June 3, 2015 By Paul Watley | @WatP7
ARLINGTON, Texas - The 2015 campaign for UT Arlington was one filled with excitement as the Mavericks took down three ranked opponents, while also qualifying for the Sun Belt Championship. Below we look at the top 10 moments from the season.
10. Mavs tame Lions in home opener
Senior pitcher Chad Nack was a force to be reckoned with on the mound for UT Arlington in a 7-0 win over Southeastern Louisiana in the home opener. Nack recorded his second consecutive scoreless outing, allowing one hit and striking out four. Seniors Levi Scott and Travis Sibley jumpstarted the Maverick offense early. Scott put UTA on the board in the opening frame with a two-run home run, while Sibley's two-RBI triple to center highlighted a four-run third inning for the Mavs.
Recap
9. Seniors end on high note
After honoring eight on Senior Day against Appalachian State, UTA was hot at the plate en route to a 9-3 series-clinching win. The Mavericks relied on a trio of seniors in the win as Scott, Sibley and Eric Tate combined to go 7-for-14 with 3 RBI and 3 runs. It was the calming presence of Joel Kuhnel on the mound who kept the Mountaineer batters in check as he ended his outing with six hits and an earned run allowed in eight innings on the hill. The sophomore right-handed pitcher also struck out five, while walking just two in his 108-pitch outing.
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8. Duo racks up postseason honors
Scott and Sibley capped off their careers at UTA in style as both players were named to the 2015 All-Sun Belt Baseball second team, as selected by the league's head coaches prior to the start of the SBC Championship. Scott recorded team highs in RBI, home runs, and slugging percentage. A product of Burleson, Scott registered 12 multi-RBI games during the regular season, including a pair of four-RBI outings against Texas State in the final week of play. Sibley came away with team highs in batting average, at-bats, hits, doubles, RBI and total bases during his final season in the Maverick uniform. He was especially potent in conference play with a .390 batting average, .504 slugging percentage and .444 on-base percentage.
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7. Mavs break out brooms against UALR
Outscoring the Trojans by 21 runs, the Mavericks recorded their largest margin of victory in a three-game series sweep since 2005. The sweep was capped off with a 7-2 effort, which included an impactful pitching performance by Kuhnel. The Peoria, Ariz. native kept the Trojan batters in check as he allowed five hits and no runs in his eight innings on the mound, while also striking out seven. Kuhnel retired the first seven batters of the game before allowing a UALR batter to reach base. The outing by Kuhnel headlined a UTA pitching staff that did not issue a walk over the three-game series. The bats were also alive and well for the Mavs as they notched 40 hits and 26 runs on the weekend.
Recap
6. UTA claims belt, game over Troy
A 93-minute rain delay may have put the brakes on the start of UT Arlington's opening round game in the Sun Belt Baseball Championship against No. 2 Troy, but it failed to slow down the seventh-seeded Mavericks upset bid as they took a 13-5 victory over the Trojans. The UTA offense was firing on all cylinders as it registered a season-high 19 hits and three home runs. The Mavs also hit an astounding 8-for-16 in the box with two outs. While the game against the tournament's host proved to be exciting, it was the antics on the field prior to the game that received the most attention. The UTA and Troy clubs passed the time during the rain delay with cross-field hangman, jousting, a dance off and a WWE Wrestling match.
Recap | Rain Delay Video
5. UTA gets the best of nationally-ranked Gouchos
Facing Dillon Tate, a potential MLB first-round selection from No. 16 UCSB, the Mavericks exploded for a five-run seventh that propelled UTA to a 7-5 win. The Mavs got on the board first when Jackson Morris knocked the ball to right for a RBI double. After the Gauchos knotted the game at one in the second, UTA strung together its five-run seventh that was highlighted by a Sibley three-RBI double to centerfield to put UTA on top for good. UCSB scratched two runs across in the eighth, but Colin Tornberg closed down a Gaucho comeback bid on route to his sixth save of the season.
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4. Williams' delivers walk off against USA
The heroics of freshman RJ Williams clinched the series against South Alabama in walk-off fashion as his first-pitch single up the middle gave the Mavs a 5-4 comeback win. The Jaguars jumped out to a quick lead and held onto a 4-1 advantage heading into the sixth. Despite the difficult beginning, the Mavericks shook off the rust to score four unanswered runs in the final four innings. The first career walk off for Williams was set up by a two-run seventh that was highlighted by Dalton DeLeon RBI single up the middle that brought in Brady Cox.
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3. Home sweet home
UT Arlington's dedication of the long-awaited clubhouse came on April 16 prior to the start of a three-game series against Troy. While weather delayed the series-opening game on Friday, UTA broke in the new clubhouse with a 31-run weekend that included a 10-7 series-clinching win in Sunday's game. The complex features nearly 6,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art facilities that include a players clubhouse, an equipment and laundry room, a sports medicine training room and coaches' offices.
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2. UTA rolls second-ranked Horned Frogs
Having lost its previous five games, UTA headed into the crosstown matchup with No. 2 TCU, winners of 13-of-15, as a clear underdog. However, it was the Mavs who came out on top as they took down the Horned Frogs 8-1 in front of the fourth largest crowd in Clay Gould Ballpark history. UT Arlington used a seven-run seventh to upset TCU, earning its third win over a ranked opponent. The eight runs by the Mavs marked the most allowed by the Horned Frogs at that point in the season. UTA's offensive outburst was spurred by Scott who finished the day 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored. Darien McLemore chipped in with a 2-for-3 effort with a run.
Recap
1. Mavs herd Longhorns in walk-off win
On the biggest of stages at Globe Life Ballpark in Arlington, UTA took down No. 14 Texas in stunning fashion. After a crazy ninth with six runs scored between the teams, UTA walked off in extras with wild pitch in the 10th. The Mavericks played in front of a UTA record crowd of 4,123 people. Momentum swayed to the Longhorns in the ninth as a three-run inning put UTA behind by three entering the bottom of the ninth. Trailing by two with two outs and the bases loaded, the Mavericks turned to freshman Will Olson, who entered the game hitting .111, to pinch hit for UTA. The first-year player delivered on a 3-1 count as he sent it through the right side to bring in a pair of runs and send the game to extras. It was another freshman who stepped up on the big stage as Christian Hollie led off the inning with a triple to left field, the first of his career. With two outs and Hollie at third, it looked as though the Longhorns would extend the game. However, a wild pitch by UT cleared the way for Hollie to slide into home in dramatic fashion and secure the victory for UTA. Tate served as the catalyst for the Maverick offense as he ended the day 4-for-4 with one RBI.
Recap
