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DJ Shafer/UTSA Athletics
Baseball

UTSA hosts La Tech to open CUSA play

SAN ANTONIO – UTSA returns to Roadrunner Field this weekend to play its Conference USA home-opening series against Louisiana Tech.
 
The series will be played over the March 18 weekend and features the CUSA preseason No. 2 team, Louisiana Tech. La Tech (12-5), like UTSA, has a marquee win on the season as the Bulldogs hosted and defeated then-No. 2 LSU, 11-6.
 
UTSA (11-5) returns to San Antonio following a quick four-game road trip that included a weekend series in Oklahoma against OU and a weekday game at Houston Baptist.
 
HBU, who UTSA just recently played, is the only common opponent between the two schools. UTSA beat HBU 10-5 on Tuesday, while La Tech swept a weekend series against the Huskies. The Bulldogs outscored Houston Baptist 40-5 over the three-day weekend series.
 
This will be the ninth series between the two schools all-time with La Tech holding a 3-5 series advantage and a 14-12 overall advantage over UTSA. The Roadrunners are 5-4 against the Bulldogs in games played in San Antonio.
 
UTSA enters the weekend series coming off of a midweek victory at Houston Baptist. The Roadrunners were down 5-3 until they retook the lead in the eighth and held off HBU, winning 10-5. UTSA used six different pitchers in the game and eight different Roadrunners had hits.
 
UTSA was led offensively by Ryan Flores who had a two-run homerun, a single and drew four walks as the senior reached base in every plate appearance. On the pitching side for the Roadrunners, sophomore Daniel Garza entered the game in the seventh and went for 3.0 innings pitched, allowing only two hits and striking out four to secure the win for UTSA.
 
The Bulldogs enter this weekend's series coming off of a weekday win over Louisiana Monroe, 8-4. Louisiana Tech is currently riding a five-game win streak that includes victories over ULM, HBU (x3) and Southeastern.
 
UTSA enters the weekend series having the third-highest batting average (.304) in all of Conference USA and ranks 37th nationally. Senior outfielder Ian Bailey leads CUSA players with six homeruns on the year.
 
Weekend Information
Friday, March 18 at 6 p.m.
RHP, R-Jr. Luke Malone vs. LHP, R-Jr. Jonathan Fincher
Saturday, March 19 at 2 p.m.
RHP, So. Ulises Quiroga vs. RHP, R-Jr. Ryan Jennings
Sunday, March 20 at 1 p.m.
UTSA TBD vs. RHP, Sr. Jarret Whorff
 
The games will take place at Roadrunner Field and will be broadcast on CUSA.tv.
 
UP NEXT: UTSA will travel to Baylor to face the Bears of the Big 12 for a weekday tilt this Tuesday, March 22. The game will be played at Baylor Ballpark and will be broadcast on ESPN+. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
 
- UTSA -