After sweeping Dallas Baptist University over the weekend, UTSA baseball is off to its best start in program history. Meanwhile, in San Marcos, Texas, Texas State University is off to a hot start of its own. The Bobcats are 5-2 after sweeping Niagara University, securing a rubber match series win over Gonzaga University and dropping a midweek game to Baylor University.
Rivalry games are always difficult to predict. Whether one team is elite and the other is sub -.500, it doesn’t really matter. The only thing that matters when both teams hit the diamond is who hates the other side more. This is especially apparent when reviewing the last 10 meetings between UTSA and Texas State. The Roadrunners are averaging 10.3 runs per game to the Bobcats’ 9. In eight of the last 10 games, at least one side has scored double-digit runs, and in six of those games, both teams have scored at least eight runs.
UTSA coach Pat Hallmark is 5-4 against Texas State since taking the lead job in June of 2019 and 3-0 in the past two years. Hallmark knows Texas State all too well, and he knows the environment his team is going to play in on Tuesday. Still, he maintains his team is up to the challenge.
“We’ll be ready. They’ll be ready too,” Pat Hallmark said. “They’re 5-2, so they’re off to a good start. They got some new personnel, a lot of new people. We’ve already started looking at them. They’ve got a big kid named [Manny] Salas in the middle of their lineup that’s really hitting the ball, and they’ve got one of [senior infielder Cade] Sadler’s old teammates hitting the ball a lot too.
“They can swing it. They’ll probably throw a lot of people, I hope. If they don’t, it means we’re not hitting them, but that’s typically how it goes over there. Both teams generally use a lot of arms.”
Much of the Bobcats’ success at the plate comes from their infield. Salas, Texas State’s first baseman, leads the team in hits (9) and batting average (.429). Shortstop Dawson Park and third baseman Chase Mora are the top two on the team in RBIs with eight and seven, respectively.
Texas State is expected to start right-handed pitcher Sam Hall on Tuesday. Hall got crushed by Baylor University last Tuesday, allowing four hits and a walk in five batters faced. Considering the Roadrunners’ success at the plate against superior opponents, fans shouldn’t expect to see Hall for long.
UTSA will start senior pitcher Christian Okerholm, who through three appearances, has allowed one run and two hits while dishing four strikeouts.
Sophomore infielder Josh Arquette and sophomore outfielder Christian Hallmark lead the Roadrunners in RBIs after two weekends, with the latter selected as the American Conference Player of the Week for his efforts against the University of Illinois Chicago and Dallas Baptist. Fellow newcomer, junior outfielder Lane Haworth, leads the team in hits with 13. A large reason UTSA did not enter the season nationally ranked is that outlets were unsure how the Roadrunners would replace stars such as Mason Lytle, James Taussig, Zach Royse, etc. It’s still early, but Pat Hallmark attributes a majority of his team’s success to the play of first-time Roadrunners and even some to those who don’t see the diamond.
“[They’re] important. It’s a part of the 7-0 start,” Pat Hallmark explained. “There’s guys on the bench that are good players, and I feel for those guys. When you’re 7-0, it looks like you’re doing everything right, but they’re on my mind, [players like] [senior outfielder] Garrett Gruell, Sadler, [senior outfielder Brandon] Bishop and [freshman infielder Aidan] Eschelman.
“Our bench has a lot of energy, and people don’t always realize it, but those same guys always providing the energy, they want to play. There’s some angst to play within them but they’re so mature and so selfless to bring the energy they bring. We’re grateful for those guys.”
There’s a lot to factor in for Tuesday. Winds are expected to blow out at speeds of 19 mph. Texas State will serve as the Roadrunners’ first road test of the season. The matchup is sandwiched between an emotional series against Dallas Baptist and the Bruce Bolt College Classic, which might be a recipe for an upset. Still, at least on paper, there is little to suggest UTSA will lose on Tuesday.
Paisano Pick: UTSA 13, Texas State 10
