UTSA drops baseball season opener – photo gallery

Caleb Hill hit two home runs. UTSA lost to UT-Arlington 10-9 in the Roadrunners' baseball season opener on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander
Caleb Hill hit two home runs. UTSA lost to UT-Arlington 10-9 in the Roadrunners’ baseball season opener.
UTSA lost its 2024 baseball season opener on Friday at Roadrunner Field. UT-Arlington took a 9-0 lead and held off UTSA 10-9.

The Roadrunners had 11 hits including two home runs from Caleb Hill and one from Mason Lytle.

UTSA baseball powers past Utah

UTSA's Antonio Valdez hit his 2nd and 3rd home runs of the season and drove in 5 runs in the Roadrunners' 14-3 victory over Utah on Sunday, March 5, 2023. - Photo by Joe Alexander
UTSA’s Antonio Valdez hit two home runs and drove in five home runs Sunday.
Antonio Valdez and Caleb Hill combined to hit three home runs to lead UTSA to a 14-3 victory over Utah on Sunday at Roadrunner Field.

UTSA (10-3) won the last two games of the three-game series after Utah won the opener. The Roadrunners had 12 hits on Sunday after scoring 11 runs on 17 hits on Saturday.

Valdez hit his second and third home runs of the season and drove in five runs. Valdez has 23 hits and 22 RBIs in UTSA’s first 13 games.

Hill hit his first home run of the season and finished with two hits, two runs and three RBIs.

Hill also scored on a double steal. It was the second time in the last week that UTSA scored on a double steal.

UTSA's Caleb Hill hit his first home run of the season in the Roadrunners' 14-3 victory over Utah on Sunday, March 5, 2023. - photo by Joe Alexander
UTSA’s Caleb Hill hit his first home run of the season in the Roadrunners’ 14-3 victory over Utah on Sunday.

UTSA’s Leyton Barry hit a three-run double in the sixth inning. Shane Sirdashney, Taylor Smith and Isaiah Walker scored on the hit. The Roadrunners scored six runs in the inning to take an 11-2 lead.

UTSA's Leyton Barry hit a three-run double in the sixth inning in a 14-3 victory over Utah on Sunday, March 5, 2023. - photo by Joe Alexander
UTSA’s Leyton Barry hit a three-run double in the sixth inning.

UTSA starting pitcher Robbie Maldonado went 4.0 innings and allowed one run. Reliever Daniel Garza went 3.0 innings and allowed 1 run and got the win.

UTSA baseball’s lineup vs. UIW – photo gallery

Ryan Ward was UTSA's starting pitcher as the Roadrunners beat Incarnate Word 2-1 in non-conference baseball on Wednesday.
Ryan Ward was UTSA’s starting pitcher as the Roadrunners beat Incarnate Word 2-1 on Wednesday.
UTSA is piling up wins over the first two weeks of baseball season.

The Roadrunners have won eight of their first 10 games. UTSA beat Incarnate Word 2-1 on Wednesday at Roadrunner Field by scoring on a double steal in the bottom of the eighth inning.

UTSA’s starting batting order for this early season game:

1B Garrett Poston
CF Shane Sirdashney
2B Leyton Barry
SS Antonio Valdez
LF Caleb Hill
C Sammy Diaz
RF Tye Odom
DH Taylor Smith
3B Isaiah Walker

The Roadrunners’ starting pitcher was Ryan Ward.

UTSA baseball’s Daniel Shafer – photo gallery

UTSA pitcher Daniel Shafer playing against Stanford on Feb. 28, 2022, at Roadrunner field. - photo by Joe Alexander
UTSA pitcher Daniel Shafer playing against Stanford on Feb. 28, 2022, at Roadrunner field.
Daniel Shafer was one of UTSA’s top relief pitchers early in the 2022 season.

The junior right-hander from Willis, Texas appeared in 16 games in relief and recorded a 3-1 record with five saves and a 3.29 ERA.

Shafer went a stretch of six straight appearances without allowing an earned run. He did not pitch after April 24 due to an injury.

UTSA baseball’s Garrett Poston – photo gallery

UTSA's Garrett Poston playing against Florida International on April 22, 2022, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander
UTSA’s Garrett Poston playing against Florida International on April 22, 2022, at Roadrunner Field.
UTSA’s Garrett Poston batted .311 in 43 games including 35 starts with two home runs and 26 RBIs.

The sophomore from Clear Creek High School in League City in the Houston area led UTSA in on-base percentage at .450 with the help of 26 walks.

UTSA baseball’s Leyton Barry – photo gallery

UTSA infielder Leyton Barry playing against UT Rio Grande Valley on May 3, 2022 at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander
UTSA infielder Leyton Barry playing against UT Rio Grande Valley on May 3, 2022 at Roadrunner Field.
Leyton Barry led UTSA in batting in 2022 at .343 and held down the starting second base position. He also had 38 RBIs and a team-high seven stolen bases in 56 games.

In 2021 he batted a team-best .382 with four home runs and 27 RBIs in 31 games.

A 6-foot-2 junior from Houston, he went to IMG Academy in Florida in high school.

UTSA’s Jonathan Tapia – photo gallery

UTSA's Jonathan Tapia playing against Marshall on May 7, 2022, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander
UTSA’s Jonathan Tapia playing against Marshall on May 7, 2022, at Roadrunner Field.
Jonathan Tapia played in 56 of 58 UTSA games in 2022, seeing time mostly at third base but also playing in other infield spots and in the outfield.

The senior from O’Connor High School batted .309 with six home runs and 50 RBIs in 2022. In 2021, he batted .295 with 24 RBIs in 46 games.

UTSA’s Ian Bailey – photo gallery

UTSA's Ian Bailey playing against Texas State on April 26, 2022, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander
UTSA’s Ian Bailey playing against Texas State on April 26, 2022, at Roadrunner Field.
Ian Bailey is the only Roadrunner to play in all 54 UTSA baseball games this season.

The grad student from Stevens High School in San Antonio leads UTSA in home runs with 15, including one Friday and two Saturday in the Roadrunners’ final two games of the regular season. He has a .298 batting average with 48 RBIs.

Bailey played for the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio during the 2021 summer Texas Collegiate League season. He batted .283 with five home runs in 35 games and earned All-TCL honors.

UTSA’s Luke Malone – photo gallery

Luke Malone got the save in UTSA's victory over Texas State on April 26, 2022, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander
Luke Malone got the save in UTSA’s victory over Texas State on April 26, 2022, at Roadrunner Field.
Luke Malone enters the Conference USA baseball tournament as the UTSA pitching staff leader in wins (8-3), ERA (2.82), starts (11) and innings pitched (76 2/3).

The right-hander from Round Rock also has two saves. He has appeared in 17 games this season.

Last season he went 2-2 with a 6.41 ERA in 17 games with seven starts.

In the 2021 Texas Collegiate League summer season, he had a 4-1 record and 2.89 ERA in nine games for the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio.

UTSA’s Jacob Jimenez – photo gallery

UTSA's Jacob Jimenez pitching against UAB on a Conference USA baseball game at Roadrunner Field on Friday, May 20, 2022. - photo by Joe Alexander
UTSA’s Jacob Jimenez pitching against UAB on a Conference USA baseball game at Roadrunner Field on Friday, May 20, 2022.
Jacob Jimenez is projected to be UTSA’s starting pitcher on Friday against UAB in the second game of their Conference USA baseball series at Roadrunner Field.

The senior right-hander from Houston has a 2-1 record with 5.01 ERA. He has appeared in 14 games this season including eight starts.