ARLINGTON, Texas - Coming off its third-consecutive 30-win campaign and the program's first ever postseason championship, the UT Arlington softball team was elected as the anticipated 3rd-place team in the 2020 Sun Belt Conference Softball Preseason Poll on Wednesday, as voted on by league coaches.
 
In recognition for their top overall performances in the 2019 season, both seniors, shortstop Whitney Walton and catcher Reagan Wright, garnered all-conference honors after being named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team.
 
The Mavs received 77 points to rank 3rd in the poll, trailing only preseason favorite Louisiana (100, all 10 1st-place votes) and runner-up Troy (85). Directly behind the Mavs in 4th place is in-state rival Texas State (74).
 
"I definitely think both of those girls deserved to be on that list," said head coach Peejay Brun, who is entering her third season at the helm of the Mavs. "Whitney is a fantastic shortstop; both on the offensive and defensive side and Reagan has been such a solid catcher as she continues to find consistency with the power in her bat."
 
It's Wright's second-consecutive preseason all-conference honor while it's the first time Walton has received such recognition.
 
After setting a program best of 53 RBI in 2018, Wright followed her record-setting sophomore campaign with another solid effort in 2019. She punched out eight baserunners attempting to steal, totaled a team-high 5 home runs and concluded the season by breaking the program's all-time RBI record (118) in the NISC regionals. The native of Mansfield, Texas was rewarded for her overall performance with an All-Sun Belt Second Team honor.
 
Following in Wright's footsteps (who was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team and the NFCA All-Region Second Team in 2018), Walton received those same honors in 2019, including being chosen for the 2019 All-Sun Belt Tournament honor. Walton led last year's squad in doubles (16), triples (3), total bases (113), runs scored (66), walks (43), on-base percentage (.508) and slugging percentage (.562).
 
The Lake Jackson, Texas product finished 2019 sitting atop the Sun Belt Conference leaderboard in four statistical categories, including runs, triples, total bases and on-base percentage. Walton's 66 runs scored were tied for the 8th-most in the nation and her .393 batting average was the 4th-highest in the SBC while her 79 hits and 16 doubles were 2nd-most in the league.
 
 Both players served as major catalysts in the team reaching its second-consecutive postseason appearance and helped propel the Mavs to finish the year as one of only two teams in the nation to end its season with a victory after winning the National Invitational Softball Championship.
 
This season UTA will compete against 16 teams that currently rank inside the top 100 of the NCAA's softball RPI, including five teams in the top 10 of the USA Today/NFCA Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll.
 
Walton, Wright and the rest of the Mavs get their season underway when they head to College Station to take part in the Aggie Classic on February 7 where they'll square off for three games against their first top 100 opponent in Texas A&M, before concluding the weekend tournament with two tilts against Abilene Christian.
 
Preseason Sun Belt Conference Coaches' Poll
Rank    Team (1^st Votes)    Points

1. Louisiana (10)        100
2. Troy                        85
3. UTA                        77
4. Texas State            74
5. Coastal Carolina     56
6. Appalachian State   47
7. Georgia Southern   36
8. South Alabama       31
9. ULM                        26
10.  Georgia State        18

 
Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
Summer Ellyson, Louisiana (Sr., P, Lafayette, La.)
Megan Kleist, Louisiana (Sr., P, Appleton, Wisc.)
Julie Rawls, Louisiana (Sr., C, Hallsville, Texas)
Reagan Wright, UTA (Sr., C, Mansfield, Texas)
Katie Webb, Troy (Sr., 1B, Salem, Ala.)
Kaitlyn Alderink, Louisiana (Sr., 2B, Keller, Texas)
Hailey Mackay, Texas State (Sr., 3B, Leander, Texas)
Alissa Dalton, Louisiana (Sr., SS, Cypress, Texas)
Jayden Mount, ULM (Sr., SS, Longview, Texas)
Whitney Walton, UTA (Sr., SS, Lake Jackson, Texas)
Tara Oltmann, Texas State (Jr., SS, Giddings, Texas)
Courtney Dean, Coastal Carolina (Jr., OF, Indian Trail, N.C.)
Mekhia Freeman, Georgia Southern (Sr., OF, Newnan, Ga.)
Sarah Hudek, Louisiana (Sr., OF, Sugar Land, Texas)
Raina O'Neal, Louisiana (Jr., OF, Richmond, Texas)
Bailey Curry, Louisiana (Jr., DP/1B, Frankfort, Ky.)
 
Preseason Player of the Year
Alissa Dalton, Louisiana (Sr., SS, Cypress, Texas)
 
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Summer Ellyson, Louisiana (Sr., P, Lafayette, La.)
 
Ticket Information
Season tickets are now on sale for the 2020 UT Arlington softball season, beginning at just $25. All seating is general admission, and tickets can be secured by logging on to UTATickets.com.