Most things likely will look, sound and feel the same when the UTSA baseball program opens the Jason Marshall era at 6 p.m. Friday against Air Force.
The distinctive ?ping? of aluminum making contact with horsehide during batting practice will echo through the trees around Roadrunner Field.
The warm, afternoon sun will disappear beyond the horizon, and the day's projected high temperatures in the upper 60s could dip into the mid-40s by the ninth inning.
Undoubtedly, someone in the bleachers at UTSA's season opener will cry audibly about leaving a sweatshirt in the dormitory. We've heard all that before.
In the dugout, however, the mood promises to be different in Marshall's first game since taking over for Sherman Corbett.
Marshall will have a competitive fire raging within.
?You don't coach 17 years as an assistant and not be excited about the opportunity to be a head coach, finally,? Marshall said.
Marshall, a former standout shortstop at Texas A&M, played four years in the minor leagues before initiating a coaching career at his alma mater.
He worked at A&M for two years in the mid-1990s, moved to McMurry for three years, then joined UTSA when Corbett took charge as coach in 2001.
After Corbett stepped down following 12 seasons last spring to assume administrative duties in the athletic department, it didn't take long for the Roadrunners to hand the reins to Marshall.
Players have noticed the difference in style.
?Coach Marshall is more up ? up in our faces, I guess,? shortstop RJ Perucki said. ?He will jump on you. But at the same time, he will joke around with you. He'll get in there and fire you up.?
During Corbett's tenure as coach, the low-key, former major league pitcher led UTSA to an NCAA tournament appearance, three conference titles and five straight winning seasons through 2009.
From there, the program started to slide.
But in a sense, it could be argued that Corbett took UTSA baseball about as far as he could in light of a home stadium that doesn't match up to newer facilities in the region, notably at Texas State.
One day, Marshall knows that UTSA will need to address the issue, particularly as the program moves this season into the Western Athletic Conference and next season into Conference USA.
?It's sort of an elephant in the room,? he said last June on the day he was appointed.
For the time being, it's Marshall's job to make sure the Roadrunners are getting the most out of what they have.
Last year, for instance, he said UTSA suffered only one three-game series sweep during its Southland Conference schedule. Marshall said the Roadrunners had a chance to win every other series they played.
?We just couldn't pull off that last inning or two, or that third ballgame,? he said. ?That's a toughness issue. We've got to play tougher baseball.?
jbriggs@express-news.net
Twitter: @JerryBriggs
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