Following Southland Conference (SLC) first place finishes in 2007 (36-22, 24-6) and 2008 (39-19, 22-8), the 2009 Roadrunners were the consensus favorite to capture the title again in 2009.
Ultimately UTSA fell short in the SLC tournament, losing back-to-back extra inning games against Sam Houston State, 6-8, and Southeastern Louisiana, 4-5. But what we learned about the validity of preseason rankings in 2009 could guide the Roadrunners back to glory in 2010.
Head Coach Sherman Corbett is entering his tenth season under the helm. UTSA has experienced unprecedented success in the Corbett era, averaging 36 wins over the last four seasons. The two-time recipient of the Southland Clay Gould Coach of the Year award has the most wins in school history (282) and has guided 22 players to professional baseball- 12 being selected in the MLB draft.
The New Braunfels native understands the demands of college baseball on himself and on his team.
“Once one season ends, the next one begins,”  Corbett said of the preparation required. “When we start a new school year, our fall practices begin; at that time, we’re trying to get familiar with new faces from our new recruits on campus and how they mesh with our existing players.”
The Roadrunners are scheduled to open the 2010 campaign on Saturday at Roadrunner Field against Houston Baptist. 
“We want to win. We want to beat everyone we play,”  junior second baseman Ryan Huton said of the season opener and other non-conference opponents. “Whether it’s TCU, Houston Baptist, Texas, we want to beat everybody we play. The more wins we get, the better chance we have at making regional.”
Hutson, who was voted a second team all SLC pick this season, will return looking to pick up where he left off in 2009. The Round Rock native put on a hitting clinic the last 13 games of 2009, batting .480 (25-for-52) with 12 home runs and 25 RBIs. Hutson is the top returnee in home runs (17) in the SLC this season.
When asked whether he feels pressured to deliver the long ball, Huston said, “To me, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is production. I’m going to strive to do better, as well as everybody else is going to strive to do better than last year.”
Accompanying Hutson on the diamond this season will be first team all SLC senior Lance Brown. Brown hit .467 with six doubles, three triples, three home runs, and 22 RBIs over the final 16 games of the 2009 season. This spring Brown will make the move from third base to shortstop, a shift several feet to the left with which Brown had no objection.
“I just don’t think (third base) is the place for me,” Brown said. “Short stop, I have a little more range; I can move my feet a little more. I like it. I think the transition is going to be good for me.”
Outfielder and hometown slugger Brett Aguilar is looking to reap the benefits of a full season. Aguilar, a first team pick in the SLC in 2010, appeared in 39 games last season -30 as a starter- and hit .304. In 125 at-bats, Aguilar totaled 38 hits, including 11 doubles and five home runs, while driving in 29 runs as well as plating himself 35 times.
Bolstering the rotation this season will be junior left-hander Matt Crocker. The 6-foot-3-inch pitcher had a 3.46 ERA going 6-3 in 22 appearances in relief last season, posting 43 strikeouts in 41.2 innings pitched.
“We’re going to ask a lot out of Matt (Crocker) because we’re moving him from being a relief pitcher to the starting role,” coach Corbett said of the hard-throwing lefthander. “Moving from being a relief pitcher to a starting pitcher is a little bit of a different mentality, different way you approach the game. He’s handled it pretty well in the fall and the beginning of the spring.”
Over and over players responded unanimously to the high expectations they have set for Crocker.
“He’s probably one of the best that will be in the league this year,” Hutson said.
“I want that on me,” Crocker said of his role. “That’s why I’m working hard to get there. I wouldn’t expect anything less. They expect highly of me and I expect highly from them.”