SAN ANTONIO – After a 23-7 start to the season, the UTSA baseball squad has earned rankings in three national polls, including No. 24 in Baseball America, No. 27 in NCBWA and No. 23 in Perfect Game. 

The Roadrunners are 3-1 against Power Five opponents and 8-1 against C-USA opponents. That 8-1 record is good enough to place UTSA at the top of the Conference USA standings. 

One of the reasons UTSA has garnered so much respect from national polls is its ability to win tight games. UTSA is 8-4 in games decided by two or fewer runs, largely thanks to their elite pitching staff. 

Reliever Simon Miller is the No. 9 ranked reliever in the nation and currently leads the nation in ERA (0.55) and wins (6).

 Starter Luke Malone also boasts a solid 2.00 ERA and a 3-2 win-loss record. 

UTSA’s offense has been as explosive as their defense has been stout. Antonio Valdez, Leyton Barry and Matt King were all ranked within the top 50 of their positions. 

Valdez is the highest ranked, coming in at No. 18.

The Roadrunners tend to stick to a game-by-game mentality, but with expectations rising every week, the team’s sights have to be set on qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Despite coming close in 2021, UTSA has not qualified for the tournament since 2013. 

UTSA plays its first series as a ranked club against the Charlotte 49ers. The first pitch is at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium.