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UTSA clinches back-to-back American baseball titles

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The UTSA Roadrunners hoist their championship trophy Friday night after defeating the UAB Blazers 19-9 on the run rule, securing at least a share of the American Conference regular-season championship. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners fell behind twice Friday night but rallied both times, eventually storming to a 19-9, run-rule victory over the UAB Blazers, as they clinched at least a tie for the American Conference baseball title.

Officials called the game after UAB’s at bat in the top of the seventh on the run rule.

With the victory and the championship, the Roadrunners have now won the American two years in a row.

Diego Diaz lit up the UAB Blazers with two home runs, including a grand slam, and a double. He also produced six RBIs. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Last year, they did it in dominant fashion, winning 23 of 27 games in conference on the way to a school-record 47 victories and a trip to the NCAA Super Regional.

This year, they have recorded a 36-18 overall record, 17-9 in the American, leading into Saturday’s regular-season finale against the Blazers.

The East Carolina Pirates, at 32-21-1 and 16-10, still have a chance to tie for the top spot if they can win and the Roadrunners lose on the final day.

But even if that happens, Roadrunners would be regarded as co-champions and would be the No. 1 seed in next week’s American Conference tournament.

East Carolina beat the FAU Owls, 6-1, on Friday night to stay within one game of UTSA in the standings.

In an interview with ESPN after the game, an emotional seventh-year UTSA head coach Pat Hallmark acknowledged how much pride he felt in his players. He agreed that it was a special moment.

“We’re very grateful,” he said. “Just grateful for the players.”

For UTSA players and coaches, emotions have run the gamut over the past few weeks.

They lost two out of three last weekend in Memphis, the first time all season that they dropped a series in the conference.

Returning home, they run-ruled the regional rival Texas State Bobcats 19-4 Tuesday night in non-conference play, only to have the outcome marred by a postgame altercation between Hallmark and Texas State coaches.

Jacob Silva. UTSA baseball beat UAB 19-9 in 7 innings on Friday night, May 15, 2026, at Roadrunner Field to clinch the American Conference regular-season title. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jacob Silva, a UTSA sophomore from San Antonio Clark High School, jumps into a gaggle of teammates returning to the dugout after hitting one of his two home runs against UAB. – Photo by Joe Alexander

On Wednesday, UTSA released a statement, with athletic director Lisa Campos calling the coach’s conduct after the game “unacceptable.” Also in the statement, Hallmark apologized to UTSA, its fans and the Texas State program.

One night later, on Thursday, the Roadrunners hosted the Blazers in the first game of the season-ending series with a chance to clinch at least a share of the title.

But the Blazers made some sterling plays in the field and hit a couple of home runs to win 7-6, keeping the Roadrunners from celebrating.

In the end, the celebration came Friday night after UTSA pounded out 19 hits, including eight for extra bases.

Individually, both Diego Diaz and Jacob Silva socked two home runs apiece, with Diaz connecting on a first-inning grand slam.

Both talked about their emotions in post-game interviews with ESPN.

“I don’t know,” said Diaz, who also had a double on a three-hit, six RBI night. “I’m just seeing the ball well and trusting in the work that I’ve done.”

Added Silva, a transfer from TCU who played San Antonio Clark High School, “It’s a great feeling.”

Silva’s performance in the clincher was sweet after he didn’t see much playing time last year at TCU.

“The only thing I can ask for is an opportunity,” he said. “I thank coach (Pat) Hallmark and coach (Ryan) Aguayo and my teammates for having my back.”

Mike DeBattista. UTSA baseball beat UAB 19-9 in 7 innings on Friday night, May 15, 2026, at Roadrunner Field to clinch the American Conference regular-season title. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Senior Mike DeBattista earned the victory as UTSA claimed its second straight championship in the American. He shut down a UAB rally in the fourth inning and worked one and a third shutout innings, allowing only one hit. He walked one and struck out two. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Other UTSA players enjoyed monster nights, as well. Drew Detlefsen had four hits. Jordan Ballin tied Diaz with three base knocks apiece.

RBI leaders included Diaz with six, Silva with four and Caden Miller with three.

Everyone in the lineup scored at least once as UTSA picked up ace pitcher Conor Myles, who was rocked for nine runs in three and two thirds innings.

Myles entered the game with a 2.45 earned run average. When he exited, the Blazers held a 9-7 lead and had hit three home runs, one each by JP Head, Landon Beaver and Max Price.

UTSA fans fell silent in the fourth when Myles walked off the mound, replaced by Mike DeBattista. A few minutes later, they were roaring once again as the Roadrunners scored five in the bottom half of the inning.

They added another five in the fifth to make it 17-9. In the bottom of the sixth, the Roadrunners scored two more runs for the 10-run margin on Silva’s second homer of the night and Christian Hallmark’s RBI triple.

How it happened

The first inning, in itself, was an adventure.

With one out in the top half, UAB blasted back-to-back homers, courtesy of JP Head and Landon Beaver off UTSA ace Conor Myles.

After an error by UTSA third baseman Diego Diaz allowed a base runner to reach, Myles retired two straight to end the threat.

In the bottom half, the Roadrunners answered with a five-run, outburst off UAB starter Carter Samuelson.

Conor Myles. UTSA baseball beat UAB 19-9 in 7 innings on Friday night, May 15, 2026, at Roadrunner Field to clinch the American Conference regular-season title. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA ace Conor Myles had a tough night, yielding a season-high nine runs on eight hits in three and two thirds innings. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Samuelson dug himself a hole by walking Caden Miller, yielding a single to Drew Detlefsen and walking Lane Haworth to load the bases.

The UAB starter continued to struggle with command, walking Andrew Stucky to force in UTSA’s first run.

With the bases still loaded, Diaz jerked a 1-0 fastball to right field for a grand slam and a 5-2 lead.

Myles settled down in the top of the second, retiring three straight batters to set up more fireworks from his teammates.

UAB reliever Riley Miller, who put out the first inning fire, found trouble immediately in the second as Detlefsen cranked a double into the right-center field gap.

After Miller sat down the next two batters to face him, he encountered Diaz, who took an 0-2 pitch to the opposite field.

When it sailed into the screen over the left field wall for a two-run homer, the Roadrunners had jumped out to a 7-2 lead.

Who would have guessed that it would be the beginning of a monster comeback by the Blazers?

Well, it was.

In the third, the Blazers started the rally inconspicuously enough with one run an RBI single by Beaver.

By the fourth, it became a landslide. UAB started the inning with four straight hits off Myles, including an RBI single by Wesley Helms and a three-run homer by Max Price.

The Blazers weren’t finished. After Baylor Roberts reached on a hit by pitch, Kevin Hall Jr. slashed an RBI double for the go-ahead run. Hall subsequently scored on a wild pitch to give UAB a 9-7 lead.

From there, UTSA decided to make a pitching change, bringing in Mike DeBattista to get the last out.

Myles entered the game with 2.48 earned run average. He finished his day by working three and two thirds innings and yielding a season-high nine runs (all earned) on eight hits.

Down by two runs, UTSA staged a furious rally of its own.

With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Jacob Silva launched a two-run homer to center field off reliever Konner Keplinger.

Brendan Conner replaced Keplinger but couldn’t slow down the Roadrunners.

After Conner issued a walk to Christian Hallmark and Aidan Eshelman singled, Miller pulled a two-run single into right field.

Detlefsen’s third hit of the night drove in the fifth run of the inning and made it 12-9 UTSA.

By the fifth inning, UAB’s bullpen was beginning to show wear and tear as the Roadrunners scored five runs in an inning for the third time in the game.

The last three runs scored with two outs on RBI singles from Eshelman, Miller and Haworth. When Haworth stroked a ball to center field, Miller came around to score and made it 17-9.

Highlighting UTSA’s sixth inning, Silva homered to center and Christian Hallmark legged out an RBI triple for the final margin.

Records

UAB 30-24, 14-12
UTSA 36-18, 17-9

Coming up

UAB at UTSA, Saturday, 11 a.m.
American Conference tournament, May 20-24, in Clearwater, Fla.

Notable

UTSA’s back-to-back conference championships in the regular season are the second in school history and the first since 2007-08 in the Southland.

The Roadrunners will open play in the American tournament next Friday in Clearwater.

The eight-team tournament itself opens Wednesday, but the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds get a double by through to Friday. If UTSA can win its first two games, it will need only three wins to claim the postseason title.

American leaderboard

UTSA 17-9, 36-18
East Carolina 16-10, 32-21-1
Rice 15-11, 33-22
UAB 14-12, 30-24
Memphis 13-13, 22-31
FAU 12-14 28-26
South Florida 11-15, 32-20
Wichita State 11-15, 27-27
Charlotte 11-15, 27-27
Tulane 10-16, 25-30

UTSA baseball beat UAB 19-9 in 7 innings on Friday night, May 15, 2026, at Roadrunner Field to clinch the American Conference regular-season title. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA players sing the school song after their title-clinching victory Friday night. The Roadrunners will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming American Conference tournament. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UAB wins 7-6 and keeps UTSA from clinching the American baseball title

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Caden Miller's first home run. UAB beat UTSA 7-6 in American Conference baseball on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Caden Miller belted a two-run homer in the third inning and a solo shot in the eighth in UTSA’s 7-6 loss to the UAB Blazers. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With only two days left in the American Conference baseball race, the UTSA Roadrunners are still not champions.

Not yet, at least.

Despite hitting four home runs, including two by Caden Miller, the first-place Roadrunners lost 7-6 Thursday night at home to the UAB Blazers.

Meanwhile, in Boca Raton, Fla., the second-place East Carolina Pirates held off the FAU Owls in the ninth inning to win 7-5.

As a result, the Roadrunners’ magic number to clinch remained at one.

One win by the Roadrunners or one loss by the Pirates will give UTSA at least a share of the title.

Both of the top two in the standings have two games remaining, with UTSA ace Conor Myles scheduled to pitch Friday night against UAB.

UAB pitcher Mason Steele. UAB beat UTSA 7-6 in American Conference baseball on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UAB starting pitcher Mason Steele (6-3) earned the victory. He went eight and a third innings and gave up six runs on six hits. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The teams close out the series and the regular season Saturday at Roadrunner Field.

After the opening game in the series, players quietly packed up and went into a meeting in the clubhouse with UTSA coaches.

Then they filtered outside, with some leaving and others waiting around to talk with friends and family.

Miller, who has hit three home runs this week, agreed to talk to a reporter for a few minutes and offered a succinct description of the mood among players.

“It sucks,” Miller said. “But it’s in the past now. Got to get ready for tomorrow.”

“The biggest thing is, we’ve got a game tomorrow.

“Be grateful that we got a game tomorrow and be ready to play — to play UTSA baseball.”

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said the team played “fine” except for walking a few too many batters early in the game.

Hallmark credited UAB pitcher Mason Steele and the defense behind him for combining to hold down UTSA’s offense, which exploded in a 19-4 win Tuesday against Texas State.

“We only had seven hits in 33 at bats,” the coach said. “Steele only walked us once, and they made some plays … Their defense played good.”

The Blazers started fast, scoring four runs in the second inning for a 4-0 lead.

Connor Kelley. UAB beat UTSA 7-6 in American Conference baseball on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA junior Connor Kelley pitched the final five and two thirds innings, yielding only a run on three hits. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners retaliated with one run in their half of the second and four more in the third to surge ahead, 5-4.

In the second, Diego Diaz connected on a solo homer, UTSA’s first in a conference game since April 25.

The Roadrunners hit a pair of two-run homers off Steele in the third, one by Miller and another by Andrew Stucky.

The Blazers answered immediately in the fourth with some thunder of their own as Landon Beaver rocked Roadrunners reliever Christopher Gutierrez with a two-run homer to straight-away center.

They added another run in the sixth on a solo shot by Baylor Roberts for a 7-5 lead.

Miller gave UTSA hope in the eighth when he cranked a solo shot over the right field wall to account for the eventual final score.

Counting a home run that he hit Tuesday night against the Bobcats, Miller has lashed three round trippers in the last 72 hours and nine for the season.

“Just trying to stay loose and relaxed,” he said. “I don’t try to do too much up there.

“Just trusting in what coach (Ryan) Aguayo and coach Hallmark have taught me, and I think just trying to stay out of my own way, going up there and trusting the work that I’ve put in.

“Just going up there ready to hit.”

With UAB leading by the eventual final score, UTSA caught a brief spark in the bottom of the ninth.

Josh Arquette, facing UAB reliever Chase Ingram, lofted a pop fly into left field that got lost in the lights, and it dropped for a two-out double.

As Roadrunners fans cheered the development, Brandon Bishop entered the game as a pinch runner and as the potential tying run.

Diego Diaz. UAB beat UTSA 7-6 in American Conference baseball on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Diego Diaz smashed a solo home run in the second inning for his team’s first run of the game. – Photo by Joe Alexander

But it wasn’t meant to be as Roadrunners sophomore Jordan Ballin drilled a hot ground ball to short, which turned into the game-ending play.

Records

UAB 30-23, 14-11
UTSA 35-18, 16-9

Coming up

UAB at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
UAB at UTSA, Saturday, 11 a.m.

American leaderboard

UTSA 16-9, 35-18
East Carolina 15-10, 31-21-1
UAB 14-11, 30-23
Rice 14-11, 32-22

Notable

UAB righthander Mason Steele (6-3) earned the victory. He worked eight and a third innings, allowing six runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out four.

UTSA reliever Christopher Gutierrez (1-3) threw only one pitch in the game and was saddled with the loss. The freshman lefthander entered in relief of Gunnar Brown in the fourth inning.

One runner was aboard and UAB had slugging, left-side hitting Landon Beavers coming to bat. Beavers cranked a pitch from Gutierrez over the center field wall.

UAB’s Baylor Roberts hit a solo shot in the top of the sixth off UTSA reliever Connor Kelley, who yielded one run on three hits in five and two thirds.

UAB closer Chase Ingram. UAB beat UTSA 7-6 in American Conference baseball on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UAB closer Chase Ingram picked up his third save by getting two outs in the ninth, including a game-closing ground ball by Jordan Ballin. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Campos calls Hallmark’s actions in altercation ‘unacceptable’

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA issued a statement critical of Roadrunners baseball coach Pat Hallmark on Wednesday night, nearly 24 hours after a post-game, altercation between Hallmark and coaches of the Texas State Bobcats.

UTSA Athletic Director Lisa Campos at the grand opening celebration of the UTSA Park West Fieldhouse facility in front of the school's soccer and track and field stadiums. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA athletic director Lisa Campos: ‘It is clear that Coach Hallmark’s conduct last night was unacceptable. I have addressed his words and actions with him and I am confident that he understands and acknowledges that it cannot happen again.’ – File photo by Joe Alexander

Athletic director Lisa Campos, in the statement, called Hallmark’s actions “unacceptable.” Hallmark apologized to UTSA, its fans and the Texas State baseball program.

The university’s statement came on the eve of an important regular-season ending, three-game series involving the Roadrunners and the UAB Blazers.

The series opens Thursday night and runs through Saturday at Roadrunner Field.

If UTSA can win one game out of the three, it would clinch at least a tie for the regular-season title in the American Conference.

After UTSA defeated Texas State 19-4 Tuesday night on the run rule, coaches for both teams gathered at home plate to discuss whether a Roadrunners pitcher had thrown at one of the Bobcats’ hitters.

During the exchange, tempers flared, and video showed Hallmark shoving a Texas State coach.

After the game, the UTSA coach said one of Texas State’s assistants “put his hands on me, so I put my hands back on him.”

Videos that appeared on social media captured a heated exchange between Hallmark and the Texas State coaches.

A video shot by Rylan Renteria, sports editor of The Paisano, the student newspaper at UTSA, showed coaches shouting at each other as Texas State players angrily hurled insults at Hallmark.

The incident led to communication during the day on Wednesday between administrators at UTSA and Texas State.

In a statement released just before 8 p.m. Wednesday, Campos, the UTSA vice president and director of athletics, criticized Hallmark’s conduct.

“After reviewing last night’s incident with Pat Hallmark, Texas State Athletics Director Don Coryell, American Conference officials and others, it is clear that Coach Hallmark’s conduct last night was unacceptable,” Campos said.

Added Campos, “I have addressed his words and actions with him and I am confident that he understands and acknowledges that it cannot happen again. We consider the matter closed.”

Hallmark, in the statement, expressed contrition for his role in the incident.

“I want to apologize to UTSA and our incredible fans for any embarrassment I may have caused for my conduct after last night’s game,” Hallmark said.

Added the coach, “I also want to apologize to the Texas State baseball program, its coaches, student-athletes and fans.

“Regardless of my motivation or provocation, I did not represent the sportsmanship and character that we demand of our student-athletes and that UTSA expects and deserves. I will do better.”

It remains to be seen how the controversy will affect the Roadrunners, who lead the American Conference by two games over the East Carolina Pirates and by three over the Blazers and the Rice Owls.

All have three games to play.

The title would be UTSA’s second straight after Hallmark’s 2025 team won the American, advanced to the NCAA tournament and defeated the Texas Longhorns in the Austin Regional.

Some hailed the baseball team’s success last year as the greatest team achievement in school history.

Records

UAB 29-23, 13-11
UTSA 35-17, 16-8

Coming up

UAB at UTSA, Thursday, 6 p.m.
UAB at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
UAB at UTSA, Saturday, 11 a.m.

Notable

The Roadrunners won their first seven series in the American this season and 18 straight dating back to May of 2024. The streak was broken last week when they dropped two of three games at Memphis.

When Caden Miller blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning Tuesday against Texas State, it was only the third home run for UTSA in eight games in May.

All three of the home runs have been hit in Tuesday night games. The Roadrunners haven’t hit a home run on the weekend since April 25 at Tulane when Miller, Cade Sadler and Diego Diaz went deep.

UTSA hasn’t hit a homer in seven straight conference games since then, the finale at Tulane, three at home against Wichita State and three on the road last week at Memphis.

Senior Gunnar Brown (2-0, 5.77) is expected to start tonight for the Roadrunners against junior Mason Steele (5-3, 4.65).

Brown is one of 10 seniors set to be honored before Saturday’s regular-season finale. Players set to be recognized are:

Mike DeBattista
Drew Detlefsen
Josh Vaughn
Brandon Bishop
James Hubbard
Cade Sadler
Sam Simmons
Christian Okerholm
Gunnar Brown
Broc Parmer

UTSA moves into a tie for first with UAB in the American

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners emerged on Sunday in a tie for first place in the American Conference baseball race.

Despite a 7-1 loss to the South Florida Bulls in a series finale on Saturday in San Antonio, the Roadrunners (25-11, 8-4) will move into the new week tied for first with the UAB Blazers.

The Blazers (23-13, 8-4) dropped a 10-2 decision to the Wichita State Shockers on Sunday in Birmingham.

Nolan Ganter slugged two home runs and produced four RBIs as the Shockers took two out of three in the series.

Since UTSA won two of three from South Florida, the Roadrunners picked up a game on the Blazers in the standings.

UTSA will play the Baylor Bears Tuesday night in Waco in a non-conference game before returning home to host the Charlotte 49ers on the weekend in the American.

The Charlotte series will run Friday through Sunday at Roadrunner Field.

American Conference
Through four of nine weekends

UTSA 8-4, 25-11
UAB 8-4, 23-13
Rice 7-5, 23-14
Wichita State 7-5, 23-14
East Carolina 7-5, 22-14-1
South Florida 6-6, 25-10
Tulane 6-6, 19-18
FAU 4-8, 17-18
Memphis 4-8, 11-23
Charlotte 3-9, 18-17

Last-place UAB women surge past defending champion UTSA

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The last-place UAB Blazers shot 64 percent in a dominant third quarter in Birmingham on Tuesday night and then cruised to an 81-69 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners in American Conference women’s basketball.

Leading by five at the half, UAB (9-13, 2-8) went on an 18-4 run in the first five minutes after halftime and outscored UTSA 27-14 in the third behind the scoring of Cali Smallwood and freshman Sofia Munoz.

In the end, the Blazers’ 81 points represented a season high for a UTSA opponent.

With the win, Randy Norton-coached UAB claimed its second victory in a row and its first in the opening game of the second half of the conference slate. Defense-minded UTSA (10-11, 5-5) yielded 56 percent shooting for the game in losing its second straight.

The defending conference champion Roadrunners, who opened conference play at 3-0, have dropped five of their last seven.

The last two Roadrunners’ losses have come in the last four days. UTSA dropped a 65-55 decision to the first-place Rice Owls on Saturday in San Antonio and then had a quick turnaround for the Tuesday night game in Alabama.

UTSA will play next on Saturday in Oklahoma against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, an upper-tier team in the conference. The Golden Hurricane (16-6, 8-2) also played Tuesday night and won on the road at Wichita State, 75-65.

“It’s not going to get any easier,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said on the team’s radio broadcast. “I thought that this whole time, that every game was going to be like this, and it’s going to boil down to … ‘How hungry are you?’ and, ‘How bad do you want to win? Does it mean that much to you?’

“I mean, everybody (in the conference) is fighting, just to get in the tournament. You know, maybe we’ve hit a lull. I don’t really know. We looked like maybe we’ve hit a little bit of a wall. We got to figure out how to re-energize ourselves.”

Aston acknowledged that she doesn’t really have an answer on how to get the team to boost its energy level.

“We just don’t look like we have enough gas in our tank right now,” she said.

Forward Molly Moffitt led six UAB players in double figures with 19 points. Smallwood added 15 and Journey Armstead 13. Eleecia Carter scored 12, while Monae’ Duffy and Munoz had 11 apiece.

For UTSA, point guard Ereauna Hardaway produced 17 points and five assists. Forward Cheyenne Rowe added 16, but after halftime, the Roadrunners’ scoring leader was hounded by a collapsing UAB defense and was held to five.

Idara Udo, in her third game back after sitting out six weeks with an injury, scored 12. The Roadrunners shot 41 percent from the field.

Records

UTSA 10-11, 5-5
UAB 9-13, 2-8

Coming up

UTSA at Tulsa, Saturday, 2 p.m.

First half

The Blazers shot 48.1 percent from the field and knocked down five 3-pointers en route to a 32-27 lead on the Roadrunners.

It was a disappointing showing for the Roadrunners, who entered the game in sixth place in the American against the Blazers, who were in last (13th).

Molly Moffitt and guard Eleecia Carter both scored nine points to lead the Blazers. Moffitt connected on four of nine from the field and Carter three of five, all from 3-point distance.

UTSA women to face a UAB team ‘feeling good about themselves’

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Fighting through the “dog days” of the American Conference schedule, the UTSA Roadrunners women are looking to find some consistency when they play on the road tonight against the last-place UAB Blazers.

The Roadrunners (10-10, 5-4) tip off against the Blazers (8-13, 1-8) at 6 p.m.

UTSA split two games at home last week, building a double-digit lead against North Texas and then holding on for a 66-64 victory and then playing on even terms for a half against first-place Rice before ultimately falling, 65-55.

“I thought last week was a good week for our team, obviously a good win against North Texas and then kind of equally disappointing against Rice,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “But we’re in the dog days now and we have to turn the page and get to the next game.”

Coach Randy Norton’s Blazers (8-13, 1-8) endured hard times to start their conference schedule with eight straight losses before playing well and winning 83-65 on the road last weekend at Wichita State.

Guard Cali Smallwood scored 25 points in the performance, knocking down seven of 12 shots from 3-point distance.

“Their record is not indicative of how they’ve played,” Aston said. “They had a new team and obviously had to find some chemistry and get used to conference play, so to say. But they had a big win on Saturday, and just to get that one over for them probably gave them a lot of confidence.

“I would think we’ll roll in there with them feeling pretty good about themselves.”

Records

UTSA 10-10, 5-4
UAB 8-13, 1-8

Coming up

UTSA at UAB, Tuesday, 6 p.m.
UTSA at Tulsa, Saturday, 2 p.m.

UAB surges late to win 83-73, dealing the UTSA men their 14th straight loss

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Brent Moss. UAB beat UTSA 83-73 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Junior guard-forward Brent Moss led the Roadrunners with 19 points and seven rebounds. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners battled into the last minute Wednesday night but couldn’t make enough plays in crunch time, falling 83-73 to the UAB Blazers for their 14th straight loss.

A crowd of 1,024 at the UTSA Convocation Center watched as forward Daniel Rivera scored 17 points to lead the Blazers, who improved to 13-8 on the season and to 4-4 in the American Conference.

Oddly, UAB is 4-0 on the road in conference and 0-4 at home. UTSA, meanwhile, fell to 4-17 and 0-9 as Brent Moss produced 19 points and seven rebounds.

Jamir Simpson followed with 18 points, which included a tomahawk dunk in the second half, while Baboucarr Njie added 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.

Njie, a 6-6 sophomore from Ohio, has totaled 22 blocks in his last five games.

Jamir Simpson. UAB beat UTSA 83-73 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Jamir Simpson scored 18 points on eight of 14 shooting from the field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners’ losing streak is a school record, and now they are winless in December and January (0-13 combined) with a road game at South Florida set for next Wednesday, Feb. 4, to start the second half of conference.

If there is a silver lining, UTSA has now played competitively deep into the second half in consecutive games for the first time during the skid.

The Roadrunners fell 70-64 last Saturday afternoon. On Wednesday night, they did it again, staying within a few possessions of the Blazers for most of the second half and then taking the lead at 69-68 with 4:06 remaining.

UAB outscored UTSA 14-5 in the last four minutes, with Chance Westry scoring on a drive, followed by Dayjaun Anderson’s corner three to make it an eight-point game with 1:45 remaining.

In the final minute, Roadrunners freshman Kaidon Rayfield sank two free throws with 47.6 seconds left, lifting his team to within four.

In response, UAB scored the last six points on two free throws from Ahmad Robinson and then four straight from Salim London.

“To me, honestly, the frustrating thing is not losing this game tonight,” UTSA coach Austin Claunch said. “The frustrating part of being a head coach is, ‘What could I have done to get these guys playing like this a month ago?’ Because, (if we did) we wouldn’t be where we are (now).”

UAB's Chance Westry. UAB beat UTSA 83-73 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Chance Westry, UAB’s leading scorer, hit six of eight from the field and matched his season average with 14 points against UTSA. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Claunch addressed the media, with Moss and Simpson seated at his side.

“These guys played their butts off tonight, led by two guys sitting next to me,” the coach said. “You lose a close game, that’s what basketball is all about. I told our guys. ‘We just got to keep putting ourselves in these situations.’ ”

Records

UAB 13-8, 4-4
UTSA 4-17, 0-9

Coming up

UTSA at South Florida, Feb. 4, 6 p.m.

Notable

The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils have the nation’s longest losing streak at 19 games after falling Wednesday to Southern University of Louisiana, 80-69. UTSA is next at 14, with Air Force sitting on 13.

A case could be made that the Blazers won the game at the free throw line. UAB sank 21 of 32 at the line to 14 of 17 for UTSA. For the Blazers, London, Robinson and Jacob Meyer were all four for four at the stripe.

UTSA center Stanley Borden apparently has a new injury. He sat out his 18th straight game and was on the bench in a walking boot. The 7-foot transfer from Duke has also had a hand injury that has kept him out of most of the season.

First half

Thriving in the mid-range and taking the ball to the basket, the UAB Blazers shot 55.6 percent from the field Wednesday to take a 38-36 lead at halftime on the UTSA Roadrunners.

Forward Daniel Rivera led the Blazers with 11 points, including back-to-back dunks a minute apart near the end of the first 10 minutes.

The Roadrunners played well offensively themselves, getting 11 points apiece from Baboucarr Njie and Brent Moss to stay close.

Even though UTSA trailed, its morale was lifted in knowing that the team has now played well in the first half in two straight games.

It’s not a small accomplishment considering the Roadrunners have lost 13 straight and have been blown out by halftime in several of the losses.

In their last outing, the Roadrunners led the Temple Owls 33-31 at the break. In the end, the Owls rallied to win by six.

Baboucarr Njie. UAB beat UTSA 83-73 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Baboucarr Njie produced 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Njie has 22 blocks over his last five games. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA women to host North Texas, nation’s leading rebounder; men aim to stop skid against UAB

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA will host a couple of American Conference basketball games on Wednesday at the Convocation Center, with the women meeting the North Texas Mean Green at 3 p.m. and the men taking on the UAB Blazers at 7.

Women’s basketball

Game 1 — North Texas at UTSA
3 p.m.

Men’s basketball

Game 2 — UAB at UTSA
7 p.m.

Game 1 at a glance

North Texas (11-9, 5-3) — UTSA fans will have their first opportunity to see Mean Green forward Megan Nestor, who leads the nation in rebounding (13.2) and ranks eighth in the conference in scoring (12.9). A native of St. Lucia in the Caribbean, she made headlines in December with a 34-point, 31-rebound game against Texas Southern. The Wayland Baptist transfer also pulled down 27 boards in North Texas’ 57-53 loss to Tulsa at home last Friday. Another storyline centers on the return of North Texas guard Aysia Proctor to the Convocation Center. The former standout at San Antonio-area Clemens High School played two seasons at UTSA before entering the transfer portal last spring. Proctor leads the Mean Green in scoring (13.6) and steals (1.5). North Texas has lost two of its last three.

UTSA (9-9, 4-3) — Decimated by injuries to six scholarship players, the defending conference champion Roadrunners aren’t playing well. They’ve have dropped three of their last four games and two in a row. After a dispiriting 52-40 loss at Memphis last Friday, fifth-year UTSA coach Karen Aston suggested that the team had “hit the wall,” not playing with the necessary effort or concentration. However blunt the assessment, it rang true, because early in the second half it felt as if UTSA might not finish the game with 35 points. Against a team with only one win in the conference, no less. On the flip side, the Roadrunners will enter the North Texas game with solid upper-class leadership in Cheyenne Rowe and Ereauna Hardaway and talented underclassmen who tend to play better at home. Like Proctor, Hardaway may have added motivation in that she played the past three seasons at North Texas. Rowe averages 12.6 points and 8.8 rebounds, and Hardaway 10.9 points and 5.1 assists.

Game 2 at a glance

UAB (12-8, 3-4) — Sixth-year UAB coach Andy Kennedy has averaged 25 wins over the last five seasons at the program based in Birmingham, Ala. His Blazers reached the NCAA tournament in 2022, out of Conference USA, and in 2024, out of the American. If they hope to reach the 20-win plateau or the national tournament this season, they’ll need to turn it on down the stretch to get there. Knowing Kennedy and his reputation for success, though, it wouldn’t be surprising if his team is ready to make it happen. Lad by guards Chance Westry and Jacob Meyer, the Blazers average 82.4 points a game. Both score 14-plus scorers per night. Three others average 11 points plus. So, they are explosive. Also, they’ve been good lately on the road. UAB is 3-0 in the American in games played away from home. Of course, it’s a mystery surrounds why they are 0-4 in conference at home.

UTSA (4-16, 0-8) — All eyes in the Convocation Center in the night game will be on the home team Roadrunners, who will hit the floor trying to snap out of a school-record 13-game losing streak. Injuries could be a factor against the Blazers as electric sophomore Baboucarr Njie, coming off a 25-point, 10-rebound, 5-block performance last Saturday in a 70-64 loss to Temple, might be limited with his mobility. Njie tweaked an ankle early in the second half in the Temple game. Guard Dorian Hayes also could be affected with shoulder issues. Three players are out for the season, including Vasean Allette, the team’s top offseason pickup out of the transfer portal. Allette is our for personal reasons. Also sitting out are forward Macaleab Rich and guard Pierce Spencer (for the season) and center Stanley Borden (game by game).

Quotable

Second-year UTSA coach Austin Claunch had this to say Monday on a zoom conference:

“I was really happy with the way we played against Temple. Certainly the best we’ve played in the league. I don’t think anybody would debate that. You know, got to finish the first half a little bit better, but still had a halftime lead. They came out with a better three minutes in that second to build that lead to 12. I think that was their biggest second-half lead.

“I was really proud of our group to battle back the way that we did. Got the thing back to one with about seven or eight minutes left. It was just a good college basketball game (with) runs made on each side. They just made a couple more plays than we did. I told our team afterward, it’s hard. That’s the first time we’d been in that situation in league play. We got to put ourselves in more situations like that to finish those games.

“We’re excited for Wednesday. (The Temple game was) certainly something to build off of. (Monday’s) an important day of prep. We’ll get out here and run around a little bit. Have a physical (practice) tomorrow (Tuesday). We’ll build up. (Baboucarr Njie) obviously got hurt the other day. He’ll be fine but he won’t (practice) much (Monday) with his ankle, make sure he’s ready to go by Wednesday. And Dorian (Hayes), obviously, with his shoulder. We want guys getting healthy. So (Monday) will be an important day of prep and have a good one (Tuesday), as well, and come out here and play well Wednesday.”

Correction: A previous version of this report misidentified Aysia Proctor’s high school. Proctor attended Clemens High School.

UTSA women are among 20 teams nationally with two or fewer losses

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Editor’s note: UTSA announced Monday that 6-foot-4 forward Nyayongah Gony is out for the season with a knee injury. Gony plans to exercise her COVID year to play a fifth and final collegiate season with the Roadrunners in 2025-26, according to a news release.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women have joined elite company.

The Roadrunners emerged after Saturday’s games as one of 20 teams in the nation — and only one of six from outside the Power 4 conferences or the Big East — with two or fewer losses, according to records posted on Sunday morning at ncaa.com.

The six so-called ‘mid-major’ programs include Grand Canyon, UTSA, Montana State, Quinnipiac, Buffalo and Harvard. (Please see the list below).

The Roadrunners won their their ninth straight game and improved to 16-2 on the season Saturday afternoon, downing the UAB Blazers, 73-63, on the road in Birmingham, Ala.

In the contest played at UAB’s Bartow Arena, forward Jordyn Jenkins scored 21 points, and the Roadrunners hit nine 3-point shots to remain perfect in the American Athletic Conference at 7-0.

With the victory, UTSA swept a two-game road trip through Memphis and Birmingham, extending a remarkable winning streak to nine for the first time since the 2008-09 season.

Another historical note suggests that good things could be on the horizon, since ’08-’09 was also the last time the Roadrunners made the NCAA tournament.

UTSA controlled the action from the start, building a 35-26 lead at halftime and then increasing it gradually in the second half.

At one point, the Roadrunners surged ahead by 23 points late in the third quarter before they slowed the pace.

Jenkins, a player of the year candidate in the American, hit six of 13 shots from the field and two of five from three.

She was also seven of eight at the free-throw line to lead the Roadrunners, who hit 16 of 21 freebies as a team. Jenkins played hard on both ends, blocking one shot and making a couple of steals.

Nina De Leon Negron and Sidney Love, UTSA’s starting backcourt, each scored 14 points. Both players knocked down a pair of threes.

Forward Jade Weathersby led the Blazers with 15 points and six rebounds. Weathersby was five of nine from the field. Three of her rebounds came on the offensive end.

Forward Maddie Walsh, UAB’s leading scorer at 12 points per game, was held to five. Guard Journey Armstead, who played well in San Antonio on Jan. 1, also was held to five.

The Roadrunners beat the Blazers 67-56 at the Convocation Center on New Years night.

Records

UTSA 16-2, 7-0
UAB 12-7, 3-4

Coming up

Tulsa at UTSA, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

Forward Maya Linton was scoreless in 19 minutes, returning to the team after a family matter prevented her from making the trip to Memphis.

UAB center Rayne Tucker did not play for the Blazers. Tucker had 16 points and seven rebounds against UTSA on Jan. 1 in San Antonio.

Two or fewer losses

Here is a list of NCAA Division I women’s basketball teams with two or fewer losses after games of Saturday, Jan. 18:

x-LSU 19-0
x-Ohio State 17-0
x-UCLA 17-0
x-TCU 19-1
x-Kansas State 18-1
x-South Carolina 17-1
x-Maryland 16-1
x-USC 16-1
x-Kentucky 15-1
x-Texas 17-2
y-Grand Canyon 17-2
y-UTSA 16-2
z-Connecticut 16-2
y-Montana State 16-2
x-Minnesota 16-2
x-Notre Dame 15-2
y-Quinnipiac 15-2
y-Buffalo 15-2
x-Tennessee 15-2
y-Harvard 13-2

x-From Power 4 conferences
y-From sub-Power 4 conferences
z-From the Big East

Roadrunners beat the Blazers 67-56, improve to 11-2 on the season

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Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA women's basketball beat UAB 67-56 in an American Athletic Conference game on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins connected on four of five shots from the field in the fourth quarter as the UTSA Roadrunners turned back the UAB Blazers on New Year’s night. An announced crowd of 917 attended at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Just when it seemed that a visiting team might beat the UTSA women in the Convocation Center for the first time this season, Jordyn Jenkins scored nine of her 16 points in the fourth quarter, lifting the Roadrunners to a 67-56 victory over the UAB Blazers Wednesday night.

With the victory, the Roadrunners improved to 11-2, including 5-0 at home and 2-0 in the American Athletic Conference. Their overall record ties the 1985-86 team for the best 13-game start in school history.

Sidney Love. UTSA women's basketball beat UAB 67-56 in an American Athletic Conference game on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sidney Love. UTSA women’s basketball beat UAB 67-56 in an American Athletic Conference game on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“I thought this was a really good win just from a standpoint of being kind of challenged,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “They took the lead (in the fourth quarter) and sort of tested our maturity. I thought we stepped up to the plate with that.”

Hit with two key losses to the transfer portal in the offseason, the Blazers gave an admirable effort against the AAC’s top-rated team.

On New Year’s night in front of an announced crowd of 917 fans, they rallied from an early 13-point deficit to take the lead, but then they were outplayed late and ultimately fell to 9-5 on the season and to 0-2 in conference.

“I didn’t think this would be an easy game,” Aston said. “I think UAB is really good. They shoot the ball really well. They’re a tough guard, especially since we haven’t played a team like them since we played Stanford.

“We have had three or four games in a row where we haven’t had to guard like we had to guard today. So I was concerned about that. I thought we did a pretty decent job. I thought we adjusted in the fourth quarter to how they were attacking us, which was really in the paint.”

After trailing for most of the game, the Blazers took a couple of one-point leads in the opening minutes of the fourth.

A Molly Moffitt 3-pointer lifted UAB into a 54-53 advantage with 6:40 remaining. From there, the Roadrunners outscored the Blazers 14-2 the rest of the way.

In the final run, Jenkins hit a contested 3-point shot from the wing and added a fast break layup off an alley-oop lob from Nina De Leon Negron. The 6-foot forward, in an athletic maneuver, caught the lob and spun it in off the glass before she hit the floor.

Damara Allen. UTSA women's basketball beat UAB 67-56 in an American Athletic Conference game on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Damara Allen scored a season-high 11 points and claimed the team’s ‘Cash In’ golden chain award. -Photo by Joe Alexander

Sidney Love, whose 19 points led the Roadrunners, hit the last bucket of the game for the Roadrunners with 47 seconds left.

All told, the Roadrunners have built quite a bit of momentum moving into the teeth of the conference schedule. They’re No. 51 in the nation and are the highest-rated team in the AAC, according to the NCAA Evaluation Tool, or, the NET. And now they’ve just won their eighth game of the season by double digits.

Individuals

UAB — Center Rayne Tucker, a graduate transfer from Temple, led UAB with 16 points on eight of 11 shooting. Point guard Journey Armstead produced 13 points and four assists. Hitting 9.8 shots from the 3-point line for the season, UAB was limited to three of 12 shooting behind the arc. Maddie Walsh, a perimeter threat who leads the Blazers with 13.2 points, was held to seven.

UTSA – Love led the Roadrunners in scoring for the second time in four games and for the third time this season. She produced 19 points on eight of 19 shooting. Love, a junior from Steele, also had a team-high seven assists and five rebounds. Jenkins had 16 points on seven of 15 shooting. She was three of 10 afield before the fourth period outburst. Allen came off the bench to score 11 points on four of seven.

Records

UAB 9-5, 0-2
UTSA 11-2, 2-0

Coming up

UTSA at Tulsa, Saturday, 2 p.m.

First half

The Roadrunners tightened up their defense at the end of the second quarter, holding the Blazers to one field goal in the final 6:04, to take a 32-25 lead into the dressing room at intermission.

Love and Damara Allen led the Roadrunners offensively with eight points apiece. Allen, a freshman from Aurora, Colo., scored five in the second period. She hit a jumper with 5:16 remaining to spark a 9-4 run to the buzzer.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA women's basketball beat UAB 67-56 in an American Athletic Conference game on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins was honored before the game for scoring 1,000 points in her career at UTSA. – Photo by Joe Alexander

For the Blazers, freshman guard Journey Armstead and graduate transfer center Rayne Tucker did most of the damage.

Armstead scored 11 in the half, knifing through the defense to hit five of nine shots from the field. Tucker, a transfer from Temple, scored all of her eight points in a 12-3 run to open the second period.

UTSA came out firing to start the game, scoring the first nine points en route to a 15-2 lead. Love capped the streak with a 3-point bucket from the left wing with 3:34 remaining in the first quarter. The shot splashed just as the shot clock was winding down under five seconds.

Notable

With wins on the road at Charlotte and at home against UAB, UTSA improved to 2-0 in conference for the first time since the 2009-10 team won its first three games in the Southland Conference.

The Roadrunners also improved their homecourt winning streak to eight — three at the end of last season and now five more — which is tied for third longest in school history.

UTSA announced a crowd of 917 fans, including “a high percentage” of the people in the seats who were seeing a game in the Convocation Center for the first time, one official said. “I would say thanks for coming,” Aston said. “I hope they liked the product and will come back.

“I think that’s the going theme about women’s basketball, is (that) there’s a whole lot of people out there who have not been to a … game here at UTSA, or in general haven’t been to one.

“I’ve said this a million times. This is the hottest sport out there. Our team is playing well and I think this (is) a really good product. I think anybody who steps into the Convo is going to enjoy watching it.”

Aston said it was great to see most of the seats in both lower sections filled, even without the UTSA students on campus.

“I was really concerned,” she said. “Obviously, football is going on, and it’s New Year’s Day. I was pleased with the crowd (considering) school’s not in session. So those are people in the community that came out to see us today.”

The Blazers started the season 9-3 despite the offseason loss of third-team, all-conference guards Denim Deshields and Mia Moore, who transferred to power conference programs. The Roadrunners, for the most part, have been able to keep their key players over the past few years.

Quotable

Jordyn Jenkins, in her third year on campus, said it’s a great feeling to make so much progress as a team in that time. “We, literally in my first year here were like, ‘If we win 10 games, we’re going to go out and get dinner,” she said. “So now that we’re 11 wins in now, it’s just crazy. And it’s fun. Coach says she’s having fun coaching it. It’s really fun on the court.”

Moment of silence

Before player introductions, at the outset of the holiday evening on the Northwest side of San Antonio, UTSA held a moment of silence for the shocking tragedy in New Orleans that left at least 15 people dead.

The incident, described by authorities as an act of terror, happened at about 3 a.m. Wednesday in the French Quarter as a truck plowed through people celebrating the New Year. The driver was killed after a shootout with police.

The incident forced postponement of the Allstate Sugar Bowl game. Originally scheduled for Wednesday night, the College Football Playoff quarterfinal between Georgia and Notre Dame has been rescheduled for Thursday at the Caesars Superdome.