The Texas Rangers (74-70) beat the American League West-leading Houston Astros (78-66) 4-2 to take the series, bouncing back from an 11-0 loss Saturday. The Rangers took two of three from the Astros, on the back of great pitching performances and an offensive explosion with a three-run sixth inning. The first run of the game came in the bottom of the second inning after a dropped third strike and a throwing error by Astros catcher Yanier Diaz allowed Rangers second baseman Dylan Moore to come around and score. Pitcher Patrick Corbin racked up five strikeouts in 5.2 innings, allowing only one run on three hits, leaving the game tied 1-1 before getting relieved by Phil Maton, who got the final out of the inning. The Rangers have been struggling with injuries, losing key players like shortstop Corey Seager, second baseman Marcus Semien and starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. Corbin said injuries are a part of the game and he tries his best to perform regardless. “I just try to be out there [every day], be accountable, try to pitch as deep as I can in every game and try to give us a chance to win,” Corbin said. Head coach Bruce Bochy said Corbin's effort and pitch command were what they needed from him as they bounced back from the loss they suffered the previous game. Heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, it looked like a close call for the Rangers until third baseman Josh Jung lined an RBI double to center field, giving the Rangers a 2-1 lead. What followed was the eventual nail in the coffin when Jake Burger blasted his second homerun of the series, a two-run bomb to right field that gave the Rangers a three-run lead. From that point on, the Rangers never lost the lead, but the Astros had some fight left, scoring a run in the top of the seventh inning off a Rangers’ subpar bullpen. They rank 17th in ERA and have blown 27 saves, according to Fox Sports. However, after giving up the run, Maton was perfect from there on out, earning the win behind shutdown pitching from Robert Garcia and Shawn Armstrong, who allowed only one hit in two innings of work combined. With this win, the Rangers handed two losses to the team leading their division but gained no ground in the Wild Card race as the Seattle Mariners bulldozed the Atlanta Braves 18-2. The Rangers remain 1.5 games back of the final playoff spot with only 18 games left in the season. While they gained no ground in the standings, Bochy said it was good to take a big series as the team keeps fighting for a playoff spot. “It's good for those guys. I'm proud of how they’re playing, they're getting after it and bouncing back,” Bochy said. The Rangers will finish out this home stretch with a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, the team with the most wins this season. Game one of the series starts at 7:05 p.m. Monday at Globe Life. @diegocllazo sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The UTA men’s golf team will begin its fall season at the Whirlwind Invitational at the Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Arizona, on Monday and Tuesday. Despite it being in Arizona, this opening tournament will be hosted by the University of Southern California. Throughout the fall season, the Mavericks will not host a competition at their shared home venue, the Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington, which both the men’s and women’s teams use. The Mavericks then take the next week off before competing in the Gene Miranda Air Force Falcon Invitational, hosted by the United States Air Force Academy, at the Eisenhower Golf Course at the Air Force Academy, just north of Colorado Springs, Colorado, from Sept. 20 to 22. According to a UTA press release, this season will be the Mavericks’ first time competing at the Whirlwind Invitational and at the Air Force Academy. A week after going to Colorado, the Mavericks will take a shorter trip to the Westwood Golf Club in Houston for the Bayou City Collegiate Classic, hosted by Rice University, on Sept. 29 and 30. UTA competed in this tournament last year and placed 11th. UTA will then finish off its fall schedule less than a month later at the Bayonet Golf Club in Monterey, California, for the Saint Mary's Golf Invitational, hosted by Saint Mary's College of California, from Oct. 20 to 22. According to the UTA press release, the Maverick golf spring schedule will be announced at a later date. @TyRoland06 sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

As the sun rose, fans scattered across the Harold Patterson Sports Center as UTA’s men’s and women’s cross country teams placed first and third respectively in their season opener at the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational on Friday. The complex, which features baseball, football and soccer fields within it, filled its open grass with tents along the coned paths serving as a guide for runners that were competing. Families and friends from various colleges and universities across the state packed the complex, showing support throughout the route. The men's team brought home the gold with a team title, winning the invitational trophy as it secured a standout first-place finish. Notable runner Toby Eaton, a sophomore transfer, led the team 5K with a fourth-place finish with a time of 15:07.10. “Felt good, today as a team, I think we did what we wanted to do,” Eaton said. “We went out hard and fought, and I think we're going to keep on rolling this high through practice and keep training hard.” The event started with the women’s 5K at 7:30 a.m., followed by the men’s 5K. In addition to the collegiate events, the invitational featured high school teams in the University Interscholastic League Regional Meet with various varsity and junior varsity divisional events. As each race wrapped up, runners could be assisted to their respective tents to rehydrate and went on a cooldown run after competing. UTA, serving as the host for the invitational, provided on-site medical care under a tent marked with the university's name and colors. Head coach John Sauerhage was impressed with the performance of both the men’s and women's teams as they were pitted against comparable competition. He was pleased with the men’s finish, despite missing key returning runners, he said. ”Unfortunately, our two returners both had the flu this week and that kind of killed us,” Sauerhage said. “If we can get everybody healthy, eat good, and get some rest, we'll perform even better.” The women's team completed its 5K with a third-place finish. Freshman Dorcas Jepkosgei and junior Matro Jepkemboi led the way as they finished in the top five among three Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi runners. “Our top two girls ran really well. The other gals had a nice performance,” Sauerhage said. “They’re just going to have to have good days. There's a lot of good teams out there. It’s gonna take a lot of work for us to be an elite team.” Out of the freshman newcomers, Angel Sanchez and Jameson Stewart both finished in the top 25 in their first meet, both hitting sub-16-minute times. Stewart said he thought the team performed well, touching on how being around his teammates affects success. “I think we did amazing,” Stewart said. “We did a great job sticking together as a group, went out strong and stuck with it, beat some really good teams, and yeah, really proud of how we did.” The teams will head to College Station, Texas, to participate in their second competition of the season in the Texas A&M Invitational on Sept. 13. @player_z0 sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The first phase of ticket sales for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including nine matches at AT&T Stadium, begins Sept. 10, with prices starting at $60 for group-stage matches. The matches are a tournament high and mark the first time the AT&T Stadium has ever hosted a World Cup game. Starting at 10 a.m., Visa cardholders who have registered will be able to join the Visa Presale Draw through Sept. 19 for a chance to purchase tickets, according to a FIFA press release. Selected customers from the draw will receive emails starting from Sept. 29, giving them a date and time slot to purchase tickets. Time slots start Oct. 1. A successful draw does not guarantee a ticket. High demand has led to FIFA rolling out the tickets in phases, giving fans numerous opportunities to buy them. The first phase will include group stage tickets starting at $60. Customers can choose between ticket categories 1-4, four being the most affordable and one the highest-priced seats. Phase 2 expects an Early Ticket Draw from Oct. 27-31. Time slots for purchase are from mid November to early December. Like the first phase, fans must apply and will be randomly selected. Phase 3 will have a Random Selection Draw that opens shortly after the official Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026, allowing fans to submit applications for specific matches once most group-stage matchups are revealed. While it's unclear how expensive tickets will get, FIFA shared in the press release that prices are dynamic, fluctuating as demand increases, noting tickets for the final match will reach up to $6,730. The 2026 World Cup marks the first time three countries — U.S., Canada and Mexico — will serve as joint hosts, and the first time the U.S. has hosted since 1994. While Arlington is making its World Cup debut, Texas last welcomed the tournament 31 years ago when the Cotton Bowl hosted six matches. @diegocllazo sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA cross country will jump-start its season by hosting the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational on Friday at the Harold Patterson Sports Center. The invitational will be held in memory of Gerald Richey, a former track and field assistant coach who mentored pole vaulters at the university for 18 years. He died at 83 in 2019. Prior to Richey’s tenure at UTA, he spent 27 years working at Arlington High School. During his career, he coached football, cross country and track. He saw two state championships, a regional championship, and 18 district championships in cross country. Going into this year's invitational, the team aims to build on last year’s success in the race, as the men’s team finished second and the women’s team finished third. Then sophomore Matro Jepkemboi secured a second-place finish with a time of 17:33.90 for the women's team, and then junior Jackson Cichon aided the men’s team with his fourth-place finish with a time of 15:09.40, according to a UTA press release. UTA, in addition to its season opener, will host the Western Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships on Oct. 31. It’s the team’s first time since 1992 to host a conference championship. Despite the decision to withdraw from the John McKenzie Invitational in August, UTA has three more competitions scheduled ahead of the WAC championships this season. The team will participate in the Texas A&M Invitational on Sept. 13 and the Arturo Barrios Invitational on Oct. 17. The Mavericks will compete in the NCAA South Central Regional on Nov. 14 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. To finish out the postseason, the team will head to Missouri, where the NCAA championships are slated to be held Nov. 22. @player_z0 sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

In the team’s final practice ahead of an exhibition match against Stephen F. Austin State University, volleyball head coach Tania Schatow was focused on communication. She talked one-on-one with each player and had open discussions with the team frequently. “Probably the most important part of my job is building the right culture,” Schatow said. “And that comes with open communication. I have a truly open-door policy.” Schatow, UTA’s eighth volleyball head coach and former assistant coach at Pacific University, brings a wealth of experience to the program. Her volleyball journey began in high school, where she joined the team as a sophomore. She played as a middle blocker during her four years at Louisiana State University, seeing an NCAA tournament berth each season and winning a Southeastern Conference championship in 2009. She graduated with a kinesiology degree in 2011, according to the UTA Athletics website. She traveled overseas to Belgium to gain coaching experience and develop as a player after college. Schatow returned to LSU to further her growth as a coach after spending six years overseas. In Europe, she saw notable success with her team, earning a bid to the European Volleyball Confederation cup, where some of the top teams in Europe compete. “She’s a badass,” redshirt junior Sophie Ocampo said. “I have never met anyone like her and don’t get me wrong, it’s hard a lot of the time, but you know, pressure is a privilege. And for her to be this hard on us, it’s just because she loves us and she wants us to win.” Schatow succeeded former head coach J.T. Wenger in January. Wenger resigned in December of 2024, shortly before accepting a head coach position at Gonzaga University. Wenger spent eight seasons at UTA, and solidified himself as a decorated coach after leading the team to an NCAA appearance, the university’s first in over two decades. Going into a fresh season with the intention of defending the team’s title as the 2024 Western Athletic Conference Champions, Schatow said her pillars for success consist of hard work, discipline, family and trust. “Winning will be a by-product,” Schatow said. “So I think that’s been my biggest focus, is just having us work hard, keeping our feet on the ground, and doing the work every day to get 1% better.” Building off of the culture she is wanting to create, Schatow shared a book that she and the team read: “The Energy Bus” by Jon Gordon. She said it “goes well beyond the volleyball court,” opening their eyes to how they should communicate with each other, she said. “It’s refreshing for them that I’m just very real and honest when we have conversations,” she said. “Some of them have had that, some haven’t. I think that’s been really big from a culture standpoint.” The volleyball team introduced nine new players to the roster, four of whom are freshmen. Despite the changes, the team has already reminded the conference why they were last year’s champs. Junior libero Samantha Glenn was named the WAC Preseason Libero of the Year, her first time receiving the award. Additionally, both Glenn and Ocampo were selected to the All-WAC Team, according to a UTA Athletics press release. The team will play its first home game against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the UNT-UTA Invitational on Sept. 13 at College Park Center. WAC play for the Mavericks will start with a home game against Southern Utah University at 1 p.m. Sept. 27. “I think that last couple of weeks have been very, very good, and a lot of different things that we’re being taught with volleyball, and I think that’s what we need for the program,” freshman outside hitter Andrea Nunez said. “I’m definitely changing and learning a lot more, and I’m so grateful for Tania. The last couple of weeks have been awesome.” @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu