ARLINGTON – Coming off two upset wins over No. 16 Baylor in Waco, the UT Arlington softball team (5-5) will host their home opener at the Maverick Invitational this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Allan Saxe Field.
 
The Mavs will begin the classic against Prairie View A&M (4 p.m.) on Friday.  Saturday's slate pits UTA against Prairie View (3 p.m.) and Wichita State (5:30 p.m.) before rounding out the weekend against Abilene Christian (2 p.m.) on Sunday. All UTA games will be live streamed, with live stats being provided for all other games. Links to streams and stats will be available at UTAMavs.com.
 
After beginning the season 1-3, the Shockers have rattled off six straight wins, including a perfect 5-0 weekend at the Louisiana Tech Invitational a week ago. WSU has three batters hitting over .500 on the year – Lauren Mills (.500), Wylie Glover (.500) and Neleigh Herring (.417). A fourth – Laurie Derrico – is just below, hitting .393 on the young season. Caitlin Bingham is the ace for the Shockers, with a 5-1 record and 2.36 ERA.
 
Abilene Christian, who also played at the Louisiana Tech Invitational, went 2-3 a week ago and sports a 3-6 record on the season. Blair Clayton leads the Wildcat offense with 2 home runs, 7 RBI and a .381 batting average.
 
Prairie View is coming off a double-header sweep against Texas A&M – Corpus Christi.  The Lady Panthers have now won three straight and are 7-4 on the year. Ashley Higgins has a team low 1.02 ERA through three appearances in the circle.
 
After losing their first two games at the Getterman Classic a week ago against Sam Houston State and Southern Miss, the Mavericks rebounded strongly by winning the final three games to claim the championship.  UTA took down No. 16 Baylor 5-2 in the first game, before run-ruling the host team in the semifinal game 10-2. In the championship game, the Mavs took their revenge on Sam Houston State with a 3-0 shutout over the Bearkats.
 
Whitney Walton leads the Mavericks at the plate with 20 total bases and a .500 batting average.  Aileen Garcia is the RBI leader with nine on the year, while also being tied with four doubles through ten games. 
 
In the circle, Randi Phillips started three of the five games at the Getterman classic, improving her season record to 3-2. JoJo Valencia picked up the other two starts, earning one more win to stay at a perfect 2-0 on the year. Allie Gardiner has performed admirably in relief, striking out eight batters in 15 innings, while posting a 1.87 ERA.
 
Following the Invitational, UTA will continue their home-stand when they host North Texas next Wednesday (Feb. 27) at 6 p.m. at Allan Saxe Field. The Mavs will then travel to Lubbock for the Texas Tech Tournament with a pair of games against North Texas and Tech Texas Friday-Sunday, March 1-3.

BARK IN THE PARK…ALL SEASON LONG
UTA Athletics will now make all home softball games pet friendly. Fans are encouraged to bring their dogs to the ballpark for every UTA softball game at Allan Saxe Field. The initiative is presented by Lone Star Friends of Animals.

Dogs must be leashed at all times and there will be a designated relief station for your furry friends.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the Maverick Invitational are now available and can be purchased for individual days. All seating is general admission, and tickets can be secured by logging on to UTATickets.com. 

SEASON TICKET INFORMATION
Season tickets are now on sale for the 2019 UT Arlington softball season, beginning at just $50. All seating is general admission, and tickets can be secured by logging on to UTATickets.com.

FOLLOW THE MAVS
For the latest news on UTA Softball log on to UTAMavs.com or stay connected to the Mavs on social media. Follow the Mavericks on Twitter @UTASoftball.