As the season prepares to head into May, the Texas State Bobcats (21-23, 9-12 SBC) are returning home to rematch the UTSA Roadrunners (33-10, 15-3 AAC) Tuesday evening at Bobcat Ballpark.
The last time these two met was back on March 25th in San Antonio. The Bobcats almost rallied from behind in the last three innings after the Roadrunners plummeted them early but ultimately fell just short as UTSA took first game 12-9.
UTSA is coming off a dominating weekend sweep of in-conference rival Memphis at home, as the Roadrunners are currently coasting on a four-game winning streak that stretches from last weekend’s entanglement with Tulane.
The Roadrunners offense remains to be statistically ranked as one of the best in the entire NCAA, as their batting average currently stands at .326, good for sixth in the nation. If batting average isn’t your style, they still show they have no problem getting on base, as UTSA’s on-base percentage is a .439, ranking seventh in the country.
The Roadrunners offense possesses nine qualified batters that are at least hitting above a .290 batting average, with six of them hitting above .320! Their best bats coming into this matchup are the dynamic duo of outfielders Mason Lytle and Drew Detlefson.
Lytle is slashing a .388/.438/.590, producing 51 RBIs along with 17 doubles and seven home runs. He’s a threat on the basepaths too, having snagged 13 stolen bases this season.
Detlefson is another notable threat that brings power with his stick, batting .321/.425/.595, which includes leading the team in RBIs (59, tied 12th overall in the nation) and home runs (11).
Texas State will have the advantage of playing at home this time around against one of the best offenses in the country, as the Roadrunners have an 11-8 record on the road, which pales in comparison to their dominating home record of 22-2.
Right-handed pitcher Sam Simmons is currently the listed starting pitcher for the Roadrunners. Simmons previously pitched last weekend against Tulane, where he tossed 2 1/3 innings and struck out two in the process. On the season, he’s pitched a 6.75 ERA in nine appearances.
Texas State, on the other hand, is coming into this midweek rivalry clash after dropping an integral weekend series to No.20 Troy, preventing the sweep and salvaging a win in the Sunday finale with a run-ruled 14-3 victory.
Third Basemen Chase Mora has re-emerged as the best bat in the offense, batting .300/.373/.488 while leading the team in hits (51), RBIs (30), and home runs (7). Shortstop Ryne Farber has continued to produce as well, batting .290 and trailing behind Mora in just a few categories. Both have displayed their speed on the bases, with Mora having stolen 10 and Farber stealing 12.
The Bobcats, as they’ve seemingly done most of the year, will be using one of their bullpen pieces to start the midweek game. This time, right-handed pitcher Josh Glaser has been given the start. The freshman will be making his first career start, having previously appeared as a reliever in 11 games, pitching 14 innings and coming out with a 3.21 ERA, along with producing 19 strikeouts.
Glaser has previously pitched against UTSA earlier in the season, coming into the seventh inning and striking out three roadrunners while just walking one in the process.
Texas State is set to tangle with their I-35 rival Tuesday evening at Bobcat Ballpark, with the estimated start time of 6 p.m. This game will be the Bobcat’s second to last out-of-conference matchup of the regular season. It will be available to stream on ESPN+.
