SAN ANTONIO — UTSA baseball picked up an 11-3 win in its series opener against the University of South Florida on Friday at Roadrunner Field.
After a scoreless opening inning, the Roadrunners (24-10, 7-3 AC) broke the game open behind a three-RBI double from senior outfielder Drew Detlefsen. South Florida (24-9, 5-5 AC) cut its deficit to two runs in the third, but UTSA pulled away in the later innings as senior pitcher Connor Kelley settled in on the mound.
“Kelley was terrific,” coach Pat Hallmark said after the game. “It’s just the persistence that he’s shown. The maturity, persistence and handling some hiccups — some not so good outings, and then he just comes out, practices and works hard. There are so many things behind the scenes that people don’t see. There’s a lot to be proud of with Connor Kelley.”
In the second inning, sophomore utility Caden Miller got the Roadrunners on the board with a bases-loaded hit by pitch. Detlefsen’s bases-clearing double put UTSA up four heading into the third.
After South Florida scored its first runs of the game, graduate catcher Andrew Stucky launched a three-run home run 431 feet into deep center field. Freshman infielder Aidan Eschelman and Miller added two runs in the fifth, before junior outfielder Lane Haworth scored Stucky by holding up the Bulls’ infield in a rundown.
Kelley replaced senior pitcher Gunnar Brown in the fifth and held South Florida to two hits, zero earned runs and tossed two strikeouts in the process. Kelley, who lost his Friday night starter role once the Roadrunners entered conference play, has battled to improve since the team’s series against the University of Texas at Arlington. In 2025, he operated mostly out of the reliever role, but according to Kelley, reliever or starter, it’s all the same to him.
“[The role] doesn’t matter to me,” he explained. “I just try to be relaxed, [take] deep breaths and if they get a hit, it doesn’t matter. I try to complicate the next guy, throw strikes and stay relaxed.”
In the seventh, Miller grounded out into a double play, but sophomore outfielder Christian Hallmark scored on the play, giving the Roadrunners some insurance.
Eight different Roadrunners recorded a hit, with Detlefsen and Stucky leading in RBIs with three apiece. On the mound, Brown and Kelley combined for just three walks and six strikeouts. UTSA committed two defensive errors.
Game two of UTSA v. South Florida is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Roadrunner Field.
