeastern Louisiana.

Records

UTSA 23-6
UIW 15-13

Coming up

UTSA at UIW, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Charlotte, Thursday, 5 p.m.
UTSA at Charlotte, Friday, 5 p.m.
UTSA at Charlotte, Saturday, noon

Loopy swings? UTSA explodes for 15 hits in a 7-2 victory to sweep WKU

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

At the risk of nit-picking a program that very well may have something special going this season, the UTSA Roadrunners have looked out of sorts at the plate lately. Coach Pat Hallmark has acknowledged that the swings have been “a little loopy,” which often leads to weak contact.

Digging down deep in the energy reserves and taking it back to the basics, UTSA players worked diligently in batting practice the past few days in an effort to iron out the glitches, and it all paid dividends Sunday with a 15-hit barrage, a 7-2 victory over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and a sweep of a three-game Conference USA home series.

“I know our offense has been struggling in the past few games,” UTSA outfielder Shane Sirdashney said. “We kind of went back to the basics in (batting practice) today and yesterday. We just kind of put it on display today (and) bought in with Coach Hallmark’s approach at the plate. I’m just glad we got the hitting rolling today going into next week. To get the sweep, it felt good.”

With the victory, UTSA (23-6, 8-1) stayed in firm control of first place in the C-USA through three weekends of play. Western Kentucky (16-13, 2-7) sent hard-throwing lefty Devyn Terbak to the mound, but UTSA lit him up with two runs in the second, one in the third and three in the fifth to take charge.

Sirdashney led the uprising with four hits, including a solo home run. Matt King had three hits and Antonio Valdez, Taylor Smith and Leyton Barry two apiece. For Hallmark, it was a welcome change from the first two games of the series when Hilltoppers pitching went for extended stretches stringing zeroes on the scoreboard against the Roadrunners.

UTSA had only four hits in a 3-2 victory Friday night and then six in a 5-4 decision Saturday afternoon. As a result, batting practice for the Roadrunners started at 9:30 a.m. for the series finale, which would start at 12:30 p.m.

“The bats came back a little bit today, which was nice to see,” Hallmark said. “We pitched well again. But it was important to get those bats going. The guys have been working really hard. Hitting is cyclical like this, where it comes and goes. That’s just the nature of it.

“Big league hitters, the best ones, don’t always hit. The guys have been very persistent, trusting (the process) and it worked out today.”

Hallmark acknowledged the emphasis on a different approach at the plate.

“We’ve been a little loopy,” the coach said. “There’s been a little bit of what we call length of arc in our swings. So we’ve just been working at it. You know, it wasn’t like we just worked at it today. We’ve been working at it for awhile. But sometimes it manifests itself later than what you want.

“Those guys have some good pitching, so that’s part of it, too. But today it did work itself out.”

Drake Smith, Daniel Garza and Braylon Owens combined to hold the Hilltoppers to eight hits. Between the three of them, they didn’t walk a batter. Garza (4-1) earned the victory with 4 and 2/3 innings of relief, allowing only one run.

Defensive plays also had the fans in the grandstands buzzing from time to time. After allowing a ball to get over his head for a double, Sirdashney ended one inning with a catch and a perfect relay throw to King, who fired to third to cut down a runner. A few innings later, King stole a hit with a diving stab of a low and sinking line drive.

Records

Western Kentucky 16-13, 2-7
UTSA 23-6, 8-1

Coming up

UTSA at Incarnate Word, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Charlotte, Thursday, 5 p.m.
UTSA at Charlotte, Friday, 5 p.m.
UTSA at Charlotte, Saturday, noon

Today’s video replay

Bullpen-rich UTSA holds off Western Kentucky to clinch a C-USA home series

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Right now, Pat Hallmark has more aces than a card shark in poker.

Just when you think he’s in trouble in a baseball game, the coach of the UTSA Roadrunners looks down to the bullpen and motions for another pitcher to get loose.

Most of the time, the move serves to frustrate the opposing team.

Hallmark was up to his old tricks again Saturday. His starter didn’t make it through the third inning, so he called on freshman Ruger Riojas.

Riojas, Daniel Shafer and Simon Miller combined for 6 and 1/3 innings of relief on a hot and muggy afternoon, helping the Roadrunners hold off the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 5-4.

As a result, UTSA (22-6, 7-1) won its first two in a three-game home series to maintain its hold on first place in Conference USA.

Western Kentucky (16-12, 2-6) battled hard and held a 2-1 lead through the middle of the fourth inning.

But after UTSA scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth, an outburst highlighted by Josh Killeen’s two-out, two-run single, the Roadrunners never trailed again.

Though the Roadrunners have scored C-USA series victories against FAU, Rice and Western Kentucky, their ride hasn’t been without its bumps.

For instance, coming into the weekend, a once red-hot offense cooled off a bit and UTSA lost three of five overall, all on the road, including non-conference losses at UT-Rio Grande Valley and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

The offense remains in something of a funk, having struck for only four hits in a 3-2 victory Friday night and six more on Saturday.

Thanks to the pitching, though, UTSA has a chance to go for the sweep tomorrow.

“We’re kind of a little displaced with the offense at the moment,” Killeen said. “Hitting comes and goes. It kind of comes in waves. So it’s good to take the series already.”

Riojas (3-0) pitched three innings, yielding single runs in the fourth and in the sixth, to earn the victory.

More importantly to the big picture, he remained undefeated in his first season of college baseball out of Wimberley High School.

“He’s a great pitcher for us,” Killeen said. “We saw it in the fall. He has a really good fastball that kind of takes off out of his hand. Mixes with a pretty good breaker that he hits for strikes.

We like that. And he also can throw his change up pretty well, too. It’s also hard. It’s not a floating changeup. But, he’s got a lot of confidence. We knew that from the start.”

Riojas just looks comfortable on the mound. Even though he entered in the top of the third with bases loaded in a 1-1 game, the 5-foot-11 righthander escaped unscathed by getting a ground ball to end the inning.

“Just wanted to do my job,” he said, “throw strikes and hit my spots as best I could each and every pitch.”

Western Kentucky touched him for four hits as he worked into the sixth inning, including a solo home run by Ty Batusich leading off the fourth.

But he didn’t walk anyone, which has become a trademark. Riojas has walked only five while striking out 22 in 21 innings this season.

His earned run average has increased over his past few outings against Rice and WKU, respectively, but it’s still a more than respectable 3.00 for the season.

“Honestly, I think it’s going really good (for me),” Riojas said, “trusting my stuff, trusting my defense. Just letting my body work as it should … I love it. Just happy to be out there.”

Teammates say Riojas has played quite a bit of baseball in his career, which accounts for his poise in tough situations.

“It’s a lot different than high school,” he said. “I played at a small 4A in the area. There wasn’t as much competition as there is here. Every hitter you face here is good. Staying on top of that I think (is important).”

It also helps that when he gets in trouble, as he did in the sixth when he yielded a two-out single and then hit a batter, he had Shafer to come in behind him.

Though Bret Blomquist greeted Shafer with an RBI double down the line, that was the extent of the damage. With runners at second and third, Andrew Delaney popped up in the infield to end the threat, leaving UTSA with a 5-3 lead going into the late innings.

Shafer retired three straight in the seventh and three of four in the eighth, keeping WKU off the board in each inning.

In the ninth, Shafer was about the close out the game, but a throwing error by first baseman Sammy Diaz on a potential double play ball loaded the bases and kept the door open for the Hilltoppers.

Aidan Gilroy responded with a fly ball that brought in a run for the final 5-4 margin. But with dangerous Drew Reckart coming to the plate, Hallmark didn’t want to take any chances. He called for Miller, who is enjoying one of the best seasons statistically in the nation.

Miller struck out Reckart on three pitches for his fifth save of the season and his second in two days. On the last pitch, WKU’s runs batted in leader was caught looking, as a Miller slider bit down to catch the inside corner.

“Sometimes his slider likes to break hard, and then sometimes it kind of sits,” Killeen said. “It’s hard to hit if you don’t know which slider is coming. That was pretty impressive by him, that last (at bat).”

Records

Western Kentucky 16-12, 2-6
UTSA 22-6, 7-1

Coming up

Western Kentucky at UTSA, Sunday, 12:30 p.m.

Notable

With the series finale scheduled Sunday afternoon, the Roadrunners have the best record after 28 games (22-6) in school history, one game ahead of the 1994 team (21-7).

For perspective, Coach Jimmy Shankle’s ’94 team was 12-3 at home and 9-4 on the road in its opening 28. This year, by contrast, Hallmark’s fourth UTSA team has played a home-heavy schedule. UTSA is 17-3 at Roadrunner Field and 5-3 on the road …

Catchers normally don’t bat leadoff, but Josh Killeen isn’t paying attention to that. With Hallmark tweaking the lineup, the senior from Reagan High School is just trying to make hard contact.

He’s hit in the No. 1 hole the past two games. On Friday night, Killeen went one for three and scored a run. On Saturday, he went two for four and drove in two. In the process, he boosted his batting average to .362, which is No. 2 on the team.

“I enjoy the position,” Killeen said. “I think it’s great. I’m just sticking with my approach. Not trying to do anything more, anything less. A lot of people like to think, ‘Oh, you get to see more pitches.’ I just like to see a pitch and hammer it.” …

Simon Miller, in 12 appearances this season, has constructed a 6-0 win-loss record, with an 0.59 ERA. At the start of the week, he led the nation with an 0.64 ERA and was also tied for the national lead with the six victories. He’s had saves in UTSA’s two home games this weekend, boosting his season total to five.

JB’s video replay

Diaz reflects on a Colorado mining-town, baseball bash after homering in UTSA’s 3-2 victory

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Sammy Diaz hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to give UTSA the go-ahead run. UTSA beat Western Kentucky 3-2 in Conference USA baseball on Friday, March 31, 2023, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sammy Diaz hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to give UTSA the go-ahead run. UTSA beat Western Kentucky 3-2 in Conference USA baseball on Friday at Roadrunner Field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

After UTSA pitchers Luke Malone and Simon Miller combined to shut down the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 3-2 Friday night at Roadrunner Field, first baseman Sammy Diaz stole the show in postgame interviews, telling tales of his participation last summer in a mountain-top, long-ball competition in a Colorado mining town.

The subject of his trip to the mountains came up after Diaz smashed a titanic solo home run that helped the Roadrunners remain in first place in Conference USA.

Sammy Diaz hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to give UTSA the go-ahead run. UTSA beat Western Kentucky 3-2 in Conference USA baseball on Friday, March 31, 2023, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sammy Diaz circles the bases after his fourth-inning solo home run. It was his third of the season and his second in three games. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Not too long after he hit a fourth-inning blast well over a 405-foot sign perched atop a two-tiered section of fencing in center field, giving UTSA the one-run lead that would stand up for the rest of the game, a Roadrunners’ fan on the concourse said he saw a news story online about the long-ball event held last August in Victor, Colo.

Diaz, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound senior from Palm Desert, Calif., confirmed after the game that he competed in the event and said he took second place with a ball that he hit 531 feet.

“It was at a community field in an old mining town, a super-old mining town,” Diaz said. “It was really cool. It was really good to go out there. Super nice. It was like, historic, one of the oldest cities in Colorado. They’ve got a bunch of gold mines out there. We were hitting on top of a mountain (in a field). There was no fence. I hit mine over City Hall. I hit mine into downtown.”

Located at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet on the southwest side of Pikes Peak, the town of Victor harkens back to the 1890s Gold Rush era.

Diaz, for one, has a few stories to tell about his trip.

The event got a little bit wild at one point when one of the competitors lost control of the bat, which flipped from the tee area out into an area with some parked cars. Diaz said “it went into the news reporter’s car, right into his window. I don’t know what happened with that, with the insurance or what. But, it made for a good video.”

Like a raucous competition in an old mining town, the fortunes for the UTSA baseball team have been mostly golden all season. The one-run victory over the Hilltoppers in the first game of a three-game C-USA series was no different. Malone pitched seven innings to pick up his third victory of the season against two losses.

Miller, one of the top pitchers in the nation statistically, worked a scoreless eighth and ninth for his fourth save. The Hilltoppers allowed a few opportunities to win the game get away from them, most notably their last at bat when Kirk Liebert led off with a double.

Simon Miller pitched the final two innings and got the save. UTSA beat Western Kentucky 3-2 in Conference USA baseball on Friday, March 31, 2023, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Simon Miller pitched the final two innings to earn his fourth save. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Ricardo Leonett followed with a well-hit ball to center, which allowed Liebert to take third. But with one out and the potential tying run 90 feet away, Miller steadied himself and closed the door on the visiting team from Bowling Green, Ky.

First, Ty Batusich smashed a ball to the left side. UTSA shortstop Matt King made a nifty pickup on a short hop and fired to first. With two down, Andrew Delaney came to the plate but was no match for Miller, who fanned him to clinch the team’s 21st victory of the season.

It’s the most wins for a UTSA team before April 1 since the 1994 squad went 24-9 through the end of March in 1994.

“This definitely feels good,” Miller said. “We’re playing good baseball right now. As long as we continue to play it, we’ll continue to beat teams. So, it’s nice. It’s really nice.”

Coming into Friday’s series opener, UTSA had been off its game, as much as a team with a 21-6 record and a 6-1 mark in conference can be off. On a five-game road trip, the Roadrunners went 2-3, losing at UT Rio Grande Valley, winning two of three at Rice, and then losing at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday.

There was no panic at practice on Wednesday or Thursday.

“I don’t think it was any different,” Miller said. “We knew what we had to do. That was just to get to work and focus and be better next time out. I think that’s what we did.”

UTSA starter Luke Malone worked seven innings and struck out eight. He allowed two runs, both of them earned, on six hits and a walk. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said it’s definitely a confidence boost for the team when Malone starts a game and Miller finishes.

“Luke is just so steady,” Hallmark said. “Throws all his pitches for strikes. He’s a wonderful competitor. He checks every box, you know, and then to have Simon. Simon has those tough low breaking pitches that are really hard to get off the ground. It’s hard to get extra bases (off him).”

Hallmark said Liebert’s double into the right-center gap in the ninth was only the second extra-base hit off Miller all season.

“That makes the other team have to get multiple hits,” the coach said. “Generally they need to get three hits to beat him. Simon, his stuff is really elite. He’s ready for pro ball. And Luke, it’s the nature of the mixing of the pitches and the junk-yard dog that he is.”

For the season, Malone has a 3-2 win-loss record with a career-low 2.00 earned run average. In his last four starts, he is 3-0. Miller, along with his four saves, is 6-0 with an 0.59 ERA. The 6-foot-2 junior from Canton has struck out 44 and walked only seven in 30 and 1/3 innings.

Records

Western Kentucky 16-11, 2-5
UTSA 21-6, 6-1

Coming up

WKU at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
WKU at UTSA, Sunday, 12:30 p.m.

Notable

After receiving the invitation to hit in the long-ball competition from event organizer Earnie Granville, Diaz participated with YouTube stars such as Portland-based Will Taylor of the Baseball Bat Bros, Eric “The King of JUCO” Sim, and Jeremy “The Swingman” Nowak, according to a story published in the Pike’s Peak Courier.

The newspaper reported that competitors were trying to break a Guinness world record.

According to Guinness, Babe Ruth holds the record for longest home run in a Major League game, hitting one 575 feet for the New York Yankees against the Detroit Tigers in July 1921. The longest balls hit in Colorado reportedly traveled 534, 531, 515 and 508 feet. The Pike’s Peak Courier reported that Diaz had the 531-foot shot.

Asked about Diaz’s long ball in Colorado, Miller smiled, joking that he wasn’t sure.

“I’ve heard about it,” Miller said. “I don’t know much about it. You know, in Colorado, the air is thinner, so the ball flies farther. So, we don’t know how true it is.”

To that, Diaz said, “These guys always make fun of me. They say I need the wind to hit home runs. It’s not my fault when I hit ’em when the wind’s blowing out.” The home run Diaz hit against Western Kentucky, based on its trajectory, likely traveled 420 feet or farther. It was Diaz’s third home run of the season and his second in two games.

JB’s video replay

UTSA aims for victory No. 21 tonight against Western Kentucky

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Sitting in first place in the Conference USA baseball race, the UTSA Roadrunners host the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers tonight at 6. UTSA and WKU also will play Saturday and Sunday afternoon to complete a three-game series. All games will be played on campus at Roadrunner Field.

UTSA (20-6, 5-1 C-USA) has won its first two series in conference play, sweeping the FAU Owls at home on March 17-19 and then winning two of three at Rice University in Houston last weekend. WKU (16-10, 2-4) lost two of three at Middle Tennessee before dropping two of three at home last week against Louisiana Tech.

Winning games at a rate that is slightly off a school-record pace, UTSA has notched 20 victories by the end of March for only the second time in program history. In 1994, UTSA started out 24-9 before April 1, going on to finish the season 39-18. The ’94 team reached the NCAA tournament, playing in a regional at Austin.

After sweeping FAU two weeks ago, UTSA had won 10 straight for an 18-3 record on the season. Since then, the Roadrunners have cooled off a bit, losing 5-3 at UT Rio Grande Valley on March 21, losing in the middle of the three games at Rice, 13-8, and then falling at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 8-2 on Tuesday night.

Baylor transfer Antonio Valdez leads the team with a .412 batting average, eight home runs and 40 RBI. Caleb Hill (.363) ranks second on the team in batting average but hasn’t played since he was hit by a pitch on March 24 in the first game of the series at Rice.

Pitcher Luke Malone (2-2, 1.89 ERA) has been the team’s Friday night starter, followed by Uli Quiroga (4-0, 4.35) on Saturdays. Simon Miller (6-0, 0.64) leads the staff in victories and earned run average. Miller has 41 strikeouts in 28 and 1/3 innings. Daniel Shafer (2.35 ERA) leads the team with five saves.

Records

Western Kentucky 16-10, 2-4
UTSA 20-6, 5-1

Coming up

Western Kentucky University at UTSA, today, 6 p.m.
WKU at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
WKU at UTSA, Sunday, 12:30 p.m.