The I-35 Rivalry is about to add another chapter to its story as Texas State Baseball (11-12, 3-3 SBC) prepares to take a midweek trip to San Antonio to face the UTSA Roadrunners (19-7, 2-1 AAC) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Roadrunner Field.
The Bobcats are looking to win their first game against the Roadrunners in San Antonio since 2023 when they took down then-No. 25 ranked UTSA 5-3. Texas State leads the all-time series 63-40.
Texas State is coming off a much-needed weekend sweep of the Arkansas State Red Wolves (10-13, 2-4 SBC) after losing six straight with losses against Campbell (10-13), TCU (17-7), Appalachian State (11-12, 3-3 SBC) and Baylor (16-7).
The Roadrunners will be playing their first home game since March 9. On their short vacation from home, they won four of seven games, including a victory against No. 20 Dallas Baptist, an extra-innings win at No. 8 UT-Austin and two wins last weekend against Charlotte. They quite like playing at home, losing just once in the 14 games they played there this year.
UTSA presents another highly ranked offense for Texas State, ranked first in the nation in hits (282) and twelfth in batting average (.324). The Roadrunners are hitting .332/.429/.485 with a team OPS of .914.
The Roadrunners have six hitters with a batting average above .300 (min. games of 20). UTSA outfielders Mason Lytle and Drew Detlefson bring the most damage for one of the best offenses in the country. Lytle leads the team in batting average (.417), OPS (1.076), hits (48) and doubles (13). Detlefson leads in home runs (6) and RBIs (37).
Texas State is looking for some much-needed juice offensively after suffering multiple season-ending injuries, including Ethan Farris.
Shortstop Ryne Farber continues to be the Bobcats’ most consistent hitter, leading the team in batting average (.326), OPS (.857) and hits (28).
Infielder Chase Mora may finally be finding his groove at the plate, as he hit .500 over the weekend series against the Red Wolves, which included a three-run home run in the Sunday finale.
Right-handed pitcher James Hubbard will likely start for UTSA, as he has started every Tuesday matchup for the Roadrunners this year. In 17 1/3 innings pitched, Hubbard posted a 6.23 ERA and recorded 15 strikeouts in five starts.
As for the Bobcats, the midweek rotation is not set in stone. In the previous weeks, Texas State flip-flopped starters Jesus Tovar and Jackson Teer between pitching midweek and the weekend. However, Tovar and Teer started against Arkansas State, most likely leaving them unavailable.
Texas State and UTSA’s game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
