ARLINGTON – The UT Arlington softball team looks to build off its 2023 season as second-year head coach Kara Dill and company will open the 2024 season against No. 2 Tennessee on Thursday at Allan Saxe Field.
 
The Mavericks will hit the ground running playing six games in four days as they will conclude opening weekend at Southeastern Louisiana's Mardi Gras Mambo. There, UTA will take on Eastern Illinois, ULM, Nicholls, Southern and the host, SE Louisiana.
 
SEASON OPENER INFO
OPPONENT: #2 Tennessee
WHEN: February 8 @ 12 PM
WHERE: Arlington, Texas | Allan Saxe Field
WATCH + FOLLOW: ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
UTA NOTES

• UTA looks to commence its second season under head coach Kara Dill after finishing with a 22-30 overall record a season ago.
• The Mavs picked up notable victories over power-five opponents which included Tulsa, Texas Tech, Kentucky and North Texas.
• Behind a record-breaking freshman campaign a year ago leading to All-WAC Second Team honors, Neises led UTA in multiple statistical batting categories; batting average (.382), hits (52), slugging percentage (.588), on-base percentage (.436) and stolen bases (20).
• Not only did the now sophomore break the all-time most hits in a single game record by going 5-5 at the plate against Southern Utah (Mar. 17), but she also paced the Mavericks' lineup with 15 multi-hit efforts, a 13-game hitting streak and a 25-game reached-base streak.
• The Cedar Park, Texas product went on to rank high in several categories in WAC play alone including batting average (9th, .427), on-base percentage (6th, .506), runs scored (T-6th, 23), hits (9th, 32), walks (T-6th, 12), sacrifice bunts (T-1st, 4) and stolen bases (1st, 17).
• Returning pitchers Jessica Adams and Gracie Bumpurs held it down last year as the two shared a total of 310 innings pitched with Adams leading the way with over 114.
• Junior Adams posted a 3.01 ERA with 15 wins to her name. The righty tabbed 80 strikeouts on the year with 12 complete games.
• The Mavericks return standouts Alaina Hampton, Lindsey Franklin, Morgan Westbrook, Zaia Castruita and will take the field for the first time with big-time transfers Camille Corona (Texas) and Emilie Hoelscher (UT Dallas).

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | #2 TENNESSEE

• The Lady Vols of Tennessee will open their 2024 season in Arlington where the program is coming off a remarkable 2023 campaign after posting a winning record of 51-10.
• Tennessee leads the overall series record of 2-0 as the previous meeting came back in 2008 at the UCF Early Bird Tournament in Orlando, Florida.
• UT tabbed No. 2 in the 2024 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Preseason Poll which marked the highest preseason ranking since 2014. The program was picked No. 1 in the SEC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll with 137 points and six first-place votes.
• In 2023, the Lady Vols led the SEC in multiple statistical categories; ERA (1.175), on-base percentage (.419), shutouts (23), doubles (84) and walks (265).
• Among the returners for Tennessee, NFCA All-Americans Kiki Milloy and McKenna Gibson along with All-SEC honorees Karlyn Pickens and Zaida Puni all look to build on an historic previous season.

MARDI GRAS MAMBO INFO
OPPONENTS: Eastern Illinois, Southeastern Louisiana, ULM, Nicholls, Southern
WHEN: February 9-11
WHERE: Youngsville, LA | Youngsville Sports Complex
Game 1 vs Eastern Illinois: Friday @ 2 PM
Game 2 vs Southeastern Louisiana: Friday @ 4 PM
Game 3 vs ULM: Saturday @ 3:30 PM
Game 4 vs Nicholls: Saturday @ 5:30 PM
Game 5 vs Southern: Sunday @ 11 AM  

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | EASTERN ILLINOIS

• UTA will open Mardi Gras Mambo action with Eastern Illinois who is coming off a winning 2023 season with an overall record of 34-21.
• The Panthers were led by sophomore infielder Kendall Grover who paced the team with a .350 batting average, 27 RBI, 15 doubles while starting in all 55 games.
• Senior catcher Lindy Milkowski knocked a team-high of 14 home runs with 31 runs scored while also leading the squad with a .656 slugging percentage.
• On the mound, senior Olivia Pierce spent the most time in the circle for the Panthers with over 138 innings pitched. Behind a team-low of a 1.87 ERA, Pierce went on to tab 16 wins, six shutouts and 90 strikeouts.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS

• Southeastern Louisiana looks to make another successful run heading into the 2024 season after posting a 47-14 record a season ago.
• Junior Bailey Krolczyk led the way with a .379 batting average, 67 hits, 50 RBI, a .661 slugging percentage, 18 doubles and 59 starts.
• Out of the 2023 lineup, the Lions had nine players who batted above .300.
• Pitcher KK Lander pitched in over 127 innings last year while tabbing 147 strikeouts. Lander finished with the second-best record of 15-2.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | ULM

• The Warhawks' head coach Molly Fichtner is entering her sixth season after she led the team to a 25-32 record in 2023.
• Fichtner helped senior Jayden Mount to NFCA Third Team All-South Region and First Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors after Mount tabbed a .338 batting average with five home runs, nine doubles, 24 RBI and 18 walks.
• Junior Korie Kreps earned Second Team All-SBC after hitting .324 with four home runs, 12 doubles, three triples, 16 RBI and 33 walks.
• As a team, the Warhawks' batting average jumped 17 points and dropped their ERA by nearly two-thirds of a run compared to the 2019 season.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | NICHOLLS

• In 2023, Nicholls' Erin Krause posted a .363 batting average, 12 doubles, 58 hits while starting in 53 games for the Colonels. Among the team, Krause also led with a total of five triples.
• Melise Gossen finished with a team-high 41 RBI and nine home runs, leading to a .279 batting average on the season.
• In the circle, senior pitcher Audrey McNiell started in 26 games for the Colonels, playing in 31 games total. McNeill tabbed a 2.40 ERA while accumulating 100 strikeouts across 143 innings pitched.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | SOUTHERN

• Southern looks to improve its record this upcoming season after a 13-34 2023 season.
• Offensively, the Jags were led by Alan Mark who held a team-high 26 RBI, five home runs, 38 hits with the third-best batting average of .286.
• Out of the five-player pitching staff, Southern's best ERA of 5.57 belonged to Anabella Valadez with 93.2 innings spent in the circle. Valdez completed the 2023 season with 49 strikeouts and six complete games.

ON DECK
UTA will hit the ground running, hosting its first of two home tournaments this season with the Maverick Invitational beginning Saturday, Feb. 17 through Monday, Feb. 19 from Allan Saxe Field. There, the Mavericks will face Michigan State, Kansas City, DePaul and Boise State.

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