ARLINGTON, Texas -- Just two years removed from a berth in the SBC Tournament championship game, a slew of returning arms and a seasoned lineup have the UT Arlington Mavericks poised to build on a 24-win season in 2015 as they prepare for the 2016 season opener against nationally-ranked Oklahoma State.

This is the first in a six-part series previewing the 2016 Mavericks, position by position, leading up to the Feb. 19 opener at Clay Gould Ballpark.

OUTFIELDERS
Returners: Matt McLean, Cody Farrell, Caleb Koedyker, TJ Hillman
Newcomers: Aaron Funk, Quintin Rohrbaugh

The Mavericks will have the luxury of sporting an experienced outfield in 2016, led by senior Matt McLean who is set to slide over to everyday duties in center field in his final year in a UTA uniform.

As a junior, McLean was one of the top leadoff men in the Sun Belt Conference, ranking third in the league with a .448 on-base percentage and leading the team with 41 runs scored. Many of those opportunities were due to a keen eye at the plate that saw him finish the season with better than a 2-1 walk-strikeout ratio. His 40 free passes categorized him with Michael Choice and Preston Beck as the only three UTA hitters to total 40 walks in a season since 2004.

"I think Matt (McLean) is as good of a leadoff hitter as we have in the Sun Belt Conference," coach Darin Thomas said. "He's a left-handed bat that walks a lot, doesn't strike out much and puts the ball in play. He's going to try to make the transition to center field from left field and we'll see how that goes. He played very good in the outfield for us last year and was a very valuable leadoff hitter."

He also picked up seven stolen bases a year ago and was third on the team in hits, sporting a .337 batting average while not making an error in the outfield all season. McLean could be flanked by a number of teammates in the outfield this year, though, as Thomas has plenty of options to mix and match with.

Cody Farrell and Caleb Koedyker both return to the squad this year and are expected to bring of offensive punch to the lineup. Farrell made 24 starts in 2015 and possesses plenty of power potential along with a prototypical frame for a corner outfielder.

Meanwhile, Koedyker will have high hopes after missing last year due to a preseason injury. The influx of his bat back in to the lineup should be an immediate difference maker for the Mavs as he was an all-league outfielder who hit 13 home runs as a sophomore at Midland Junior College prior to joining UTA entering last year.

"Caleb (Koedyker) is one of the better athletes we have and can play any of the outfield spots, including center field, if we needed him to," Thomas said. "It's great to have him back because we really felt good about what we were going to get out of him last year before he was injured."

The Mavs are also expecting to get an immediate boost from another junior college transfer, Quintin Rohrbaugh. An Arlington native (Bowie HS), Rohrbaugh was the 2015 NTJCAC Hitter of the Year for Weatherford College, a squad that was ranked No. 1 in the country in the junior college ranks. A compact right-handed bat, he slugged .709 a year ago, leading the NTJCAC with 74 hits and 15 home runs.

"We are really excited to be able to put Quintin (Rohrbaugh) in the middle of our lineup," Thomas said. "We really liked him coming out of high school and he did exceptionally well at Weatherford, wining hitter of the year in that conference. He gives us a lot of versatility too with his ability to play in the outfield or at second base. I really have a lot of confidence putting him anywhere we may need him."

Other options for Thomas and his staff will be junior TJ Hillman and freshman Aaron Funk, a pair of left-handed bats who will also bring athleticism and versatility to the roster. Hillman, the son of former UTA great Trey Hillman, has appeared in 25 games over his first two years as a Mav while Funk joins the team after hitting .400 as a junior and .345 as a senior at Mansfield High School.

2016 Season Preview Schedule:
Jan. 25 -- Outfielders
Jan. 28 -- Corner Infield
Feb. 1 -- Middle Infield
Feb. 4 -- Catchers/DH
Feb. 8 -- Relief Pitching
Feb. 11 -- Starting Pitching