What about Softball?

Yesterday, I mentioned the UT Arlington baseball team opened conference play this weekend. The softballers, whose season starts a week earlier, are in the middle of Western Athletic Conference play. The season has been interesting, but not the rollercoaster ride of their male diamond counterparts.

At 15-17 on the year, the team has done well in some games, then dropped the ball, intended figuratively, in other games. But, the important record, 4-2 in WAC play is good.

At 192 in RPI, UTA is fifth out of the seven team conference race. UTA beat Abilene Christian at their place 2-1 to start conference play, winning the first two before dropping the rubber match. That formula was repeated in Arlington against Tarleton State. ACU is well below UTA in the RPI rankings currently at 235, compared to UTA’s 192. The Texans, however, are 154. That is a good series win.

Like in years past, this team has strengths and weaknesses. I don’t know what it is, but pitching has been problematic. California Baptist leads the conference with a 3.02 earned run average. Utah Valley is under five and in second place. Southern Utah and TSU are third and fourth with ERA’s in the five. UTA is fifth at 6.52. Utah Tech is a quarter of a run behind and poor ACU is last in the nine’s.

But the offense is fourth in runs scored. They are less than ten behind second place. So the Mavericks can score. At 6.46 runs per game, that should be enough carry them in the WAC race. But, like baseball, the general rule is good pitching can beat good hitting.

UTA has four players batting over .300: junior catcher Mia McNulty (.348), freshman infielder Valeria Feeny (.344), freshman outfielder Kaylee Schweitzer (.314) and senior first baseman Dee McClarity (.302).

Perhaps more impressive, there are five, yes five, Mavs who have scored more that 20 runs to this point.  That list includes senior shortstop Peyton Holland (29), graduate senior outfielder Kelsey Creech (22), senior utility Marley Neices (22), McClarity (21) and McNulty (21). What that means to me is that the lineup can score regardless of which part of the order is up.

Now, these are good for UTA with the recent precedent of the past. Amongst their WAC peers, only McNulty is in the top 30 with her batting average, coming in at 16^th. However, she is second in home runs. What is interesting to me is the WAC and UTA’s site list different numbers, so there could be variation in the rankings, but that is at least what the conference lists.

But that pitching… Sophomore righty Kynlee Bowlin is the ERA leader at 5.25. Behind her is fellow sophomore righty Madi McDonnell at 5.69. The third sophomore righty on this list is Maddi McDonnell, who sports a 6.47 ERA. The fourth pitcher used this year is freshman righty Hailey Lynn Sralik. Her ERA is high at 10.40.

Only Bowlin is in the top half of the WAC in ERA, coming in 10^th of 21 pitchers. CBU had three pitchers above UTA’s leader. UVU and Southern Utah had two. TSU and Utah Tech had their ace ahead of UTA. Only ACU has no one ahead of UTA’s best numbers. McDonnell is currently0 12^th, Furniss 16^th and Sralik sits in 20^th.

The next two weekends will be a tough test. UTA is in Orem, Utah this weekend to face the Wolverines of Utah Valley. UVU is tops in the WAC in hitting and second in pitching. At 136, they are third in the RPI rankings amongst WAC teams.

Next weekend, they host league leader California Baptist, who leads the conference in pitching by a long shot, as mentioned, while placing fourth in hitting. At 89, they lead the WAC and are the only team in the top 100 of 308 Division I programs.

Sandwiched around that is a mid-week affair in Arlington against the Baylor Bears of the Big 12. UTA lost 8-0 in Waco in the previous meeting this year between the teams. At 15-17, the stiff competition could send the record south. If the Mavs come out punching, they could also dramatically improve their postseason prospects.