April 24, 2015
UT Arlington (27-22, 8-10) at Troy (29-20, 11-7)
April 25-26 | Troy Softball Complex | Troy, Ala.
Series Notes | Live Stream | Live Stats
By Michael Eldridge | @DFWSportsMike
ARLINGTON, Texas -- UT Arlington heads into the final stretch of the 2015 campaign as the Mavericks close out their road schedule with a three-game Sun Belt series at Troy.
The Mavericks (27-22, 8-10) are in a battle for conference positioning for the Sun Belt Championship next month. Having already clinched its spot in the tournament, UTA can reach as high as third with a strong finish and earn a first-round bye.
"Our destiny has been in our own hands," UT Arlington coach Kristie Fox said. "It is our second year in the conference and the Sun Belt is maybe the top mid-major conference right now in softball. I have been really impressed with the character and class that these ladies have shown and I think that the future is so bright."
UTA, one of several schools fighting for a top-four seed, trails third-place Troy by three games.
Several Mavericks continue to chase and build on individual records as the 2015 squad rewrites the record books. Senior Nina Villanueva is one RBI away from becoming the sixth Maverick to go over the century mark for a career.
The UTA shortstop has been in a race with freshman Sandra Mendoza for the single-season runs record. Villanueva has a record 51, while Mendoza is one behind. Mendoza and Villanueva are two of the three players in the conference that have at least 50 hits and 50 runs.
"When multiple people in one year break a record it speaks highly of what these girls have done," Fox said. "We have a couple of girls who are on the verge of breaking career records. I have just been really impressed in how they have not let them get that in their heads at all. They just go out and play hard everyday, and the success is based on their hard work. They are not worried about it."
Villanueva's current batting average (.431) is the highest in UTA history, as is her .369 career average.
First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is 4 p.m. The series is scheduled to conclude Sunday at noon.
