Outfielder Lane Haworth faces his former team this weekend as UTSA hosts the Wichita State Shockers at Roadrunner Field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Locked in a tie for first place with two other teams, the UTSA Roadrunners open the stretch drive of the American Conference baseball race on Friday when they host the Wichita State Shockers in the opener of a three-game series.

Records

Wichita State 26-20, 10-8
UTSA 30-14, 12-6

Coming up

Wichita State at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
Wichita State at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
Wichita State at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

UTSA at Texas, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

UTSA, East Carolina and UAB enter the seventh weekend of play in the American tied for first with 12-6 records. The Roadrunners have won all six of their series and 17 in a row dating to the end of the 2024 season.

Both East Carolina and UAB play on the road this weekend, with the Pirates at the Memphis Tigers and the Blazers at the Rice Owls.

Wichita State is in fourth place at 10-8. Teams in the American play three games apiece on nine weekends, 27 games in all.

By the final month, most teams are feeling the effects of playing more than 40 games since their Feb. 13 openers. UTSA has been without two of its top players, Robert Orloski and Nathan Hodge, essentially for all 44 games because of injuries.

In addition, Coach Pat Hallmark announced after Tuesday’s 22-10 victory over Incarnate Word that freshman Nathan Johnson is out for the season, as well. Johnson appeared in nine games, last playing on March 15.

Going into the Wichita State series, starting third baseman Diego Diaz has a hand injury that kept him out against UIW.

Outfielder Drew Detlefsen, after tweaking a hamstring on April 19 against Charlotte, has been relegated to designated hitter duties for the past four games.

UTSA is still struggling to fill the void left by Orloski, a starting pitcher who hurt his shoulder on opening day. Lately, the pitching has held firm on Fridays and Saturdays, but it has lacked consistency on other days.

Last Sunday, for instance, the Roadrunners had a chance to sweep at Tulane but got hit hard early and lost 12-7 in the series finale.

On Tuesday in a non-conference matchup, the Cardinals hit four homers in the first two innings to lead 8-2, but the Roadrunners overwhelmed the visitors’ pitching with 14 runs in the fifth.

UTSA won 22-10, with Lane Haworth hitting two homers and producing five RBIs. Josh Arquette, playing for Diaz, also had five RBIs. Jordan Ballin, swinging a hot bat of late, went four for four.