SAN ANTONIO – The spring 2026 campaign is off to a blazing start for UTSA Baseball. Over the weekend, the Roadrunners hosted South Dakota State, outscoring the Jackrabbits by a combined score of 43-10. Up next awaits UIC in another home game on Tuesday. The Flames most recently went 1-2 over their opening-weekend series at Incarnate Word. Both sides will square off in this season’s first midweek contest at 4 p.m. as UTSA eyes its best start since 2013.
WHAT TO KNOW
Who: UIC (1-2, 0-0 MVC) at UTSA (3-0, 0-0 AMER)
When: Tuesday, Feb 17 (4 p.m.)
Where: Roadrunner Field – San Antonio, Texas
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Stream: ESPN+
Broadcast Crew: Jordy Fee-Platt (play-by-play) and Mike Capps (color)
LAST TIME OUT
The ‘Runners hosted South Dakota State for a three-game season-opening set in the Alamo City. In no time, the home bats heated up as UTSA unleashed 17 runs and went deep four times in game one of 2026. In each of the ensuing two contests, the hosts posted 13 runs and at least 13 hits, securing their highest-scoring opening series in program history with 43 runs.
On Friday, 981 spectators entered the gates at Roadrunner Field, setting a club record for a home opener. Over the course of the weekend, 2,624 total fans made their way to the ballpark to witness UTSA’s sweep of SDSU.
HISTORY ON THE HORIZON
Entering the week, UTSA stands at 3-0 for the first time since 2020. With three more victories, the squad would set a program record with their first-ever 6-0 mark. In both 2013 and 2010, the ‘Runners got out to a 5-0 start, but both units failed to reach half a dozen wins to open the campaign.
RAKIN’ JOSH
On Monday, the American Conference released its first batch of Baseball Weekly Awards for 2026. UTSA sophomore Josh Arquette was named to the Honorable Mention Player of the Week list after an electric first series with the Navy & Orange. The Panola JC transfer notched five hits in his seven at-bats, adding a pair of walks. Arquette batted .714 against SDSU, landing three of his five hits for extra bases. On Friday, he sparked his UTSA debut with a home run, highlighting a weekend in which he posted an incredible 2.129 OPS. Arquette drove in four runs, rounding the bases four times of his own as the 'Runners outscored the Jackrabbits 43-10.
JUNKYARD DOGS: A HALLMARK MOVIE
The greatest season in the decades-old history of UTSA Athletics belongs to last year’s baseball squad. The sixth edition of the Pat Hallmark era concluded with a remarkable 47 wins, suffering just 15 losses along the way. From Feb. 22-March 9, the Roadrunners rattled off 14 straight victories, highlighted by a 7-4 triumph at No. 14 Texas A&M. The group carried its momentum into conference play, notching five sweeps in American action and blazing to a 24-3 league record. The mark clinched the regular-season conference championship, helping guide UTSA to its first-ever at-large bid to an NCAA Regional.
Texas hosted the Austin Regional, also welcoming Kansas State and Houston Christian to the four-team, double-elimination bracket. After the ‘Runners knocked off the third-seeded Wildcats, they stunned the hosting Longhorns in back-to-back contests, winning 9-7 and 7-4. The squad advanced to the Super Regionals for the first time in program history, remaining as one of the final 16 teams standing in the nation. UCLA hosted the best-of-three series, knocking off UTSA in two contests. Still, the 2025 club wrapped up the season ranked No. 13 by D1Baseball in its end-of-year poll.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION
The ‘Runners were picked to finish second in the American’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll, only behind East Carolina. UTSA and ECU each received four first-place votes, but the Pirates tallied 75 total points to edge out the Roadrunners’ 70. Drew Detlefsen, Connor Kelley, Robert Orloski and Andrew Stucky were all named to the American All-Conference Preseason Team after stellar showings with the 2025 Super Regional squad. With four selections, UTSA led the league in individual preseason honors.
Right-handed pitcher Robert Orloski was named to D1Baseball’s top-200 preseason pitchers list, coming in at No. 24. The junior appeared primarily out of the bullpen in 2025, but was electric with a 3.36 ERA, eight wins without a loss, nine saves and 77 strikeouts. The Middleton, Idaho, native was also selected to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association (NCBWA) Preseason All-American Second Team.
Graduate catcher Andrew Stucky also earned preseason recognition, landing as D1Baseball’s 19th-best mid-major catcher. In 2025, the ‘Runners’ backstop made 42 starts across 52 appearances, notching 15 doubles, six home runs and 40 RBIs while batting .324.
ABOUT THE FLAMES
UIC is under the direction of fifth-year Head Coach Sean McDermott, who holds a 108-105 record with the program. The squad finished 22-33 in 2025, but went 16-11 in Missouri Valley play. The Flames won 11 of their final 15 MVC regular-season games, carrying their momentum into a pair of tournament wins, tallying 30 runs across two postseason victories. First baseman Will Smoot leads the team with a .417 batting average in 2026, racking up four RBIs and five hits against Incarnate Word.
UP NEXT
Over the weekend, two of the nation’s elite mid-major programs will square off at Roadrunner Field. Dallas Baptist is set to visit UTSA for a three-game series from Friday, Feb. 20 through Sunday, Feb. 22. All the action between the Patriots and Roadrunners will be streamed live on ESPN+ and available to follow via utsa.statbroadcast.com.
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