ARLINGTON, Texas - The UT Arlington softball team will welcome back its entire pitching staff from last year's reigning NISC championship team, including the addition of two fresh arms looking to earn spots in the rotation this upcoming 2020 season.
 
"I like to use the pitchers as a staff to complement one another," said head coach Peejay Brun, who is seeking to capture her 3rd winning season in as many years as the Maverick's skipper. "When you look at our staff, the players you have seen with high inning totals are the ones who are going to continue to get them, but I think every pitcher is going to get innings."
 
Of the returning staff, Randi "RC" Phillips will attempt to lead the way for the third straight year as she has compiled over 400 innings the past two seasons, the most of any Mav in that time span. In 49 appearances in 2019 – the 2nd-most in program history – the junior started 34 games and pitched to the tune of a 3.45 ERA.
 
In 13 fewer innings than the year before, Phillips increased her strikeout total (81) by 28 while decreasing her walk count (50) by 29 batters. The right-hander threw nine complete games and one shutout to help her finish 2019 with 18 wins for the second-consecutive season.
 
After throwing 156.0 innings in 2018, JoJo Valencia returned to the Mavs' rotation in 2019 coming off of offseason hip surgery. She was still able to pick up five wins over 22 starts, pitching 75.0 innings in 27 total appearances while holding opposing batters to a team-low .265 batting average.
 
Now two full years removed from the surgery, the lefty thinks she's ready to make significant strides with her performance in the circle.
 
"Last year I couldn't even last seven innings because I was still recovering from the surgery," said Valencia. "Now I'm able to run and lift weights without any restrictions and I honestly feel like I'm in the best shape of my life right now."
 
Valencia and Phillips head into the 2020 season with fellow returning sophomores Allie Gardiner and Laura Henrickson, both of whom were called on to contribute as freshman.
 
Henrickson only made 5 starts in 20 appearances, but the Californian made them count as she finished the year with 7-1 record in 45.2 innings pitched.
 
Gardiner made just two starts, but compiled 104.2 innings as she came out of the bullpen 41 times for the Mavs. The reliever led the Sun Belt Conference in saves with eight, ranking 4th in the NCAA among closers. On top of that, she pitched to a team-low 2.88 ERA and finished her first collegiate season with the SBC's sixth-lowest earned run average.
 
Coach Brun will look to bolster this year's staff by adding depth in the form of newcomers Kennedy Hines and Abigail McKeown. Both freshmen have different styles of pitching, but the hope is they'll both find roles to compliment the rest of the rotation.

The Mavs will look to get their season started off on a high note when they head to College Station to take part in the Aggie Classic beginning on February 7 this coming weekend. UTA will take on Texas A&M in its first three games before wrapping up the weekend with two more against Abilene Christian.