The UTSA Roadrunners have been picked fifth in the Conference USA men’s basketball race, the conference announced Thursday. UTSA is coming off its first 20-win season in seven years.
Additionally, sophomore guard Jhivvan Jackson has been named to the all-C-USA preseason team. Jackson is recovering from knee surgery, with an expected return in December.
2018-19 Conference USA Preseason Team
Jon Davis, Charlotte
Daquan Bracey, Louisiana Tech
Jon Elmore, Marshall
C.J Burks, Marshall
Roosevelt Smart, North Texas
Ahmad Caver, Old Dominion
B.J. Stith, Old Dominion
Zack Bryant, UAB
Jhivvan Jackson, UTSA
Taveion Hollingsworth, WKU
Desean Murray, WKU
High-scoring guard Jhivvan Jackson’s return from a knee injury is now projected for “early December,” UTSA men’s basketball coach Steve Henson said Tuesday.
Late in the summer, Henson and his staff were hopeful that Jackson would be able to play in the Nov. 7 season opener against St. Edward’s.
Jhivvan Jackson
But the coach confirmed the new timetable after putting his team through its first official practice at the Convocation Center.
“The doctor, in studying that data, just changed his philosophy a little bit,” Henson said. “It pushes his return back. Which increases his chance for a full recovery, which is what we want.
“But we’ll miss him in some of those games now.”
The Roadrunners will play seven games in November, a schedule that includes a Nov. 12 home date against the Oklahoma Sooners.
They’ll play another six games in December, including a Dec. 15 game in North Little Rock against Arkansas.
Conference USA play opens Jan. 3 at home against the UTEP Miners.
Last season, Jackson set the school’s freshman scoring record with 534 points and led the team with 18.4 per game.
He suffered the injury on Feb. 24 in a home game against Louisiana Tech and sat out the remainder of the season, during which UTSA finished 20-15.
It was UTSA’s first 20-win season since 2011.
The former Puerto Rico junior national team guard had surgery in the third week of March.
High expectations
UTSA is expected to be strong again this season, with a backcourt including returning standouts Jackson, Keaton Wallace and Giovanni De Nicolao.
Before Jackson returns to the lineup, Henson could go with a starting guard personnel that would include Wallace, De Nicolao and Byron Frohnen, who swings between the wing and power forward.
Or, he could plug in one of his two freshmen standouts — Adokiye Iyaye or Tamir Bynum.
Senior Nick Allen leads a contingent of post players that include Adrian Rodriguez, newcomer Atem Bior and Toby Van Ry.
Giovanni De Nicolao
Quotable
“We’re a veteran team right now. I think we can step up and show what we can do this year. Of course, we can still shoot from three. We can run. We just got to improve on some defensive things.” — UTSA junior guard Giovanni De Nicolao.
Still recovering from a knee injury, UTSA star Jhivvan Jackson (2) is running and practicing with the team this summer but won’t play in the team’s three-game series in Costa Rica.
The UTSA men’s basketball team is set to open on Monday a three-game series of exhibitions in Costa Rica.
Third-year Roadrunners coach Steve Henson put the team through 10 workouts in San Antonio leading into the trip.
The coach will have 10 players available, including forward Adrian Rodriguez, who sat out last season after injurying his knee in the regular-season opener.
In addition, newcomers Tamir Bynum, Adokiye Iyaye, Atem Bior and Knox Hellums will see action for the first time.
“The basketball portion is an opportunity for the new guys to get meshed into the system with the returners,” Henson said in an interview on campus last week. “The) things we’re doing now are things that will take quite a bit of time to do when the official season starts.
“So, we’re getting some that stuff out of the way now. Help them create that comfort level.”
Key players from last year, including Giovanni De Nicolao, Keaton Wallace and Nick Allen, are set to play.
Guard Jhivvan Jackson (knee) and forward Byron Frohnen (hand/wrist) won’t play.
Jackson, the leading scorer for a 20-15 team last year, is hopeful of returning to play some time around the start of the season after undergoing surgery last spring.
He has been running and shooting but hasn’t been cleared yet for contact.
“I feel great,” Jackson said last week. “You know, I’m getting better every day. I’m starting to do all the drills except the physical (contact).
“When we get back from Costa Rica, I’m going to get the knee brace. Then, most likely, two weeks after the knee brace, close to a month, I’m going to be able to do the physical (contact in practice).”
Costa Rica exhibitions
Monday — UTSA vs. University of Calgary
Tuesday — UTSA vs. University of Calgary
Wednesday –UTSA vs. U21 Costa Rica national team
UTSA roster
Jhivvan Jackson, sophomore, guard, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Byron Frohnen, junior, forward, Las Vegas
Tamir Bynum, freshman, guard, Houston
Giovanni De Nicolao, junior, guard, Padua, Italy
Mitar Stanojevic, junior, forward, Serbia
Adokiye Ayaye, freshman, guard, Oklahoma City
Adrian Rodriguez, redshirt freshman, forward, Tulsa
Knox Hellums, junior, guard, Tomball/Pepperdine
Keaton Wallace, sophomore, guard, Dallas
Atem Bior, junior, forward, Brisbane, Australia
Nick Allen, senior, forward, Surprise, Arizoona
Toby Van Ry, senior, forward, Fort Collins, Colorado
Notable
UTSA finished 20-15 last season, including 11-7 and fifth place in Conference USA. The Roadrunners reached the quarterfinals of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. It was UTSA’s first 20-win season since the 2010-11 squad finished 20-14. Forward Deon Lyle and George Willborn III, who had eligibility remaining, are no longer with the team.
Quotable
“To be honest, we as a team, got really high expectations for ourselves. The main goal is to win the conference and go to the (NCAA) tournament … We got new guys coming in to help us get there and give us energy.” — UTSA guard Jhivvan Jackson
Officials announced Friday night that an elimination game between UTSA and Charlotte at the Conference USA tournament has been postponed because of weather concerns and will be played at 9 a.m. Saturday.
⚠️ SCHEDULE UPDATE ⚠️
Tonight's @NinerBaseball v.s. @UTSABSB game has been postponed until tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 9:00 a.m. CT.
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles choked off a ninth-inning UTSA rally Friday and downed the Roadrunners 5-3 in a winners’ bracket game at the Conference USA tournament.
With the loss, UTSA was sent tumbling into the losers’ bracket, where they will face the Charlotte 49ers tonight. Estimated game time is 9 p.m. The tournament is being played in Biloxi, Miss.
Slugging Matt Wallner hurt the Roadrunners with a home run and a single and two RBI. Hunter Slater also contributed three of the Golden Eagles’ 12 hits.
Tony Beam ripped a two-run homer for UTSA. But Southern Miss pitching held UTSA in check most of the day, allowing eight hits.
Lefthander Stevie Powers (5-1) earned the victory with seven innings of work. He left the game leading 4-2. Trent Driver pitched the last two inninngs for the save.
The Roadrunners made it interesting by scoring a run off Driver in the bottom of the eighth to pull within 4-3. The Golden Eagles retaliated in the top of the ninth with a run to account for the final margin.
In the bottom half, UTSA put two runners on base, only to ground into a game-inning double play. Southern Miss third baseman Luke Reynolds fielded a ground ball, tagged a base runner, executed a spin move and threw to first for the final out.
Starting pitcher Steven Dressler (5-4) worked five innings and took the loss for the Roadrunners.
Here's that aforementioned insane play by @SouthernMissBSB that ended the game ⤵️
UTSA second baseman Aldo Buendia, a former standout at Laredo Alexander, robs Matt Wallner of a hit with a leaping catch in the eighth inning. At the plate, Buendia is 3 for 8 in two games in the tournament. He is 6 for 16, hitting safely in his last four games overall.
The UTSA Roadrunners backed Chance Kirby’s dominant pitching with 18 hits — including five by Bryan Arias — in rolling to an 11-1 victory over the Charlotte 49ers Thursday morning at the C-USA baseball tournament.
With the victory, UTSA advanced into the winners’ bracket.
The fifth-seeded Roadrunners are scheduled to play the top-seeded Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Friday at 12:30 p.m. at MGM Park in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Southern Miss advanced with a 2-0 victory over the UAB Blazers.
Quotable
“You never know what’s going to happen at 9 a.m. You don’t know if you’ll be asleep or if you’ll come out swinging.” — UTSA coach Jason Marshall.
Details, details
Bryan Arias is tearing it up at the C-USA tournament.
The UTSA junior from Marshall High School has five hits in five at bats in the tournament opener for both teams.
Highlights include a two-run homer in a nine-run third inning and a single and a stolen base in the seventh.
Kirby’s day
UTSA righthander Chance Kirby exited the game in the seventh inning, but not before he completely befuddled Charlotte’s offense.
Kirby worked 6 and 2/3 innings, giving up only a run on two hits. He no-hit the 49ers from the second through the seventh.
In the beginning
UTSA opened a 9-1 lead on Charlotte with a nine-run third inning.
Arias capped the explosion with a two-run homer over the left field scoreboard, his team-leading eighth of the year.
Charlotte took the lead on Kirby in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Tommy Bullock.
Weather delays
UTSA and Charlotte were scheduled to play Wednesday night, but because of numerous weather delays, the game was scrapped and pushed back to Thursday morning.
Notes
Ben Brookover, who has a team-leading 47 RBI, did not play for UTSA.
Before the schedule change, lefthander Steven Dressler was the expected starter for the Roadrunners against Josh Maciejewski for Charlotte.
Neither player saw action.
Bryan Arias just POUNDED a two-run homer. We've hit for the CYCLE as a team in the third inning. ???
Hit with numerous weather delays on Wednesday, the Conference USA baseball tournament in Biloxi, Miss., has been forced to re-schedule, which has resulted in postponement of the first-round game between UTSA and Charlotte.
The Roadrunners and 49ers are now set to play their C-USA opener on Thursday at 9 a.m. at MGM Park.
UTSA backed a strong performance from starting pitcher Karan Patel with 13 hits Saturday to defeat the Charlotte 49ers 5-1 in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Roadrunners coach Jason Marshall said UTSA will face Charlotte next Wednesday in Biloxi, Mississippi, on opening day in the Conference USA postseason tournament.
UTSA will travel to Mississippi seeking its first NCAA tournament berth since 2013.
The Roadrunners, who took two of three from the 49ers on the last weekend, will need to win the eight-team C-USA event to earn a spot in one of the NCAA regionals.
Patel carried UTSA in the regular-season finale by hurling six scoreless innings while allowing only three hits.
In the field, Patel was supported with standout defensive plays from outfielders Ryan Stacy and Trent Bowles and shortstop Joshua Lamb.
Marshall said he was pleased with the team’s play against Charlotte in the final three games, particularly the pitching, which allowed only six runs in three days.
The 49ers beat the Roadrunners 2-0 on Thursday. But the Roadrunners bounced back to take the second game, 4-3.
Records
UTSA 31-22, 16-13
Charlotte 31-22, 17-13
Notebook
Starters for opening day in the tournament are two lefties in Charlotte’s Josh Maciejewski (9-2, 2.46) against UTSA’s Steven Dressler (5-3, 2.81).
Charlotte’s Todd Elwood high chops a ground ball to second base in the ninth inning, driving in the first run of the game for the 49ers.
The Charlotte 49ers scored twice in the top of the ninth inning Thursday night to defeat light-hitting UTSA, 2-0, winning the first game of a three-game series and registering their fourth straight victory in Conference USA.
In the bottom of the ninth, Jonah Patten closed for his ninth save of the year, giving the 49ers a win at Roadrunner Field to open a series that will complete the regular season for both teams.
The series continues with Game 2 on Friday at 6 p.m. Game 3 is set for Saturday at 10 a.m.
Charlotte and UTSA both will advance to the C-USA postseason tournament, set for next week in Biloxi, Mississippi. Right now, it appears that the 49ers might have a decent chance to make a run at the title.
With the victory over UTSA, the 49ers showcased some dominant pitching to extend a streak of success that includes 10 victories in their last 12 games.
UTSA coach Jason Marshall lamented a ninth-inning rally fueled by a few fortuitous bounces for Charlotte.
“The (ground) ball ricocheted off of (UTSA pitcher) Derek Craft to get that thing going, and then they dump that single into right center,” Marshall said. “It’s what I told our guys, it was just the way it was flowing.
“It was going to boil down to a big hit, somebody in scoring position and somebody delivering the big blow, the knockout.”
Records
Charlotte 31-20, 17-11
UTSA 29-22, 14-13
The details
The Charlotte pitching trio of Josh Maciejewski, Chase Gooding and Patten limited UTSA to just three hits — all of them singles.
UTSA pushed runners to second base in the first and sixth innings and put another one at third base in the seventh.
But each opportunity fizzled, leaving them to think about their second shutout loss in their last four games.
“You never know at what part of the game you can deliver that blow,” Marshall said. “We had a chance in the first inning. We really didn’t give ourselves a lot more chances (afterward).
“There were only a few other chances where we got a runner to second or third. Their starter (Maciejewski) has great numbers, Then the guy they brought out of the pen even threw better than the starter.”
Not everything went wrong for the Roadrunners.
UTSA pitched and played defense extremely well. The Roadrunners very nearly matched Charlotte in stringing all zeroes across the scoreboard.
But in the ninth, the 49ers had a few bounces go their way to tack on the only two runs they would need.
With one out, Craft got a hand on a chopper hit by Drew Ober, only to have it carom past shortstop Joshua Lamb for a base hit.
Ober promptly took advantage of the break, speeding from first to third on a single by Dominick Cammarata.
With runners at first and third and still one out, Craft worked a 1-2 count to Todd Elwood.
At that point, Marshall elected to go to the bullpen to bring in lefty Jordan Rodriguez to finish off Elwood, a left-handed hitter.
After working the count to 3-2, Elwood chopped a ball that bounced just high enough to get over Rodriguez and just slow enough to allow Ober to score from third.
Even though Elwood was thrown out at first, pinch runner Jake Whitcomb took second, leaving another runner in scoring position.
Tommy Bullock answered with an RBI single to center off reliever Andre Shewcraft, making it 2-0.
