For those who weren’t paying attention, last season, UTSA’s baseball team had one of the greatest underdog stories in school history.

Coach Pat Hallmark and his squad wrapped up the most dominant single-season performance in program history, racking up 44 wins and bringing home UTSA’s first American Athletic Conference Championship since joining the conference back in 2023. 

What made this team special wasn’t just talent, it was heart. These players embraced the “junkyard dog” mindset, wearing the mentality like a badge of honor. While other teams discussed rankings and worried about outcomes, the Roadrunners just put their heads down and worked.

The ‘Runners’ 44-13 record earned them an at-large bid to the NCAA Austin Regional championship. UTSA entered the regional with its first game against Kansas State University where the Roadrunners put up 10 runs against the Wildcats and advanced to play the No. 2 overall seed, The University of Texas at Austin. Fortunately for the Roadrunners, this wasn’t the first time they faced the Longhorns this year. In March, UTSA made the trek up to Austin and walked away with an 8-7 win over Texas. This second matchup would be no different.

The Longhorns got off to a strong start, picking up runs in the first and third innings and establishing a 6-1 lead over the Roadrunners. In the top of the fourth, that relentless and fierce determination kicked in, and UTSA brought the score to 6-5. The Roadrunners added three more runs in the sixth and an insurance run in the 9th inning to solidify their 9-7 victory.

The Roadrunners would face the Longhorns yet again for a chance to win the Austin Regional. Senior outfielder James Taussig brought in the first run, with senior infielder Norris McClure following shortly after with his sixth homer of the season — and second of the regional — to put UTSA up 2-0. The Roadrunners continued to extend their lead in the third inning, bringing the score to 7-0. The Longhorns attempted a comeback in the top of the eight and ninth, but sophomore pitcher Robert Orloski tossed the final strikeout in the ninth to seal UTSA’s first-ever NCAA Regional Championship victory.

The Austin Regional championship launched UTSA into uncharted territory: the ‘Runners’ first ever NCAA Super Regional appearance. UCLA topped UTSA during a best of three set with 5-2 and 7-0 wins. Flying out to Los Angeles to face UCLA might have been the end of the road, but getting there was pure magic. 

The campus has seen remarkable growth over the past few years, but this baseball team achieved something no other UTSA team had ever done: put the entire country on notice. Nobody outside of San Antonio believed in them, but the student body did. More importantly, they believed in themselves.

After capturing the NCAA Austin Regional for its first NCAA Regional Championship in program history, UTSA was the No. 4 trending sports topic nationally and the No. 7 trending topic overall nationally on X.

The accolades poured in like they should have. Hallmark snagged AAC Coach of the Year honors and earned himself a contract extension through 2029. He led UTSA Baseball to its best season in program history, with a program-high 47 wins and a program-low 15 losses. 

Two Roadrunner pitchers were selected in the 2025 MLB Draft: Braylon Owens to the Milwaukee Brewers and Zach Royse to the Atlanta Braves. Taussig, junior infielder Ty Hodge and senior outfielder Mason Lytle would sign Undrafted Free Agent contracts with the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros, respectively. 

But this isn’t just about baseball, this is about what happens when a UTSA team gets the support they deserve and shows the world what the program is made of. Every time a student wears that UTSA shirt around now, people know who they are. When someone searches for UTSA on the internet, they see headlines about giant-killers and Super Regionals. 

The Roadrunners showed everyone that teams don’t need the biggest budget or the fanciest facility to find success. They’re the baseball team that took down Texas three times in its home stadium. They proved that heart beats hype every single time.

The impacts of this win will extend far beyond the athletics brand and positions UTSA as a rising institutional force capable of competing with well-established programs. When a university defeats prestigious programs and advances to elite postseason play, it signals academic and athletic excellence that attracts prospective students, faculty and donors who want to be associated with a winning, upward-trajectory institution. This reputation boost for UTSA as an emerging powerhouse will fuel its long term growth and increasing prestige.

When football season starts, when basketball tips off, when any of the Roadrunner teams take the field or court, remember this baseball season. 

Support the athletes. Show up to games. Wear orange and blue with pride. If this season proved anything, it’s that great things happen when Roadrunners believe in Roadrunners.