ARLINGTON, Texas – Almost half way through the season the UT Arlington softball team saw its fair share of ups and downs, but as they sat with a 12-13 record through its first 25 games, the Mavericks looked to be hitting their stride just as the season ended abruptly.
 
After losing three key starters in the outfield to graduation, UTA began its season with an influx of new talent as 13 new members joined the team – four transfers and nine incoming freshmen. The Mavs still managed to get off to a hot start after winning six of their first eight games – three of which came by the run-rule.
 
As they sat with half-a-dozen wins and just two losses, the Mavs suffered through a six-game losing streak before dropping 10 of their next 12 games to sit with an 8-12 record. Just as the 2020 campaign looked like it might be heading in the wrong direction, UTA jump-started its season with a big 1-0 win over #21 Baylor.
 
The Mavs went on to take two of three games against Troy in its first Sun Belt Conference action of the year before ending their season on a three-game winning streak with a gritty win over Western Kentucky.
 

BY THE NUMBERS
.974	The Mavericks ended the season with a .974 fielding percentage – tying the program's overall team season record set back in 2008. UTA's fielding percentage was the 24th highest mark in the nation and the second best in the SBC.
3	UTA finished the 2020 campaign with three memorable shutouts. The first came against Abilene Christian when Allie Gardiner threw 13 strikeouts in a 2-0 win over the Wildcats. The second occurred with a combined effort in an 8-0 run-rule win over Texas Southern. Freshman Kenedy Hines tossed the third shutout when she blanked the #21 Baylor Bears in a 1-0 victory in Waco.
41	After losing 63% of its stolen base production from the 2019 season, UTA was successful on 41 of their 50 stolen base attempts in 2020 – the second-most in the SBC. UTA's 82% success rate had the Mavs on pace to steal 90 bags before the season was cut short – nine more than the 81 they stole in 2019.
10	The Mavs turned two 10 times throughout the course of the shortened season – tied for the most double plays in the SBC and the 9th most in the nation.
57	UTA finished the 2020 regular season with an RPI of 57 – four spots ahead of the Mavs' ranking in 2019. This year's position marks the highest UTA has finished since the NCAA began the RPI in 2007. It also marks the fifth season in a row UTA has ended the season in the Top 100 of the RPI.
2.54	After finishing her freshman campaign with a 2.88 ERA, Gardiner impressed even further in 2020 with a 2.54 earned run average. The California native increased her strikeout rate from .08% to .19% before finishing the shortened season with two saves and a 4-0 record in the circle.
8	Blinn College transfer Kimber Cortemelia led the Mavs in eight statistical batting categories including home runs (5), batting average (.338), OPS (1.051), RBI (17), total bases (40), slugging percentage (.615), walks (12) and on-base percentage (.436).
26	UTA laid down a sacrifice 26 times throughout the course of the shortened season – the 6th most sacrifice bunts in the nation.
7	Seven of the 12 UTA wins this season came against teams who finished in the Top 50 of the NCAA Women's Softball RPI – those victories included Texas A&M (twice), Western Kentucky, Troy (twice), McNeese and #21 Baylor.
11	11 of the 13 losses the Mavs suffered this season came against teams ranked in the Top 100 of the NCAA Women's Softball RPI – nine of those defeats came against teams ranked in the Top 50, including six of which ranked in the Top 36 - #8 Alabama (twice), #7 Arizona, McNeese, North Texas and Troy.
50%	After throwing out base runners at a 25% clip the previous two seasons combined, Reagan Wright threw out seven of the 14 baserunners attempting to steal a bag in 2020. UTA held its opponents to just 12 stolen bases all season – the fewest allowed of any team in the SBC.
9	Wright ended the year a perfect nine-for-nine on stolen base attempts to finish tied for the best stolen base percentage in program history. In her three previous seasons combined, the senior catcher totaled just five stolen bases.
15	After not hitting a home run through the first five games on the schedule, the Mavs crushed 15 balls over the fence across the final 20 games of the season. UTA was on pace for 33 long balls before the season was cut short which would've tied for the 7th-best mark in program history.