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The UTSA baseball team advanced to a Super Regional after winning back-to-back games against instate rival Texas. Head coach Pat Hallmark had some interesting comments to make after the fact.
He was asked about a pair of 2024 roster members that transferred out of his program and into P4 schools this past offseason. Both of those players will be watching the rest of the postseason from home rather than chasing history.
Hallmark is in Year 6 leading the Roadrunners on the baseball diamond. His teams have won at least 30 games in each of the last four seasons. This year has been the coach’s best.
UTSA is 47-13 and on its way to the program’s first-ever Super Regional. They were able beat Texas twice in Austin to sweep through the opening round of the postseason. They’ll be rewarded with an upcoming trip to UCLA.
The Roadrunners are now two games away from Omaha. A number of contributors from last year’s squad made impacts on this team’s success.
Mason Lytle, for example, led the lineup with a .369 average and 17 stolen bases in Year 2 with the school. Pitcher Robert Orloski went a perfect 8-0 with a team-high nine saves in his second year as a Roadrunner.
Two key players, however, opted to test the transfer waters after strong 2024 seasons. Those moves backfired.
UTSA baseball coach gets brutally honest about outgoing transfers.
“We’re not here if those people are still here. We’re here because they left… If they want to get in the Portal, get in the Portal we’ll go for the next guy.”
UTSA Coach Pat Hallmark had strong remarks when asked about stars from the 2024 Roadrunners team transferring out pic.twitter.com/o9FqFOUU2q
— Noah Bieniek (@NoahB77_) June 2, 2025
Pitcher Ruger Riojas led the Roadrunners in ERA, saves, strikeouts, and wins last year. Infielder Matt King hit .336 with UTSA as a junior to go along with 41 RBIs. Both bailed on the program for opportunities at bigger schools.
King landed at Arizona State where he was named Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Year. He hit .403 with the Sun Devils while tallying seven homers and 55 RBIs.
Arizona State reached the NCAA Tournament but was eliminated after back-to-back losses against UCLA and UC Irvine. King would’ve had the opportunity to play his former team in the Supers had the Sun Devils advanced. They did not.
Riojas, however, did get that chance, and it ended in defeat. The pitcher signed with Texas soon after leaving UTSA. He watched the Longhorns drop two straight games against the Roadrunners in Austin this weekend.
Riojas didn’t make an appearance against his old team in the postseason. The Roadrunners did serve him a loss during a regular season matchup in mid-March, though.
UTSA went a perfect 3-0 against the Longhorns. Coach Pat Hallmark was asked about his team after the most recent victory. He threw some vicious shade his former players’ way!
“We’re not here if those people are still here. We’re here because they left… If they want to get in the Portal, get in the Portal we’ll go for the next guy.
-Pat Hallmark
Hallmark said he was able to fill those two spots with players that made incredible impacts on the 2025 UTSA season. Had the newcomers not been given the opportunity to join the roster, the coach insists the Roadrunners would be the ones sitting at home.
Instead, they’ll look to make more history at the Super Regional in Los Angeles. Those former UTSA teammates will be watching from the couch.