ARLINGTON, Texas – Looking to recover from back-to-back losses, the UTA baseball team (5-4) will head to Abilene, Texas to face Abilene Christian on Tuesday night at Crutcher Scott Field.

MATCHUP: UTA (5-4) at Abilene Christian (4-3)
WHEN: Tuesday, Feb 26 | 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Abilene, Texas | Crutcher Scott Field
LIVE STATS

UTA NOTES
• After dropping their first two games of the season, the Mavs won five straight, before dropping a pair on the final day of the UTA Classic. The Mavs lost to Wichita State (8-6), before dropping a hard-fought matchup with SFA in 10 innings (11-9).
• UTA averages 6.7 runs per game.
• 34 of UTA's 93 hits have been extra-base hits and that includes 21 doubles and nine homers. Connor Aube leads the team with seven doubles, while Anthony Dominguez, Josh Minjarez and Will Olson have two homers each.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | ABILIENE CHRISTIAN
• The Wildcats hit .333 vs. the Golden Lions last weekend in winning by scores of 5-4, 9-7 and 16-7. Junior third baseman Ryne Randle and senior Dalon Farkas each batted .500 against Pine Bluff through three starts to lead the offense, while on the mound victories were earned Friday and Sunday by starters Spencer Chirpich (8K, 5.0 IP) and Jonathan Nicholson (9K, 6.0 IP). Newcomer Cole McKay won Saturday's game in relief as the Wildcats scored four times during their eighth-inning at-bat
• A total of 11 pitchers were utilized by ACU, and they combined for 29 strikeouts while only issuing 10 bases on balls. They also limited Pine Bluff hitters to a .255 batting average.
• Of the Wildcats' 35 base hits, 12 went for extra bases as Farkas clubbed four doubles and Randle blasted a grand slam during Sunday's game, finishing with a D1 era record seven RBI.

LAST TIME OUT | UTA DROPS TWO ON FINAL DAY OF UTA CLASSIC (FEB. 24)
GAME 1 | UTA vs. WICHITA STATE
The Shockers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with two runs in the top of the second before the Mavs answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the second and third innings, gaining a 4-2 advantage.

Wichita State responded and put up four runs – all with two outs – in the top of the sixth to take a 6-4 lead.

The Shockers added two more runs in the top of the seventh, increasing their lead to 8-4, but UTA didn't go away quietly as they plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth, cutting the WSU advantage to 8-6. Justin Marino singled to left center to move Boone Montgomery to third and score Josh Minjarez and Zac Cook and cut the UTA deficit down to two runs.

The Mavs attempted to mount a ninth-inning rally, and brought the tying run to the plate with two outs and a runner on first, but the Shocker's centerfielder made a diving catch on a fly ball off the bat of Cook, to prevent the comeback attempt and securing the win for Wichita State.

Connor Aube and Will Olson each posted two hits, leading UTA.

Reliever Drew Gooch (0-2) suffered the loss for the Mavs after giving up three earned runs on two hits with a walk in zero innings of work.

GAME 2 | UTA vs. SFA
Trailing 9-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, UTA took their game to another level to force extra innings. SFA's Tyler Starks got the frame's first out before giving up a single to Connor Aube. After Aube's single, Will Olson stepped into the box and cranked a two-run homer to right (9-8). The Mavericks weren't done after that long ball as Andrew Miller slapped a one-out double to left, scoring Dominguez to tie the game. The Mavs had a shot to win it, but SFA's outfielder saved the game by throwing out pinch runner Phillip Childs at the plate for the inning's final out.

In the 10th, the 'Jacks didn't waste any time in retaking the lead. After a four-pitch walk and a single to left-center, SFA got a two-run double to left field and would go on to hold off UTA.

BARK IN THE PARK…ALL SEASON LONG
UT Arlington Department of Athletics officials announced that all 2019 home baseball games at Clay Gould Ballpark and softball games at Allan Saxe Field will be dog-friendly, thanks to a generous partnership with upstart Lone Star Friends of Animals to create 'Casey's Corner.'

Dogs which are leashed, at least six months old and with the proper vaccinations will be permitted at all UTA baseball and softball games throughout the season.

Casey's Corner is a grassy area between the baseball and softball fields, along the 3rd-base line of the baseball stadium. Multiple pet waste stations have been set up, and the space provides fans and dog owners an opportunity to walk and sit with their canine companions while taking in all the Maverick action.

OLSON ON A WATCH LIST
UTA redshirt senior catcher Will Olson was named to the 2019 Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List, the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation announced.

The award, created by the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation, was open to nominations from all Division I baseball programs in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico. This year's watch list consists of 30 players representing 26 programs in the five states. The BBCSA is based on performance at the plate, academics and personal integrity.

The Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award has had two winners to date, Hunter Hargrove (Texas Tech, drafted by the Oakland A's) and Devlin Granberg (Dallas Baptist, drafted by the Boston Red Sox).

Olson, a native of Sherman, Texas and a graduate of Sherman HS, hit .270 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs last season for the Mavericks. A 2017 Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection, Olson also drew a team-high 30 walks and registered 13 doubles and scored 23 runs.

The BBCSA will announce finalists for the award in May. The winner of the third annual Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award presented by SR Bats will be announced in June and honored at a gala in the fall.

PRESEASON POLL
The UTA baseball team was picked to finish fourth in the Sun Belt Conference West Division in the 2019 SBC Preseason Coaches' Poll that was released on Wednesday (Jan. 30). The Mavericks garnered 36 total points in the poll.

The reigning Sun Belt baseball regular season and tournament champions, Coastal Carolina, and the Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana are the East and West Division favorites, respectively, in the SBC preseason coaches' poll.

Head coach Darin Thomas and the Mavs return three starters from last year's team that finished the season 22-35 overall and went 11-19 in Sun Belt play.

2019 SCHEDULE
The 2019 schedule for UTA baseball is a 56-game slate that includes 24 home contests, 31 road games and a neutral site match-up at Globe Life Park. 
  
The start to the 2019 slate is road-heavy, as the Mavericks will play 13 of the first 18 games of the season away from home. UTA opens the season in Corpus Christi for a four-game set with Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Feb. 15-18.

The Mavs home slate begins with the Arkansas-Pine Bluff single-game (Feb. 20), followed by the UTA Classic (Feb. 22-24), before the squad heads back out on the road for nine straight games. The Mavs will play four games during the Classic, including a pair against Stephen F. Austin (Feb. 22 and Feb. 24) and two versus Wichita State (Feb. 23 and Feb. 24).

Sun Belt Conference play opens for the Mavericks when Georgia Southern comes to Clay Gould Ballpark for a three-game set (March 15-17).
The 2019 Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament will be hosted by Coastal Carolina at Springs Brooks Stadium from May 21-26.

SEASON TICKET INFORMATION
Season tickets are now on sale for the 2019 UT Arlington baseball season, beginning at just $75. 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 Baseball, log on to UTAMavs.com or stay connected to the Mavs on social media. Follow the Mavericks on Twitter @UTArlingtonBSB and on Facebook at Facebook.com/UTABaseball.