UTSA men aim for success with a bigger, more physical team

Daniel Akitoby. UTSA basketball Rowdy Jam on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Daniel Akitoby, a 6-foot-9, 245-pound forward, comes to UTSA from Morgan State University. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA coach Austin Claunch is hardly one to dwell on old news, but evidence exists that his first season as head coach of the UTSA Roadrunners wasn’t as disheartening as the record would indicate.

The Roadrunners finished 12-19 overall, and they tied for ninth among 13 teams in the American Conference at 6-12.

But for context, consider that two of his players were lost for the season due to injury and three others left the program prior to the final game for non-injury related reasons.

For most of the last few months, the Roadrunners played with post players that were 6-feet-10 and 6-9.

In the end, they traveled to Frisco for the conference tournament as the 11th seed — with eight on scholarship — and nearly knocked off the sixth-seeded East Carolina Pirates before falling, 70-65.

It was a painful end, though almost fitting, as UTSA was 1-8 in games decided by single digits since the first week of February.

“I think any time you play through the league one time, it’s important,” Claunch said in his office Friday afternoon. “Every league is different. I think this is a physical league. It’s a strong league.

“It’s a relatively athletic league.

“So, with us (recruiting) more size and athleticism (this season), hopefully that can manufacture more wins, by way of getting to the free-throw line more, offensive rebounding better and defensive rebounding better.

“We just need to be a more physical group.”

As anyone who attended the Rowdy Jam event for fans on Thursday night can attest, UTSA is a much bigger team than last year, with taller and longer athletes at every position.

The Roadrunners are set to play their one and only closed scrimmage of the fall on Saturday and then will host Incarnate Word on Oct. 25 in an exhibition.

UTSA’s season opener is Nov. 5 at home against the College of Biblical Studies, a third-year program based in Houston coached by former University of Houston star Michael Young.

Claunch seems pleased with his team’s progress since he welcomed most of the new players to campus in June.

“We’re building our identity on both sides of the ball, what we want to do, how we want to play,” Claunch said. “I think we’re starting to see it a little more. Just getting the shots we want to get offensively, the pace that we want to play, you know, how we want to execute.”

A focus for the Roadrunners during summer workouts centered around defense after last year’s squad finished 12th in the American in points allowed and field goal shooting and 11th in three-point percentage.

“Defensively we’re looking at, obviously, improving from where we were last year, (working on) how we’re going to guard the ball screen,” the coach said. “I just think we got to use our collective length better than we did last year.”

Guard Vasean Allette, a junior transfer from TCU, appears to be the player to watch this season.

“I still really don’t know who’s going to start,” Claunch said. “We’ll look at some different things tomorrow (in the scrimmage). I think we have a really deep team. I think we have to lean into that.

“I think we got to embrace the fact that we’re really deep and understand that that’s going to be a big part of our success.”

UTSA roster

Dorian Hayes 6-5 freshman guard
Kaidon Rayfield 6-8 freshman forward
Austin Nunez 6-2 senior guard
Vasean Allette 6-2 junior point guard
Brent Moss 6-6 junior guard/forward
Pierce Spencer 6-3 graduate guard
Macaleab Rich 6-7 junior guard/forward
Jamir Simpson 6-5 graduate guard
x-LJ Brown 6-2 redshirt senior guard
x-Mo Njie 6-11 graduate center
Daniel Akitoby 6-9 graduate forward
Stanley Borden 7-0 graduate center
Matheo Coffi 6-8 freshman forward
x-Baboucarr Njie 6-6 sophomore forward/guard
x-Jackson Fazande 6-3 redshirt sophomore forward

Dunking and dancing: Roadrunners revel in Rowdy Jam festivities

Macaleab Rich

UTSA junior Macaleab Rich soars over Coach Austin Claunch in the dunk contest Thursday night at Rowdy Jam. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The night started with the UTSA band rocking the Convocation Center. It continued with introductions of the men’s and women’s basketball teams, a three-point shooting exhibition and a dunk contest.

It ended with a concert by soulful R&B singer Cupid, The Linedance King, who had hundreds of students, athletes and even a few administrators dancing all together on one end of the court.

After it was over, a few of the UTSA athletes applauded the show, which served not only to bring everyone together in a party atmosphere on the floor, but also to break up the routine of preseason practices.

Asked how she thought the fans did in the dance portion of the show, UTSA women’s team center Emilia Dannebauer smiled and said she thought “everyone was amazing.”

Men’s team center Mo Njie said he thinks it was a fun event for everyone, and he hopes the fans continue to come out when the season starts.

Njie has high hopes for the Roadrunners men, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

“We want to be the best defensive team in the nation,” he said.

Adriana Robles. UTSA basketball Rowdy Jam on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Adriana Robles, enjoying a moment at Rowdy Jam, is competing for playing time at point guard for the defending American Conference regular-season champion UTSA women. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Matheo Coffi. UTSA basketball Rowdy Jam on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Matheo Coffi. from Strasbourg, France, shows off his hops during the dunk show. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Saher Alizada. UTSA basketball Rowdy Jam on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Saher Alizada is a junior from Montreal, Canada. She’s a transfer from South Plains College. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Mo Njie. UTSA basketball Rowdy Jam on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Six-foot-11 center Mo Njie, a grad student, is one of four returning players for the UTSA men.- Photo by Joe Alexander

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UTSA women are picked second in the American

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

UTSA junior Idara Udo is projected as a first-team all-conference player this season, according to the coaches. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The South Florida Bulls are picked to win, and the defending champion UTSA Roadrunners have been pegged for a second-place finish in the American women’s basketball race, according to the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll.

Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. South Florida (11) 143
2. UTSA (1) 119
3. Rice (1) 113
4. Temple 107
5. Tulane 104
6. North Texas 95
7. East Carolina 82
8. Tulsa 72
9. Memphis 52
10. Charlotte 50
11. UAB 38
12. Wichita State 23
13. Florida Atlantic 16

Preseason projections/individuals
Player of the Year – Carla Brito, Sr., F, South Florida

All-Conference First Team – Dominique Ennis, Sr., G, Rice; Carla Brito, Sr., F, South Florida*; L’or Mputu, Gr., F, South Florida; Kaylah Turner, Jr., G, Temple; Idara Udo, Jr., F, UTSA.

All-Conference Second Team – Aniah Alexis, So., G, Rice; Victoria Flores, Jr., G, Rice; Amira Mabry, Sr., F, Tulane; Kendall Sneed, So., G, Tulane.

UTSA men are pegged for an 11th-place finish in the American

The UTSA Roadrunners will have something to prove this season in the American Conference men’s basketball race. UTSA was picked 11th out of 13 teams in the American preseason coaches’ poll. Roadrunners guard Vasean Allette, a newcomer at UTSA and a transfer from TCU, is a second-team choice in projections for individual honors.

Memphis, South Florida, Tulane and UAB are the favorites, in that order, according to the poll released Thursday morning.

American preseason coaches’ poll

1. Memphis (11) 143
2. South Florida (2) 128
3. Tulane 122
4. UAB 98
5. Wichita State 93
6. Florida Atlantic 80
7. North Texas 77
8. Tulsa 74
9. Temple 65
10. East Carolina 53
11. UTSA 32
12. Rice 27
13. Charlotte 22

Individual honors/projections

Player of the Year – Rowan Brumbaugh, G, Tulane
Freshman of the Year – Josiah Parker, G, Florida Atlantic

First team – Jordan Riley, Sr., G, East Carolina; Aaron Bradshaw, Jr., F, Memphis; Dug McDaniel, Sr., G, Memphis; Rowan Brumbaugh, R-Jr., G, Tulane*; Kenyon Giles, Sr., G, Wichita State.

Second team – Daimion Collins, R-Sr., F, South Florida; Izaiyah Nelson, Sr., F, South Florida; Vasean Allette, Jr., G, UTSA; Asher Woods, Sr., G, Tulane; David Green, Gr., F, Tulsa.

New-look UTSA women reload after a championship season

UTSA's Ereauna Hardaway is a senior point guard from Jonesboro, Ark., and North Texas. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA newcomer Ereauna Hardaway is a senior point guard from Jonesboro, Ark. She played three seasons at North Texas, averaging 10 points and 3.5 assists last year as a junior. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With Jordyn Jenkins and Nina De Leon Negron pursuing professional basketball careers, and with Sidney Love now suiting up for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the UTSA women are forging ahead without the leadership core that led the team to a school-record 26 wins and a regular-season conference championship last season.

Karen Aston. UTSA beat Florida Atlantic 60-52 on Senior Day to clinch the American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center.

Fifth-year UTSA coach Karen Aston signed a contract extension through 2030 after leading the Roadrunners to the American Conference regular-season title. – File photo by Joe Alexander

“We’ll be different,” fifth-year UTSA coach Karen Aston said Wednesday. “We have a different team.” But, that’s not to say the Roadrunners won’t be good again. Far from it.

Nine players return, mixing with six newcomers, on the 15-player roster. The Roadrunners will have some experience to lean on with four seniors, four juniors and four sophomores, including promising returning wing players Mia Hammonds and Damara Allen.

They’ll also have athleticism and length, with four players listed at either 6-foot-4 or 6-3.

Returning starters include center Idara Udo and forward Maya Linton. Forwards Cheyenne Rowe and Nyayongah Gony also figure to be in the rotation, though the multi-skilled, 6-4 Gony is working her way back from a knee injury that limited her to 12 games last season.

Newcomers to watch are senior transfer Ereauna Hardaway and freshman Adriana Robles, who split time at Wednesday’s workout running the team at point guard.

Freshman forward Sema Udo, Idara’s younger sister, is also an athlete that appears to have skills and athleticism to make an immediate contribution.

“I love all the newcomers,” Aston said. “But it is really a meshing process. It’s going to take some time.”

The Roadrunners will face a challenging early schedule. They’ll play four power conference programs, including Texas Tech, Houston, Auburn and Baylor. They’ll also play three teams — Grand Canyon, Baylor and Columbia — that reached the NCAA tournament last year.

UTSA finished 26-5 last season, including 17-1 in the American Conference. The Roadrunners registered a 13-0 record at home. Jenkins was the Player of the Year in the American, while De Leon Negron and Love supplied steady leadership as the starting backcourt.

Taking a 26-3 record into the postseason, the Roadrunners lost to Rice in the American tournament opener and then fell on the road at Gonzaga in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.

UTSA's Sema Udo is a freshman forward from Plano East High School. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Sema Udo, the younger sister of junior center Idara Udo, is a freshman forward from Plano East High School. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Aston has put her players through three extended practices as they ramp up preparations for the Nov. 6 opener at Texas Tech.

A few injuries and illnesses have held the Roadrunners back recently, the most notable being a lower left leg injury to promising sophomore forward Taylor Ross. Aston said Ross’ availability is expected to be clarified in a few weeks.

Guard Siena Guttadauro is new mother, having given birth to a son, Dante, on July 24. She played in just five games last season before learning that she was pregnant, according to a story by Sean Cartell on the UTSA athletics website.

Aston said it’s good to have the native Californian back on the team but cautioned that “it’ll be awhile” before she is ready to play.

UTSA roster

x-Sema Udo, 6-0 freshman forward
Siena Guttadauro, 5-6 redshirt junior guard
x-Ereauna Hardaway, 5-8 senior point guard
x-Saher Alizada, 5-10 junior point guard
Damara Allen, 5-10 sophomore guard
Mia Hammonds, 6-3 sophomore guard
Nyayongah Gony, 6-4 redshirt senior forward
x-Sanaa Bean, 6-3 freshman forward
x-Jayda Holiman, 5-6 junior point guard
Taylor Ross, 6-1 sophomore forward
x-Adriana Robles, 5-5 freshman point guard
Maya Linton, 5-11 senior guard
Cheyenne Rowe, 6-2 senior forward
Idara Udo, 6-1 junior forward
Emilia Dannebaurer, 6-4 sophomore forward/center

x-newcomers

Notable

The UTSA women will participate in Rowdy Jam on Oct. 16 at the Convocation Center. It’ll be the fans’ first opportunity to see the UTSA women and men on the court.

The event starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Cupid, the Linedance King is scheduled to perform.

On Oct. 25, the women will host Texas A&M-International in an exhibition, followed on the same day by the men against Incarnate Word. The women’s game is set for 1 p.m., followed by the men at 3:30.

The season opener for the women is set for Nov. 6 at Texas Tech. Love, a three-year UTSA starter, transferred to play for the Big 12 Red Raiders last summer.

UTSA had four guards transfer out of the program, including Love, Aysia Proctor (to North Texas), Alexis Parker (to Lamar) and Emma Lucio (Southeastern Louisiana).

UTSA's Adriana Robles is a freshman point guard from Arecibob, Puerto Rico, and Fossil Ridge High School. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Adriana Robles has played internationally for her native Puerto Rico and emerged as a standout at Fort Worth’s Fossil Ridge High School. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA men’s basketball looking forward to a new season

Baboucarr Njie. UTSA beat Rice 84-56 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Baboucarr Njie emerged as a pleasant surprise last year for the Roadrunners, playing in 24 games and starting two as a freshman. – File photo by Joe Alexander

With 11 newcomers on the roster, UTSA men’s basketball is working toward a new season under second-year coach Austin Claunch.

The Roadrunners, hoping to bounce back from a 12-19 season a year ago, hosted the media Thursday for an afternoon workout at the Convocation Center.

Coach Austin Claunch at UTSA men's basketball practice at the Convocation Center on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Austin Claunch. – photo by Joe Alexander

Among the new faces this season, four played last year for Power Four programs, including guards Vasean Allette from TCU and Austin Nunez from Arizona State, along with guard-forward Macaleab Rich from Kansas State and Stanley Borden from Duke.

Allette averaged 11.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals with the Horned Frogs. Nunez, who played at Wagner High School in San Antonio, has spent time at Arizona State, Ole Miss and Arizona State again in his college career.

Returning players include brothers Mo and Baboucarr Njie. Also returning are LJ Brown and Jackson Fazande.

UTSA will host Rowdy Jam at the Convo on Oct. 16 to introduce both the men’s and women’s teams to the fans.

The event starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Cupid, the Linedance King is scheduled to perform.

Moving forward, UTSA women and men’s teams will play exhibitions at the Convo on Oct. 25. The women will take on Texas A&M-San Antonio at 1 p.m., followed by the men against Incarnate Word at 3:30 p.m.

NCAA Division I teams open the regular season on Nov. 3, but the early portion of the UTSA men’s schedule hasn’t been announced.

Claunch’s program has announced road dates against three Power Four conference teams, including games at Alabama on Dec. 7, at Colorado on Dec. 13 and at USC on Dec. 17.

The American Conference opener is set for Dec. 31 at Florida Atlantic, with the trip continuing at Temple on Jan. 3.

UTSA will tip off the conference slate at home on Jan. 7 against Charlotte and on Jan. 10 against Tulane.

The conference tournament will be played in Birmingham, Ala., with games set for March 11-15.

UTSA men’s team roster:

Dorian Hayes 6-5 freshman guard
Kaidon Rayfield 6-8 freshman forward
Austin Nunez 6-2 senior guard
Vasean Allette 6-2 junior point guard
Brent Moss 6-6 junior guard/forward
Pierce Spencer 6-3 graduate guard
Macaleab Rich 6-7 junior guard/forward
Jamir Simpson 6-5 graduate guard
x-LJ Brown 6-2 redshirt senior guard
x-Mo Njie 6-11 graduate center
Daniel Akitoby 6-9 graduate forward
Stanley Borden 7-0 graduate center
Matheo Coffi 6-8 freshman forward
x-Baboucarr Njie 6-6 sophomore forward/guard
x-Jackson Fazande 6-3 redshirt sophomore forward

x-returning players

UTSA’s Aston receives contract extension through 2029-30

UTSA women’s basketball coach Karen Aston has received a five-year contract extension through the 2029-30 season.

Aston’s extension will start at $375,000 in 2025-26. From there, it will increase to $385,000 in ’26-27 and to $415,000 for the final three seasons through ’29-30. The contract runs through March 31, 2030, according to UTSA.

After starting at UTSA in 2021-22, Aston inherited a team that had won only two games at 2-18. In her tenure, she has improved the program gradually, building to last year’s run to the American Athletic Conference regular-season title.

The Roadrunners, led by forward Jordyn Jenkins, reached the WBIT national postseason tournament and finished 26-5.

UTSA extends baseball coach Pat Hallmark’s contract through the 2029 season

UTSA baseball will move forward with Head Coach Pat Hallmark recently receiving an extension on his contract through the 2029 season.

The extension, which runs through May 31, 2029, will pay Hallmark a base salary of:

*$350,000 for the 2025-26 year
*$375,000 in ’26-27
*$400,000 in ’27-28
*And, finally, $425,000 in ’28-29.

UTSA announced the agreement on June 17 after the program’s best season, in which Hallmark led the Roadrunners to the Super Regional round of the NCAA playoffs.

Hallmark, the 2025 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, led the Roadrunners to their first NCAA Regional Championship and first Super Regional appearance.

UTSA established a program-best 47 wins and a program-low 15 losses. Hallmark also directed the team to its third-ever conference regular-season championship with a 23-4 mark in The American.

The 2025 Roadrunners re-wrote the program records in:

*Runs scored (530)
*RBI (488)
*On-base percentage (.423)
*Fewest errors (47)
*Fielding percentage (.978)
*At-bats (2,098)
*And, hit by pitches (125).

Hallmark was named UTSA’s head coach on June 16, 2019. He has led the team to a record of 187-111, including four consecutive 30-plus win seasons. The streak ties a UTSA school record.

His career record is 253-159, which includes two season at the University of the Incarnate Word.

UTSA Roadrunners say they gave it their ‘best shot’ against the UCLA Bruins

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The greatest season in UTSA Roadrunners’ baseball history has come to a painful end.

After losing Saturday and needing to win twice in two days to stay alive in the NCAA tournament, the Roadrunners couldn’t get it done. They couldn’t deliver with the big hit against excellent pitching on Sunday.

As a result, the 15th-seeded UCLA Bruins downed UTSA 7-0 to sweep two games at the Los Angeles Super Regional, advancing to the Men’s College World Series next week in Omaha, Neb.

“Similar to yesterday, I mostly tip my hat to UCLA, for playing clean baseball,” UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said. “They’ve got a lot of talent. They deserved to win.”

Run-scoring singles by Toussaint Bythewood in the fourth inning and Roch Cholowski in the fifth gave the Bruins a 2-0 cushion. The Bruins added two more runs in the eighth on an infield throwing error and a sacrifice fly by Phoenix Call.

To make matters worse, Roadrunners pitcher Braylon Owens had to exit the game with an injury during the uprising after he was hit with a line drive. In the ninth, the Bruins blew the game open with three runs against Gunnar Brown, who likely would have been the Game 3 starter on Monday if UTSA could have mounted a comeback.

UCLA pitching held UTSA to just four hits on a frustrating afternoon for the offense. The Roadrunners, who had multiple opportunities to score, hit only 1 for 13 with runners on base and 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.

“Like coach said, they were playing some clean ball,” UTSA freshman Jordan Ballin said. “They weren’t throwing many balls. They weren’t walking us like they do. Other than that, we gave it our best shot.”

Regardless of setbacks to the Bruins on Saturday (by a score of 5-2) and again on Sunday, the Roadrunners left Jackie Robinson Stadium feeling some satisfaction in becoming the only team in school history to reach the super regional round.

“Obviously unhappy with the result,” said Conor Myles, who started and took the loss in the finale. “But, just happy for the guys, how far we made it. We set records. We broke almost every record that school has. It’s a special group of guys. It really is.”

Finishing with a 47-15 record, they won the American Athletic Conference regular-season title, notched their highest win total in 34 seasons and beat the in-state heavyweight Texas Longhorns three times, including two in the Austin Regional last weekend.

The Longhorns were the second-seeded team in the NCAA tournament, so the Roadrunners arrived in Los Angeles late last week brimming with confidence. They will leave knowing that the Bruins’ pitching and defense, in the end, were just too good to overcome.

“I did not anticipate making a super regional,” Hallmark said “I would be some kind of arrogant sociopath if I did. Which, I hope I’m not. But I did think we had a good team … I thought we had a good chance to win the league. I knew East Carolina lost some people, which was going to help us.

“I knew we had a good team once we got our hands on ’em and saw the athletic ability of (Norris) McClure. I knew (shortstop) Ty Hodge was physical and athletic, because he’s (from) closer to home. I knew we had a good team. But a super regional was above and beyond what I expected, there’s no doubt about that.”

Hallmark said he will always be grateful to have coached this team.

“Again,” the coach continued, “all the credit to the players. It’s all a coach wants. It’s improvement. Buy in. And it just kept coming. Not our best baseball this weekend, but it wasn’t ugly baseball. I really tip my hat to UCLA. When I first watched ’em, I thought … they might have a slight problem in their bullpen.”

Hallmark explained that his initial assessment was only based on how many players Coach John Savage pitched out of the pen.

“Usually the really strong bullpens are two guys who come in and really shove the ball down your throat,” the UTSA coach said. “Credit coach Savage. It’s not a chink. It’s not a hole (in the roster). He just has a lot of parts in that bullpen. And he’s such a great pitching coach. I didn’t realize it until I played ’em, but the bullpen is one of their strengths.”

Starter Landon Stump opened the game on the mound for the Big Ten Conference co-champions and worked four innings. Chris Grothues, Cal Randall, August Souza and Easton Hawk pitched in relief. Grothues (4-1) earned the victory by working two and two thirds innings, holding the Roadrunners hitless and scoreless.

All told, UCLA pitching struck out nine and walked two. Meanwhile, Myles (5-2) took the loss. The Australia native had good stuff but gave up the first two runs of the game and seven hits across four and two thirds innings.

Owens, meanwhile, was charged with two runs on three hits in two and a third. One of the standouts in last week’s Austin Regional exited the game with no outs in the eighth after he was hit by a line drive off the bat of Brennan.

The play started with a baserunner at second. Brennan smashed a pitch right back to the box, and it caromed off Owens and into foul territory.

First baseman Lorenzo Morresi fielded it and flipped it past Owens for a throwing error, allowing the run to score. AJ Salgado, who opened the inning with a double, came around to score.

At that point, it was determined that Owens wouldn’t be able to continue, so he got an emotional hug from Hallmark and then a rousing ovation from UTSA fans in attendance.

Later, Phoenix Call added to UTSA’s misery with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring the second run of the inning and widening the UCLA lead to 4-0. The Bruins added three runs in the ninth to clinch it.

Records

UTSA 47-15
UCLA 47-16

Schedule

UCLA advances to the College World Series, June 13-23, at Omaha, Neb.

Notable

UTSA finished with program records in wins (47) and fewest losses (15). They also had records in runs (528), RBI (487) and hit by pitches (125), according to the school’s information department.

Mason Lytle appeared in his 62nd game, a UTSA single-season record. Myles started his 17th game, tying him for second on the all-time single-season list

Owens reached 100 strikeouts on the season, becoming the second Roadrunner to reach the century mark. He finished second on the single-season leader board behind Karan Patel who fanned 104 in 2019.

UCLA pitching clamped down on UTSA’s three hottest hitters in the last game of the season. The Bruins held McClure, Lytle and James Taussig to a combined 2 for 12 at the plate. McClure and Lytle were one for four and Taussig zero for four.

Taussig, the most outstanding player in the Austin Regional, was held hitless in two games in Los Angeles.

UCLA beats UTSA 5-2 in Game 1 of the Los Angeles Super Regional

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Roman Martin delivered a two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday night as the the 15th-seeded UCLA Bruins scored a 5-2 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners in Game 1 of the Los Angeles Super Regional.

Playing in the first Super Regional in program history, UTSA jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the co-champions of the Big Ten Conference. Mason Lytle opened the game at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium with a leadoff home run.

In the second inning, the Roadrunners surprised everyone when Caden Miller stole home for the second run of the game.

From there, the Bruins settled down and scored two runs to tie in the third. The big hit was a run-scoring double by Mulivai Levu. In the fourth, UCLA struck again against UTSA starter Zach Royse by loading the bases on three singles. One of them was a slow roller that died on the infield grass near the third-base line.

With bases loaded and one out, Dean West gave the Bruins a 3-2 lead on a sacrifice fly to left.

UCLA pitching turned out to be the story in the middle innings and beyond as UTSA’s prolific offense could generate little momentum. In the end, the Bruins held the Roadrunners scoreless from the third through the ninth. UCLA’s bullpen held UTSA hitless for four of the last five innings.

Starter Michael Barnett (12-1) earned the victory by working six innings, giving up two runs on six hits. Relievers Jack O’Connor, August Souza and Easton Hawk combined to hold the Roadrunners hitless in one inning apiece to close the game. All night, Bruins pitching filled up the strike zone, not walking one batter.

The Roadrunners, who have relied on free passes to manufacture big innings this season, received only one against UCLA — when Barnett plunked Andrew Stucky with a pitch in the second.

It was a heartbreaking day for Royse (9-5). After earning the victory against Kansas State last Friday in the first game of the Austin Regional, he took the loss against the Bruins. He pitched five innings and allowed all three runs on nine hits. Royse struck out three and walked three.

After Connor Kelley entered for Royse in the sixth inning, he struggled and put two runners on base. One with a walk. Another with a hit by pitch. At that point, Rob Orloski entered and retired three straight batters. First, he forced UCLA star Roch Cholowski to pop up, and then he retired Levu and Martin to escape trouble.

Orloski, a sophomore from Idaho, continued to pitch well through the seventh, sending three straight batters back to the dugout. But in the eighth, the UTSA righthander’s control started to falter.

On consecutive batters, he walked Phoenix Call and hit West with a breaking ball, putting runners at first and second. Getting tough again, he retired Cholowski and Levu on a fly ball and an infield pop up, respectively. With two out, he was nearly out of trouble when Martin worked the count to three balls and two strikes.

Ultimately, Martin won the battle, bashing a drive into the gap in right center. UTSA right fielder James Taussig looked like he might have a play on the ball, but it sailed past him, bouncing to the wall as Call scored from third base and West raced all the way around to score from first.

With the victory, UCLA now can clinch a trip to the Men’s College World Series with a victory Sunday. For UTSA to win the Super Regional, it will need to win Sunday and Monday to advance to the eight-team MCWS in Omaha, Neb.

Records

UTSA 47-14
UCLA 46-16

Schedule

Los Angeles Super Regional
Game 2 — UTSA at UCLA, Sunday, 2 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary) — UTSA at UCLA, Monday, TBA

Notable

UTSA’s James Taussig, the most outstanding player in the Austin regional, went hitless on four at bats. He flied out, grounded out twice and struck out in the eighth inning.

The eighth was a big inning for Bruins pitching as Souza, throwing nasty sliders, shut down the top of the Roadrunners’ batting order. He struck out Lytle and Taussig to start the inning and then retired Norris McClure on a ground ball.

Lytle, who finished one for four, entered the Super Regional leading the team with a .369 average. Taussig followed at .358. Taussig has been one of the team’s hottest power threat lately, hitting safely in 25 of 27 games entering the Super Regional.

He also was held without an RBI for only the ninth time in is last 36 games.

Quotable

In the postgame news conference, UTSA coach Pat Hallmark issued an opening statement, saying that the difference in the game was UCLA’s error-free defense and its pitching that didn’t allow a walk.

“I thought UCLA pitched and defended fantastic,” he said. “That was the difference in the game, was their defense. They didn’t give us anything. Zero errors. Zero walks by them. Just tip my hat to those guys, and we’ll be ready to play tomorrow.”

Hallmark credited UCLA starter Michael Barnett for throwing strikes.

“Barnett’s good,” Hallmark said. “The challenge was all the strikes he was throwing. We needed to get him early in the count and we just didn’t. We just fouled ’em off, or we didn’t just quite smash it early in the count.

“He did a really good job throwing strikes early in the count, and then once he gets ahead, if you don’t smash one of those early ones, he’s not going to throw you one centered when he’s ahead. So, hitting becomes harder.”