FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The UT Arlington softball team looks to improve its overall record heading into No. 14 Arkansas' three-day Razorback Invitational beginning Friday, Feb. 23 through Sunday, Feb. 25 from Bogle Park.
 
This will be the second meeting against a top-25 ranked opponent so far this season as the Razorbacks lead the overall series record with the Mavericks, 7-3. The most recent matchup between the two programs was back in February of 2021 where UTA fell just 4-3.
 
SERIES HISTORY
#14 Arkansas: UA leads, 7-3
Last 5 Meetings:
Feb. 22, 2021: L, 4-3 | Allan Saxe Field
Feb. 22, 2021: L, 10-6 | Allan Saxe Field
Mar. 26, 2019: W, 7-4 | Allan Saxe Field
Mar. 26, 2019: L, 4-1 | Allan Saxe Field
Mar. 20, 2018: L, 6-0 | Fayetteville, Ark.

Illinois State: ISU leads, 3-2
Last 5 Meetings:
Mar. 15, 1992: L, 8-5 | College Station, Texas
Mar. 12, 1987: L, 4-3 | Norman, Okla.
Apr. 16, 1983: W, 4-2 | Ruston, La.
Apr. 15, 1983: W, 1-0 | Ruston, La.
Apr. 5, 1980: L, 1-0 | Springfield, Mo.
 
Wichita State: WSU leads, 10-8
Last 5 Meetings:
Mar. 6, 2021: L, 6-3 | Allan Saxe Field
Feb. 23, 2019: L, 3-1 | Allan Saxe Field
Feb. 24, 2017: L, 15-5 (6) | Allan Saxe Field
Feb. 11, 2012: W, 6-1 | Waco. Texas
Mar. 5, 2011: W, 4-3 | Denton, Texas

TOURNAMENT INFO
TOURNAMENT: Razorback Invitational
OPPONENTS: Arkansas, Wichita State, Illinois State
WHEN: February 23-25
WHERE: Fayetteville, Arkansas | Bogle Park
Game 1 vs. Illinois State, Feb. 23 @ 10:00 AM | Live Stats
Game 2 vs. #14 Arkansas, Feb. 23 @ 3:00 PM | Live Stats
Game 3 vs. Illinois State, Feb. 24 @ 10:00 AM | Live Stats
Game 4 vs. Wichita State, Feb. 24 @ 12:30 PM | Live Stats
Game 5 vs. #14 Arkansas, Feb. 25 @ 12:15 PM | Live Stats

UTA NOTES (3-7)

• The Mavericks are coming off a rough performance at their own Maverick Invitational as the team finished 1-3 with its lone win to DePaul (1-0).
• UTA sits on an overall record of 3-7 with its two other victories coming from the Mardi Gras Mambo where the Mavs defeated ULM (1-0) and Southern (14-8).
• Freshman Emma Lopez has had a strong start to her collegiate career as the lefty currently leads the offense with a .345 batting average, 10 hits and three multi-hit efforts with the most recent one against Kansas City (3-4) on Feb. 17.
• Fifth year veteran Lindsey Franklin holds a team-high of nine RBI and two home runs after reaching a new career-high of six RBI in a single game against Southern in the Mardi Gras Mambo.
• Senior Gracie Bumpurs sits on the lowest ERA of head coach Kara Dill's pitching staff with a 3.82. The righty has appeared in five games for UTA, logging nine strike outs.
• Freshman Jade Moreno is fresh off a tremendous performance in the Mavericks' 1-0 win over DePaul (Feb. 18). Moreno threw her first complete game shutout and reached a new career-high of five strike outs as a UTA Maverick.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | #14 ARKANSAS (8-2)

• Arkansas went 4-1 in the first two weekends as the Razorbacks opened the 2024 season at Florida Atlantic's Paradise Class with an extra-inning loss to Penn State (3-2, 8 innings).
• In the second preseason tournament, Arkansas dropped just one game to #23 Arizona at the Bear Down Fiesta in Tucson.
• Sophomore Rylee Cloud has played in seven games for the Razorbacks and holds a whopping .667 batting average.
• While starting in all ten games so far this season, sophomore outfielder Reagan Johnson leads the pack with 18 hits, six stolen bases and the second-best batting average of .462.
• Bri Ellis also ranks high in several batting categories: RBI (12), home runs (3), doubles (3) and slugging percentage (.759).
• Of the Razorbacks' five-player pitching staff and an impressive 1.86 ERA, left-handed pitcher Robyn Herron leads the rotation with 27 innings pitched. The sophomore has tossed 30 strike outs across five appearances and has limited opponents to a .147 batting average.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | ILLINOIS STATE (0-10)

• After finishing 0-5 at both the season-opening Rawlings Invitational – hosted by USF – and Arizona State's Little Wood Classic, the Red Birds sit at an 0-10 overall record.
• However, four games were one-run games as well as two of the four in extra innings.
• Junior Abby Knight is currently batting .308 with two doubles and eight hits.
• Senior Madi Bylak has played in six games, making four starts while holding a team-high .444 batting average. Bylak tabbed her first multi-hit game of the season against No. 21 Virginia Tech (Feb. 18).
• In the circle, freshman Paige McLeod leads Illinois State's pitching rotation with over 21 innings pitched and a 2.91 ERA. Across a total of six appearances, McLeod has allowed nine earned runs off 25 hits.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | WICHITA STATE (3-2)

• The Shockers of Wichita State kicked off the new season at Sam Houston's Bearkat Class as the team finished 2-0 after the rest of the tournament was canceled.
• There, the squad picked up wins against Stephen F. Austin (7-4) and Sam Houston (7-3) in extra innings.
• Recently, the Shockers competed in the Puerto Vallarta College Classic and finished 1-2 with a ranked win against #20 South Carolina (6-5).
• Graduate student CC Wong proves to be a key part in head coach Kristi Bredbenner's lineup as the infielder leads in several categories: batting average (.529), hits (9), slugging percentage (1.000), runs scored (6), walks (4) while tabbing three multi-hit efforts.
• Junior lefty Alison Cooper has thrown the most innings of 14 on the mound for the Shockers while allowing 10 earned runs off 17 hits.
• Chloe Barber leads the way with 16 strikeouts across nine innings.

ON DECK
UTA will begin midweek action with its meeting at North Texas Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. from Lovelace Field.

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