Baseball | 5/2/2016 10:55:00 PM

SAN MARCOS – Texas State travels to UTSA Tuesday for the 2016's final installment of the I-35 Rivalry. Both teams have earned wins against each other this season and will battle for bragging rights at 6 p.m. Tuesday night.
 
Game Info: Texas State at UTSA
Site: Roadrunner Field – San Antonio, Texas
Date: Tuesday, May 3
Time: 6 p.m.
 
Probable Pitching Matchup
#27 RHP Jeremy Hallonquist (3-4, 3.38) vs. #36 RHP Jake Harrison (0-0, 4.61)
 
The Series                                                                                                  
The Bobcats have an overwhelming advantage over UTSA in the all-time series, 54-32, while Head Coach Ty Harrington has gone 32-22 against the Roadrunners. Unfortunately, though, UTSA has had the hot hand lately with wins in three of the last four games. However, the Bobcats currently hold the last laugh with a 13-10 win in the last meeting on April 5 at Bobcat Ballpark. In the first meeting of the season between the teams, UTSA won, 14-7, for the third consecutive Roadrunner victory in the series.
 
Last Meeting
The last time these teams met, it was an offensive explosion. There were a combined 17 runs scored in the first three innings as the Bobcats went on to win 13-10. Texas State needed three runs combined in the seventh and eighth innings to pull out the victory.
 
Freshman Ryan Newman, simply put, went off against the Roadrunners. He went 4-for-4 with two walks, three RBIs, four runs and two homers. He wasn't the only Bobcat to send a message with the long ball though as Tanner Hill and Theodore Hoffman also knocked out homers to help propel the Bobcats to victory. Luke Sherley was 2-for-4 with a walk while Hoffman went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs while Hill was 3-for-4 with two runs, four RBIs and two walks.
 
On the Roadrunners
While UTSA won its most recent game, the Roadrunners lost six consecutive games and 13 of the team's last 16 before last game. It has been a tough season for UTSA as the Roadrunners stand at 15-27 overall and 6-15 in Conference USA.
 
Bryan Arias is still hitting at a strong rate for the Roadrunners, currently holding a .325 batting average with 49 hits, 21 runs, 14 RBIs, six doubles and three triples. Skyler Valentine is hitting .302 and leads the team in hits with 52.
 
The pitching staff, though, carries a 6.08 ERA while opponents are hitting .292 against the Roadrunners. Jake Harrison gets the starting nod against Texas State and he carries a 4.61 ERA with eight strikeouts to 11 walks in just 13.2 innings this season. Opponents are hitting .283 against him.
 
On the Bobcats
Texas State is currently above .500 at 23-22 overall and 11-10 in the Sun Belt Conference, tied for fourth in the league. After dropping four in a row, the Bobcats bounced back last game with an impressive 4-1 victory in the series finale against Troy. Texas State will look to parlay that win into momentum against UTSA and Georgia State in the coming weekend series.
 
Tanner Hill leads the squad with a .328 batting average but Cory Geisler isn't far behind at .321. Jonathan Ortega, Jaylen Hubbard, Dylan Paul and Ryan Newman are all hitting above .300 with Granger Studdard not far behind at .297. Eight Bobcats have struck 30 hits or more this season while the squad has sent out 36 home runs, led by Hill and his 13 roundtrippers. Six Bobcats have knocked multiple home runs this season.
 
The pitching staff currently holds a 4.10 ERA with 340 strikeouts to 156 walks. Opponents are hitting just .251 against the Bobcats. Jeremy Hallonquist will be on the mound Tuesday and has a 3.38 ERA with 31 strikeouts to 12 walks, the least of the team's four regular starters.
 
A Look Ahead
After Troy, the Bobcats will host Georgia State for the weekend's conference series. It will be Senior Day on Sunday, the team's final home game before the Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament. After that, Texas State will take the midweek off before traveling to face Arkansas State.