COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Coming off a 17-34 season, The UT Arlington softball team will commence their 2022 season as they will head to College Station to compete in Texas A&M's Aggie Classic. The Mavericks will face Western Kentucky, Texas A&M – Corpus Christi and Texas A&M.

UTA will commence action with two games on Friday at 10:00 a.m. to take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers before taking the field again to face the host, Texas A&M, 5:30 p.m.

The Mavs will open Saturday's action with a 10:00 a.m. start against the Islanders before immediately taking to the diamond again to face the Aggies again at 12:30 p.m.

UTA will wrap up tournament play Sunday and face the Hilltoppers at 10:00 a.m.
 
TOURNAMENT: Aggie Classic
OPPONENTS: Texas A&M, Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, Western Kentucky
WHEN: February 11-13
WHERE: College Station, Texas | Davis Diamond
GAME 1 vs Western Kentucky (Friday, 10:00 a.m.)
GAME 2 vs Texas A&M (Friday, 5:30 p.m) - Will be available for streaming via SEC Network+
GAME 3 vs Texas A&M – Corpus Christi (Saturday, 10:00 a.m.)
GAME 4 vs Texas A&M (Saturday, 12:30 p.m.) - Will be available for streaming via SEC Network+
GAME 5 vs Western Kentucky (Sunday, 10:00 a.m.)

 
UTA NOTES

• UTA is coming off a 17-34 season as the Mavericks went 9-14 in Sun Belt Conference play last year.
• Graduate student KJ Murphy led the Mavs in multiple batting categories with a .405 batting average, 62 hits, .608 slugging percentage, 31 RBI, 13 doubles, 6 home runs, 21 walks and a .474 on-base percentage.
• Murphy earned postseason accolades as she was named All-Sun Belt First Team (2021) and NFCA All-Region, First Team (2021).
• In SBC action alone, Murphy led the conference in batting average (.478) and on-base percentage (.526).
• UTA second baseman, Jessica Carreon, is coming off a solid freshman campaign as she tabbed a .303 average at the plate – second highest on the team.
• The Mavs have four pitchers on the staff this season which features returners Gracie Bumpurs and Laura Henriksen, freshman Morgan Max and transfer Jessica Adams.

 
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT- Texas A&M

• The Aggies finished with a 32-23 overall record and 8-16 in SEC play last season.
• A season ago, senior Haley Lee led A&M with a .422 batting average and 65 hits. She knocked 25 home runs, 51 RBI with 36 walks, a .955 slugging percentage and a .536 on-base percentage.
• Fellow senior Makinzy Herzog trailed Lee with a .354 average at the plate with a team-high 15 doubles last year.
• In the circle, Herzog (12-7) led the Aggie pitching staff with a 2.94 ERA with 121 strikeouts across 124 innings pitched.
• Coming in right behind Herzog, graduate student Kayla Poynter (10-8) tabbed a 2.33 ERA over 15 starts on the mound.
• Herzog and Lee were both named to the 2022 Preseason All-Southeastern Conference Team.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT- Texas A&M – Corpus Christi

• The Islanders wrapped up their 2021 season with an overall record of 18-30 and a conference record of 8-16.
• Sophomore Haley Morse led the squad with a .324 batting average and 26 RBI last season.
• Junior Ashley Sgambelluri finished with a .317 average at the plate and led the Islanders with 46 hits with 14 stolen bases.
• Fellow junior Beatriz Lara led the pitching squad with an ERA of 3.40. Lara ended the 2021 season with a 13-11 record, 98 strike outs and 164 innings pitched.
• This is head coach Kathleen Rodriguez's first season with Texas A&M – Corpus Christi after spending five years as the head coach at Trinity Valley Community College and 10 years as head coach at UTEP.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT- Western Kentucky

• The Hilltoppers are coming off a 32-15 2021 season and went 10-6 in conference action.
• Former outfielder Paige Carter led the team with a .365 batting average, 57 hits and 19 doubles last year.
• Western Kentucky had six players bat above .300 last season with Carter leading the pack and Kennedy Sullivan following closely with the second highest batting average (.358).
• On the mound, junior Katie Gardner paced the Hilltopper pitching staff with a low 2.08 ERA
• Joining Gardner is Shelby Nunn who posted a 2.39 ERA with a 102.2 innings pitched – most of the pitching staff. Nunn allowed 86 hits while tabbing 3 saves across 28 games.

UP NEXT
UTA will play in its first midweek matchup of the season in El Paso when the Mavs will take on UTEP on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 5:00 p.m. From there, the Mavericks will head straight to Las Cruces, New Mexico to compete in New Mexico State's Troy Cox Invitational Feb. 17-19 which will feature Northern Colorado, Iowa State, Southeastern Louisiana, Nebraska and host New Mexico State.