Latest news with #Roadrunners
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UCLA baseball surges to beat Texas San Antonio in Game 1 of Super Regional
UCLA pitcher Michael Barnett, shown here pitching on May 30, gave up six hits and two earned runs over six innings in a 5-2 win over Texas San Antonio in Game 1 of the NCAA tournament super regionals at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday night. (John McCoy / Associated Press) Texas San Antonio wasn't going to be a team UCLA could walk over. Just a week ago, the Roadrunners made a mockery of the Austin Regional — scoring 26 runs across three games — and took down No. 2 Texas twice on the Longhorns' home turf. Their greeting to the Bruins on Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday night was just as loud. Advertisement American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Mason Lytle sent Michael Barnett's second pitch of the game into no-doubt territory beyond Jackie Robinson Stadium's left-field wall for a home run. UTSA's dugout poured onto the field in response — earning an early warning from the umpires. A straight steal of home from Roadrunners left fielder Caden Miller in the second brought even more juice from the road support. Down 2-0, the Bruins were shell shocked, in need of a response. The runs may not have been coming at the same pace, when UCLA scored a season-high 10 in the opening game of regionals, but the hits kept on rolling like they did a week ago. UCLA tallied 10 hits and six walks — scoring two runs in the third and one in the fourth — but stranded 13 on base, toeing the line of nail-biting baseball to win 5-2. Leading 3-2 with two outs in the eighth, it wasn't until sophomore third baseman Roman Martin connected for a two-RBI triple that the Bruins could breathe. He waved his arms in celebration as Bruins fans behind the third-base dugout led an 'eight clap' for the first and only time Saturday. Advertisement UTSA still hit the ball all over the ballpark, as it did against Texas, but Barnett relied on his defense to limit the damage. He tossed six innings of two-run ball, giving up six hits, walking none and striking out one. It was a clean, defensive clinic from the Bruins. Roch Cholowsky made a slick play in the seventh, fielding a hard ground ball to his left and throwing to first off-balance from behind second to help reliever Jack O'Connor toss a scoreless inning. Catcher Cashel Dugger handled dropped-third strikes from righty August Souza to make it smooth sailing in the eighth. Bruins first baseman Mulivai Levu doubled down the line to score Dean West for the Bruins' first run. Cholowsky then managed to score on a ground out to third by Martin, tying the score 2-2. Advertisement An inning later, West drove in a run on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly after three UCLA singles to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead. Freshman right-hander Easton Hawk, who recently had been pegged as UCLA's closer, hurled a shutdown ninth inning to earn the save. As the Bruins celebrated on the field, it signaled a truth heading into Sunday afternoon — UCLA is one win away from Omaha and the College World Series. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
UCLA baseball surges to beat Texas San Antonio in Game 1 of Super Regional
Texas San Antonio wasn't going to be a team UCLA could walk over. Just a week ago, the Roadrunners made a mockery of the Austin Regional — scoring 26 runs across three games — and took down No. 2 Texas twice on the Longhorns' home turf. Their greeting to the Bruins on Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday night was just as loud. American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Mason Lytle sent Michael Barnett's second pitch of the game into no-doubt territory beyond Jackie Robinson Stadium's left-field wall for a home run. UTSA's dugout poured onto the field in response — earning an early warning from the umpires. A straight steal of home from Roadrunners left fielder Caden Miller in the second brought even more juice from the road support. Down 2-0, the Bruins were shell shocked, in need of a response. The runs may not have been coming at the same pace, when UCLA scored a season-high 10 in the opening game of regionals, but the hits kept on rolling like they did a week ago. UCLA tallied 10 hits and six walks — scoring two runs in the third and one in the fourth — but stranded 13 on base, toeing the line of nail-biting baseball to win 5-2. Leading 3-2 with two outs in the eighth, it wasn't until sophomore third baseman Roman Martin connected for a two-RBI triple that the Bruins could breathe. He waved his arms in celebration as Bruins fans behind the third-base dugout led an 'eight clap' for the first and only time Saturday. UTSA still hit the ball all over the ballpark, as it did against Texas, but Barnett relied on his defense to limit the damage. He tossed six innings of two-run ball, giving up six hits, walking none and striking out one. It was a clean, defensive clinic from the Bruins. Roch Cholowsky made a slick play in the seventh, fielding a hard ground ball to his left and throwing to first off-balance from behind second to help reliever Jack O'Connor toss a scoreless inning. Catcher Cashel Dugger handled dropped-third strikes from righty August Souza to make it smooth sailing in the eighth. Bruins first baseman Mulivai Levu doubled down the line to score Dean West for the Bruins' first run. Cholowsky then managed to score on a ground out to third by Martin, tying the score 2-2. An inning later, West drove in a run on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly after three UCLA singles to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead. Freshman right-hander Easton Hawk, who recently had been pegged as UCLA's closer, hurled a shutdown ninth inning to earn the save. As the Bruins celebrated on the field, it signaled a truth heading into Sunday afternoon — UCLA is one win away from Omaha and the College World Series.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Why is UTSA called the Roadrunners? Explaining nickname amid NCAA baseball tournament
Why is UTSA called the Roadrunners? Explaining nickname amid NCAA baseball tournament Show Caption Hide Caption 5 men's NCAA baseball tournament players to watch The Mongomery Advertiser's Adam Cole and The Tennesseean's Aria Gerson break down the top players to watch in the men's NCAA baseball tournament. Beep, beep! That's the sound Texas baseball heard last weekend as UTSA entered the Austin Regional and walked away with the title over the weekend in Austin, Texas, to advance to the super regional round of the NCAA baseball tournament. That, of course, is because the University of Texas at San Antonio has one of the most unique nicknames in college baseball. UTSA will take on No. 15 national seed UCLA in the Los Angeles Super Regional over the weekend hoping to build on what is already the deepest run in the Roadrunners' postseason history. REQUIRED READING: NCAA baseball tournament bracket: Super regional matchups, schedule, pairings for CWS Here's what you need to know about why UTSA is nicknamed the Roadrunners and the history of the nickname: What is a roadrunner? A roadrunner is "born to run," according to the online bird guide All About Birds. The Greater Roadrunner "can outrace a human, kill a rattlesnake and thrive in the harsh landscapes of the Desert Southwest." According to All About Birds, it typically inhabits open country, particularly arid grasslands and low deserts. Its range extends as far north and west as northern California and has extended eastward into Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. It preys on lizards, snakes, mice and birds. The animal was made famous by its characterization by Warner Bros. cartoon in the form of the "Road Runner," as featured in the show "Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner." Why is UTSA called the Roadrunners? According to the UTSA website, the school held an election in 1977 to determine its school mascot. Other potential mascots under consideration included armadillos, stars, eagles, jaguars, puma, toro and vaquero. The names of armadillos and stars actually won the election, but due to a voided election, a second vote was forced. The roadrunner staged a surprising comeback and won the election to become the school's official mascot. It was introduced at a bonfire rally on Dec. 9, 1977, and officially announced on Dec. 12, 1977. Four years later, Antonio Gonzalez became the first student to wear the Roadrunner Mascot costume when he joined the cheerleaders in an attempt to pep up the crowd when the university launched its intercollegiate athletics program. On Nov. 24, 1981, the Roadrunner made its debut, "hatching" from an egg during a basketball pep rally. The name "Rowdy" for the mascot is believed to be from the "rowdy" nature of the university's spirit squad, according to the school's website. What is UTSA's mascot? Rowdy the Roadrunner has been the school's live human mascot since 1981. Roadrunner hand sign Here's how to show off your Roadrunner support during the NCAA baseball tournament, according to the school's website: Open your hand with your palm facing out and away from you then Curl your first three fingers toward the center of your palm, leaving your thumb and pinky fingers upright. Your thumb is the roadrunner's head and your pinky represents the tail.
Washington Post
02-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
UTSA takes down No. 2 national seed Texas 7-4 for first trip to super regionals
AUSTIN, Texas — Norris McClure went 3 for 5 with a two-run homer in the first inning and UTSA added five runs in the third to help eliminate No. 2 national seed Texas 7-4 on Sunday night for the Austin Regional championship. UTSA (47-13) advances to the program's first super regionals. The Roadrunners were 0-6 in their first three NCAA Tournament appearances before winning three straight this season, including a 9-7 victory over the Longhorns on Saturday.
01-06-2025
- Sport
UTSA sends No. 2 overall seed Texas to losers' bracket with 9-7 victory in Austin Regional
AUSTIN, Texas -- James Taussig went 4 for 4 with a double and two RBIs to help UTSA send No. 2 overall seed Texas to the losers' bracket with a 9-7 come-from-behind victory at the Austin Regional on Saturday night. Host Texas (43-13) will play No. 3 seed Kansas State in an elimination game Sunday. The winner would have to beat the Roadrunners (46-13) Sunday night and again on Monday to advance to the super regionals. The Longhorns scored five runs in the third inning off UTSA starter Conor Myles and reliever Connor Kelley to take a 6-1 lead. Nathan Hodge had a two-run single and Taussig doubled in the final of four runs in the fifth as the Roadrunners pulled within 6-5. Hodge and Mason Lytle had RBI singles before Garrett Gruell doubled in a run as UTSA scored three more times in the sixth to grab an 8-6 lead. Rylan Galvan hit a solo homer in the seventh to get the Longhorns within a run, but Taussig delivered a ninth-inning insurance run with a two-out single after Lytle's one-out double. Kendall Dove (3-0) got the win with a scoreless fifth inning. Braylon Owens pitched the final four innings and allowed a run on a hit and four walks for his third save. Max Grubbs (6-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing two runs in 1 1/3 innings in relief of starter Luke Harrison, who yielded five runs — two earned — in 4 1/3. ___
