No. 3 UTA women’s tennis upset No. 2 Tarleton State University to clinch a 4-2 win Friday at the Arlington Tennis Center. The team secured its spot in the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Tournament championships final Saturday against No. 1 seed Grand Canyon University. After dropping a hard-fought doubles point, the Mavericks clawed their way back in singles play with gritty performances. Head coach Diego Benitez said he appreciates the battles against in-state rival Tarleton and looks forward to representing Texas in the tournament final. “Tarleton is such a tough team. Every time we play, it’s just big battles,” Benitez said. “We’re very glad to have a rivalry with them so close from home, so it’s a great team. Big respect for the coaches and the players.” UTA’s room for error shrank after a 1-0 finish in doubles. The Mavericks came back with three thrilling singles victories. After a difficult opening round in doubles, senior Ana Paula Jimenez rebounded in singles to set the tone for her teammates. She was the first to complete her matchup en route to a victory in straight sets, securing UTA’s first point. Jimenez said playing under the windy conditions the day prior helped prepare her to take advantage of the conditions during Friday’s match. Junior Valeriia Ivanovskaia followed Jimenez’s lead, boasting two 6-3 wins, furthering the lead for the Mavericks. However, Tarleton freshman Maria Castano won the team’s lone singles victory, tying the match at 2-2 in straight sets over UTA senior Nika Novikova. The dropped point shifted the pressure to the three remaining Mavericks. After UTA freshman Maria Lucia Araoz-Gosn won her first set 6-1, she said physical ailments took a toll in the second set. “I was getting very tired, I couldn’t breathe,” she said. “I also started cramping in both of my legs. My game is very physical also, so that affected me a lot, but I brought myself back together because I did not want to play a third set.” Despite the setbacks, Araoz-Gosn’s determination to avoid a third set carried her to a 6-3 win, with UTA needing one more point for the victory. All eyes shifted to senior Ioana Dumitrescu. After Dumitrescu took the first singles set 6-1, TSU’s junior Ximena Morales had other plans, storming back to win the second set 6-3. The struggles continued for Dumitrescu to begin the third set. She dug herself into a 0-2 deficit with all focus on her match. However, with her teammates rallying behind her, Dumitrescu reignited her fire from the opening set and battled back to win six straight games, bringing home the victory for UTA 4-2. Benitez awarded Dumitrescu the match’s “MVP” chain for closing the deal for the Mavericks. “Having people to hold you from the back and give you that extra motivation and support that, maybe in the moment, you don’t have the energy to do it, it gives you better wins,” Dumitrescu said. The team will face Grand Canyon University in the title game at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex at Southern Methodist University’s campus due to impending weather. The match will be available to stream on Western Athletic Conference International. @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The Texas Rangers (12-7) defeated the Los Angeles Angels (9-9), 5-3 on Thursday at Globe Life Field, sweeping the season’s first home division series. Aside from an opening day blimp against the Boston Red Sox, the Rangers have been unbeatable at home, improving to 9-1 at Globe Life Field to start the season. Pitcher Kumar Rocker got the start Thursday, looking to secure his first win of the season. After allowing a run in the first inning, Rocker settled in for the remainder of the game. Manager Bruce Bochy said Rocker had good command with his pitches and was pleased with his ball placement. “He hit the outside corner very well with [breaking ball],” Bochy said. “That’s the biggest thing, I talk about it all the time, his location. He had really good location tonight.” It didn’t take long for the Rangers to even up the game. Second baseman Marcus Semien scored a run from a sacrifice fly from outfielder Adolis García, tying the game at one apiece by the bottom of the first. Texas added a few runs in the second inning ignited by outfielder Leody Taveras’ double that rang in fellow outfielder Dustin Harris and infielder Jake Burger. The Rangers would maintain the lead the rest of the game. García nuked the first of two Rangers home runs in the first at-bat of the third inning, extending their lead 4-1. While momentum pointed in the Rangers’ favor, Rocker struggled to maintain control of the game in the fifth inning, and allowed two runs, both with two outs on the board, on four hits. The Angels drew closer, 4-3. In the seventh inning, shortstop Corey Seager’s 100th home run as a Ranger sealed the deal. Seager took advantage of an Angels’ pitching change, bombing the very first pitch 427 feet into center field. The score gave Texas more breathing room, leading 5-3. “He’s one of the best hitters I’ve seen,” Bochy said. “He’s fun to watch. He’s simple and he has an incredible ability to get a good part of batting the ball. Tremendous power, uses the whole field too. He’s a special player and we’re lucky to have him.” Rocker’s night ended after seven innings pitched, finishing with eight strikeouts while only allowing five hits and three runs. He earned his first win of his career. “That’s a great way to get your first win, to go seven innings,” Bochy said. “We were all happy for him, how he threw the ball. He’s got the stuff to be a really nice major league pitcher and can be a dominant one, and he showed that tonight.” Bochy also marked a milestone, notching his 2,183rd win in his career as a manager. He is now tied seventh all-time with Dusty Baker, former Houston Astros manager. The Texas Rangers will be back to host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series starting 7:05 p.m. Friday at Globe Life Field. The game will be available to stream on CW33 and Victory+. @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA women’s tennis swept No. 6 Utah Tech University 4-0 in their quarterfinal matchup of the Western Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Championships on Thursday at the Arlington Tennis Center. A warm, windy day set the scene at the hub of WAC tennis for the weekend. The Mavericks entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed. Head coach Diego Benitez said he was proud of the team’s performance, despite noticing nerves. “I think that it’s always a little bit tough to play the first round because it’s a lot of nerves that you gotta deal with,” Benitez said. “I think we got our feet wet in that department today, and hopefully tomorrow we can play a little more relaxed.” UTA got off to a hot start, earning the first point of the match with two doubles victories. Junior Valeriia Ivanovskaia and senior Mialy Ranaivo made quick work of their opponents, winning their doubles match 6-1. Soon after, senior Nika Novikova and freshman Maria Lucia Araoz-Gosn won 6-3 to clinch the doubles point for the Mavericks. Both teams duked it out in singles, fighting tooth and nail on all six courts. The duo, Novikova and Araoz-Gosn, continued their dominance in singles, beating their opponents in straight sets. Despite the team’s overall dominance, senior Ana Paula Jimenez struggled to gain momentum against UTU’s sophomore Mariana Zurita. After losing the first set 6-4, a talk with Benitez strengthened the senior’s efforts, finding herself tied 3-3 in the second set. However, the match was halted with the Mavericks claiming the victory. “It was really windy today and her game, it was kind of tricky because she was hitting flat and so short and low, so with the wind it was even worse,” Jimenez said when talking about her singles opponent. “I couldn’t figure out how to play her, but I feel like with time, I got more adapted to the conditions and I was finding my way.” Senior Ioana Dumitrescu’s match was the last one counted, defeating her opponent in decisive fashion. After winning the first set 6-4, Dumitrescu took control of the second with a 5-1 lead. Despite her opponent’s effort to make a comeback, Dumitrescu put the match away 6-3, throwing her hat to the ground in triumph and letting out a victory cry. “It’s a huge deal in my last year, and the intensity is over the sky,” Dumitrescu said. “To get the team to move over on semifinals, it means a lot.” Benitez presented an “MVP” chain to Novikova for her dominance in singles and doubles. With the chain on her neck, she led her team to stamp their place in the semifinals on the WAC bracket. The team will face No. 2 seed Tarleton State University at 11 a.m. Friday at the Arlington Tennis Center for a chance to advance to the championship match. The teams split the regular season series, 1-1. @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Baylor University (23-13) snapped UTA baseball’s (13-20) five-game win streak 9-8 in extra innings Tuesday at Clay Gould Ballpark. After being tied 8-8 at the end of regulation, an RBI from Cortlan Castle, Baylor University senior catcher, made the difference in the game. The Mavericks couldn’t overcome the deficit in the 10th inning. Head coach Mike Trapasso said the team’s errors and missed plays ultimately led to the loss. “Every close game comes down to three or four, what I call, ‘crisis pitches,’” Trapasso said. “When you win the majority of those, you win the game. We just didn’t do that.” The Bears jumped to a fast start, scoring three runs on three hits in the first inning. However, the rest of the game was a back-and-forth affair. Heading into the bottom of the third inning, Baylor University led 4-3 until the Mavericks seemingly blew the game open with four runs. Tyce Armstrong, redshirt junior first baseman, led the way with a home run to tie the game at 4-4. Armstrong recorded three hits in four at-bats, contributing two runs. “This weekend I struggled a little bit. I wasn’t feeling myself. I came in yesterday and I just got in the lab and tried to fine tune things, start a little bit earlier and it helped tonight,” he said. Despite the Mavericks’ momentum, the team went scoreless for the next four innings, while the Bears took four unanswered runs in the seventh inning. UTA dug deep in the eighth inning to muster a run through a wild pitch from Baylor University, tying the game 8-8. With neither team able to score in the ninth, the game went into extras. In the top of the tenth inning, a throwing error by redshirt freshman pitcher Ty Zahradnik aided an unearned run for the Bears that was eventually the dagger. UTA left a man on base in the bottom of the inning, unable to capitalize and faltering the game. “I’m super confident that we’re a solid baseball team and we’re playing better,” Trapasso said. “Let’s just start another win streak. Conference is what really matters.” UTA will resume conference play, hosting Abilene Christian University for a three-game series starting 6 p.m. Thursday at Clay Gould Ballpark. The game will be streamed on Western Athletic Conference International. @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The wait is over — Paige Bueckers officially joins the Dallas Wings. Anticipation for the 2025 WNBA Draft skyrocketed for Wings fans after winning the draft lottery in November. The star guard was the No. 1 pick favorite long before announcing her declaration to Monday’s draft. A week after winning the NCAA women’s basketball national championship with the University of Connecticut to end her storied collegiate career, Bueckers looks to become the face of the Wings franchise. Fans flocked to College Park Center, the Dallas Wings’ home for one more season, to watch the draft unfold. The arena was bustling with excitement from step teams taking the stage to girls getting Bueckers’ signature braids. The No. 1 pick marks a new era in the team’s history. Despite over a decade in the WNBA, Curt Miller, Wings executive vice president and general manager, said he had never held the top pick until now. “What we’ve seen number one picks do to franchises around the league, it is something truly special — the trajectory of your team, the momentum that it brings,” Miller said. “Paige will do it in her own way, and her efficiency, her unselfishness, her ability to take over when needed. I think you’re going to see her really impact this franchise.” Coming off her senior season, Bueckers averaged 19.9 points per game, leading the University of Connecticut. The guard etched her name into Husky record books, scoring the most points in a single NCAA Tournament run in school history, among other achievements. The pick not only marks a new era on the court but symbolizes new beginnings off the court. The franchise will move to play its home games at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas after this season, bringing new opportunities. “From free agency to all of the offseason investments with the practice facility, the arena coming, and now you add Paige to that along with our other draftees. We just want to bottle that up and keep it going,” head coach Chris Koclanes said. “She’s going to be such an important piece and can really have an impact immediately and again, helping us to establish a strong foundation here in Dallas.” Before the draft, the Wings made notable moves in their offseason. Some of the team’s acquisitions included reigning WNBA’s most improved player guard, DiJonai Carrington, and forward NaLyssa Smith. Arlington resident Andre McGee, a big women’s basketball fan, believes Bueckers’ skill set increases the team’s hopes of winning a championship. “We got some real dogs, especially defensively, bringing in our new defensive-minded coach,” McGee said. “Offensively, always, we got the skill. Arike [Ogunbowale]’s out there, Paige is out there now. We got some size on the court, I feel like we are just really good, a little bit of everything, everywhere.” As for Bueckers, Koclanes described her as unselfish — a player who can take over a game when needed but has a special knack for getting her teammates involved. When describing what Wings fans should expect from her, Bueckers echoed Koclanes’ sentiments. “Just a selfless leader, a person who just wants to win, will do whatever it takes to win, and somebody who plays with so much heart and passion and so much love for the game and love sharing that with others,” Bueckers said during the ESPN telecast. Ahead of her senior season, Bueckers achieved nearly every individual accolade under the sun. Partly due to injury, there was one achievement left for her to cement her legacy: winning a national championship. Miller marveled at Bueckers’ ability to shine under pressure and deliver a title to the University of Connecticut. “We all see the efficiency, we’ve all seen the talent the minute she walked on campus, but to watch her navigate the pressure that she had to feel this year was truly special,” he said. While Bueckers was the highlight of the night, work didn’t end there for the Wings. Dallas had four more draft picks, including the last pick of the first round. Aziaha James, North Carolina State University senior guard, was selected with the 12th overall pick. Miller and Koclanes expressed excitement when adding her to the team, not expecting her to drop that low. Additionally, the Wings selected Madison Scott, University of Mississippi senior guard. Miller called Scott “one of the best defenders out there,” and expects both players to make the roster and provide impact. Dallas finished the night with five additions to the team. The Wings added two draftees in the third round with the 27th and 31st picks. JJ Quinerly, West Virginia University senior guard, and Aaronette Vonleh, Baylor University senior center, rounded out the draft. @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The women’s golf team’s quest for a Western Athletic Conference Championship is underway, while tennis prepares to host its tournament this week. Baseball and softball also have a busy week ahead with conference play. Here is the schedule for Tuesday through April 21. Women’s golf After teeing off Monday, the women’s golf team will round out the WAC Championship with the second round Tuesday and final round Wednesday in Phoenix. The Mavericks look to clinch an automatic berth in the NCAA Division I women’s golf tournament. Men’s tennis The men’s tennis team begins its postseason play in the WAC Championship at the Arlington Tennis Center from Thursday through Saturday. Dates and times for when UTA plays are yet to be determined. Women’s tennis The women’s tennis team will also participate in the WAC Championship at the Arlington Tennis Center after dropping its final game of the regular season against conference-leading Tarleton State University. Dates and times for when UTA plays are yet to be determined. Baseball UTA baseball will start the week off with a matchup against Baylor University at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Clay Gould Ballpark. The Mavericks are riding a five-game winning streak, including a series sweep against Tarleton State University. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+. The team will then host Abilene Christian University in a three-game series beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday at Clay Gould Ballpark. Game two will be played at 6 p.m. Friday and the series finale at 1 p.m. Saturday. The first two games will be available to stream on WAC International, with the final game on ESPN+. Softball The softball team will host familiar foe Grand Canyon University in a three-game series at Allan Saxe Field. The series will start with a doubleheader at 3 and 5:30 p.m. Friday, and the final game will be at noon Saturday. The first two games will be available to stream on ESPN+. Track and field Track and field is slated for two invitationals this week. The team will travel to Azusa, California, to participate in the Bryan Clay Invitational hosted by Azusa Pacific University. The meet is scheduled to run Wednesday through Friday. For more information, visit the Cougar’s website. The team will also travel to Waco, Texas, on Friday and Saturday to participate in the Michael Johnson Invitational hosted by Baylor University. For event schedules, visit the Bear’s website. @tdreevess sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

With the regular season in the books, the women’s golf team swings into the Western Athletic Conference Championship. The Mavericks will travel to Phoenix to compete in the tournament from Monday to Wednesday at Wigwam Golf Club. UTA will play to earn an automatic bid in the NCAA Division I women’s golf tournament. The Mavericks’ lineup for the tournament will include junior Nitisha Manikandesh, junior Kamri Gabel, sophomore Nirjara Gulhane and freshman Tarini Bhoga. UTA finished its regular season with an 11th place finish at the Veritex Bank Collegiate hosted by Southern Methodist University. The highlight of the Mavericks’ spring schedule came at the University of Louisiana Monroe Invitational, garnering a fourth place team finish. The Mavericks are familiar with the site of the tournament, having played on the course in February in the Wigwam Preview hosted by Utah Valley University. UTA finished sixth with Gabel earning a top-three finish in the tournament. The tournament is scheduled for two 18-hole rounds Monday and Tuesday, with the final round Wednesday. Live scoring will be available on Clippd Scoreboard. @stephanie_q03 sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA baseball (10-19) defeated Texas Christian University (25-9) 6-4 in a Dallas-Fort Worth showdown Tuesday at Clay Gould Ballpark. The win marks UTA’s third-straight season victory over Texas Christian University, also snapping the Horned Frogs’ six-game winning streak. “I’m just happy for the guys,” head coach Mike Trapasso said. “If you just play clean baseball, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing, the scoreboard’s going to take care of itself eventually.” Throughout the game, Trapasso rotated pitchers, a strategy that he said keeps arms fresh during the week and prevents burnout. After a scoreless opening inning, the action picked up in the second when junior outfielder Xander McAfee’s error allowed Texas Christian University to hit a triple and score an unearned run. Left unphased, McAfee responded by knocking a 0-1 ball out for a home run, tying the game 1-1. “I never look at it as pressure,” he said. “We get to be blessed to be out here. I made the error, and I’m like, ‘I gotta get that back,’ so I go up to the plate and have a good approach.” In addition to his home run, McAfee recorded two RBIs in four at-bats against the Horned Frogs. After adding another run in the third inning, the Mavericks led heading into the fifth. Redshirt sophomore pitcher Kyle Winkler took the mound but gave up the first of two home runs for Texas Christian University. Looking to get out of the jam, he delivered a strikeout to limit the damage. Texas Christian University also made a pitching change in the inning, boding well for the Mavericks. Graduate outfielder Maxwell Mims scored on a single by McAfee. McAfee tried to follow Mims’ lead but was caught attempting to steal a base, ending the inning with UTA leading 3-2. The Horned Frog’s second home run came off the arm of senior pitcher Rhys Stevens in the sixth inning, immediately knotting the game back up. The seventh inning would be all the difference for the Mavericks, scoring three runs ignited by singles from senior infielder Tate Bethel, freshman outfielder Cade Dodson and Mims. Another wild pitch capped the score for UTA, expanding to a 6-3 lead. Texas Christian University added a run in the eighth inning, but redshirt freshman pitcher Ty Zahradnik halted the comeback in the ninth. Tyce Armstrong, redshirt junior first baseman, recorded eight putouts. Armstrong filled in for the team’s usual first baseman, junior infielder Xavier Melendez, who was out with a hand injury. “We’ve been really struggling this year trying to put all the pieces together, but we finally found our groove and tonight really showed that we can play really good competitive baseball,” Armstrong said. UTA hopes to carry the momentum to Tarleton State University. The first of its three-game series is scheduled at 6 p.m. Friday. The game will be available to stream on Western Athletic Conference International. @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Amid the rise of the sport, the UTA pickleball club aims for national recognition, with a mix of competitiveness and recreational fun. Pickleball has become a rapidly growing sport in America. From 2020 to 2023, the increase in the sport’s participation has more than tripled, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The club will head to Atlanta, Georgia, to compete in the 2025 Collegiate Pickleball Tour National Championship from Friday to Sunday. The club consists of four student athletes eager to grow the sport’s community and make a name for UTA in the collegiate competition scene. Unlike other collegiate sports where schools are separated by conferences and divisions, teams competing in the pickleball championship across the country are all pooled together. Political science junior Julian Nguyen highlighted the sport’s growth, particularly at UTA, and called it a great way to connect with people. “It’s a great way to meet new friends,” Nguyen said. “Especially at the recreational level, there are a lot of mixers and things are based around pickleball.” Clinical psychology junior Grace Pham said she appreciates collegiate pickleball because of the opportunity to compete against similar-aged peers who share the same interest. The team has set a goal for the tournament: to make it past their previous run. “We really want to make it past the round of 32 because that is where we got knocked out last semester,” Pham said. “Our big stretch is quarterfinals because top eight receive prize money, and there’s a lot of prize money.” Despite UTA’s efforts, the club does not have its own court to practice on. The club has dealt with some financial hardships, as they rely on fundraisers and sponsorships as their main sources of funding. Pham said balancing these challenges along with busy schedules and life outside of UTA can be difficult. The team does its best to push past these difficulties, focusing on not taking them too seriously. The sport is much more than just a game for the club, however. Pickleball is also a source of networking for the team, said Pham, offering players the chance to develop skills on and off the court. Pham said two of their teammates have acquired internships through pickleball events and mixers. Although pickleball is not an officially sanctioned sport by the NCAA, the club is open to the idea of tryouts and continuing to build the team. “It’s not about the name of the school you go to or the amount of support you get that is backing you,” Nguyen said. “It’s about what you actually go out and do, and what you can achieve even against those odds.” @kaleivie_ @tdreevess sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The regular season has come and gone for UTA tennis. The program now looks forward to hosting the Western Athletic Conference Tournament from April 17 to 19 at Arlington Tennis Center. Led by head coach Diego Benitez, the men’s team is looking to become three-peat champions. Benitez, the second-longest tenured head coach at UTA, has established a winning culture within the program. “It’s a great lesson for our other coaches who are newer. It’s a great lesson for me, who’s newer, that if you build it, it can work,” Athletics director Jon Fagg said. “We should not assume that success is fleeting. Success can be a culture. I, it does not have to be a luxury.” Senior Daniel Pérez-Caraballo said despite the pressure to three-peat, the team believes “pressure is a privilege.” “We got to make sure that when we are under pressure, we are still calm through the storm, and we use all our tools and experience that we have in the past to overcome difficult situations and be successful,” Pérez-Caraballo said. The Mavericks finished second in the WAC behind Grand Canyon University. Despite not facing them this season, Benitez said he’s familiar with their team from defeating them a season ago. Although the tournament won’t take place at UTA, the teams will have the luxury of sleeping in their own beds, maintaining their routines and playing in front of a pro-Maverick crowd. “Regardless of where we play, Diego is in the business of kicking everybody’s butt,” Fagg said. “I think his expectation of his team is, ‘Wherever we are, we’re winning,’ and I love that about him.” Pérez-Caraballo highlighted the competitive advantage presented by the tournament being hosted in Arlington but understands it won’t be the difference in winning or losing. “We are still going to have the chance to practice the entire week at the Arlington Tennis Center unlike the other teams. They’re going to come one or two days before and practice there,” he said. “We are going to be there practicing, getting used to the small differences on the court.” The men’s team was honored with a ring ceremony during a men’s basketball game halftime in February. Benitez hopes the younger players realize what they’re playing for and seize the unique opportunity. As for the women’s team, senior Ioana Dumitrescu believes the team is trending upward at the right time despite highs and lows. They currently sit at 7-8 on the season with one game remaining Thursday against Tarleton State University. The team has dealt with adversity from the start of the season, particularly having to navigate a full lineup with only six players on the roster. Benitez commended his team for playing under those conditions. With the lack of depth, players can’t get as much rest as they’d like, he said. Dumitrescu, who has spent her entire four-year career at UTA, calls program members her family and the UTA Tennis Center her home. Knowing this is her final rodeo, she is determined to win the tournament. “I’m very nervous. Only the fact that we talk about it gets my stomach going because it’s also my last conference, and I really, really, really want to win,” she said. At this point in the year, Dumitrescu realizes the team has to trust the work they have put in throughout the season. Now, it’s about practicing with consciousness to perfect the details before the tournament. From the end of the regular season to the start of the tournament, the priority for both teams is maintaining good health, conditioning and cleaning up technique. Benitez said he will pace them until then, breaking workouts into blocks of training. “We’ve been working pretty hard lately on the conditioning part and footwork, and we’re gonna do that for another few days,” he said. “By the time we hit this weekend, we’ll be able to start slowing down and just do a little bit more of maintenance.” With the Arlington Tennis Center being about a 10-minute drive from campus, the teams ask the Maverick community to show up and support. “Tennis is just such a fun sport. I call it the United Nations,” Fagg said. “It’s really neat. It’s a coming together of people from vastly different places, often, that all function well together and that’s really cool.” @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

With Western Athletic Conference tournaments approaching for tennis and golf, UTA athletics head into a crucial week of action. Baseball, softball and track and field will also be active. Here is the schedule for Tuesday through April 14. Baseball Coming off a series loss against Lamar University, the baseball team will play Texas Christian University at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Clay Gould Ballpark. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+. The team will then travel to Tarleton State University for a three-game series beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, followed by a 3 p.m. game Saturday and the finale at 1 p.m. Sunday. The first two games will be available to stream on WAC International, with the finale on ESPN+. Softball The softball team will face WAC rival California Baptist University in a three-game series starting with a doubleheader at 4 and 6:30 p.m. Friday in Riverside, California. The finale will be played 1 p.m. Saturday. Women’s golf After the team concludes its regular season Tuesday with the Veritex Bank Collegiate, it will head into postseason play. The first round of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament is scheduled to start April 14 in Phoenix. Men’s golf The men’s golf team will participate in the El Macero Classic for its last regular season competition, hosted by the University of California, Davis. Tee times are 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Women’s tennis The women’s tennis team will close its regular season with a match against Tarleton State University scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday in Stephenville, Texas. Track and field Track and field teams will travel to College Station, Texas, to participate in Texas A&M University’s 44 Farms Team Invitational. The meet will begin Friday, followed by day two on Saturday, with times yet to be announced. @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

A two-point conversion was all the difference as the Arlington Renegades improved to 2-0 on the season with an 11-9 victory over the Houston Roughnecks (0-2) Sunday. A nine-yard connection from quarterback Luis Perez to wide receiver Deontay Burnett broke a 3-3 stalemate, putting the Renegades up 9-3. After a successful two-point conversion, also to Burnett, Arlington led for good. Coming off a 33-point performance in their season opener, the Renegades came out victorious in a different game style. The match was physical, hard-hitting and defensive, one that saw multiple players leave the game for injuries. “You do have to win different ways and find a way to do it. We did,” head coach Bob Stoops said. “I think you have to really credit the defense for how strong they played the whole day.” Both teams got off to slow starts offensively. After the Renegades scored a field goal in the opening quarter, the Roughnecks equalized the game 3-3 with a field goal as the first half wound down. Perez said the team’s self-inflicted wounds hurt them from finishing drives. “From the offensive standpoint, it was kind of one of those games,” he said. Action picked up in the third quarter for both teams. Arlington seemed to gain momentum after Perez’s 29-yard completion to tight end Sal Cannella. However, Cannella took a shot to the head by a Houston defender that caused him to fumble and turn the ball over. After a 33-yard return, Houston possessed the ball at midfield, primed to capitalize with points. However, the very next play, Renegades cornerback Ajene Harris intercepted a pass by Roughnecks quarterback Anthony Brown that solicited a roar from the crowd. Despite the back and forth, the game was still knotted heading into the fourth quarter. With a little over 10 minutes remaining, the touchdown and two-point conversion by Burnett gave the Renegades an eight-point lead. The Roughnecks didn’t go out without a fight. After being replaced for a couple of drives, Brown led Houston 67 yards for a touchdown. Trailing 11-9, Houston needed to attempt a two-point conversion to tie the game. Unable to find an open receiver, Brown scrambled to the right but dove short of the goal line. Houston’s chances dwindled, but it had one last opportunity to keep the hope alive. The Roughnecks attempted to convert a fourth-and-12, a rule unique to the United Football League but similar to an onside kick in the NFL. The Renegades’ defense came up with the stop, seemingly ending the game. “I just want to tip my cap to our D-line,” Harris said. “They work very hard every week getting to that quarterback, and today, they got to that quarterback and made it kind of easy for us in the secondary just to do our job.” Arlington’s defense held Houston to 225 total yards and 63 rushing yards. The Renegades will head on the road for the first time this season to face the Birmingham Stallions at 7 p.m. Friday. The game will be televised on FOX. @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA women’s tennis (7-8) defeated Prairie View A&M University (4-23) 4-0 in the last home match of the regular season Sunday at the UTA Tennis Center. Prior to the match, the team celebrated Senior Day by honoring seniors Nika Novikova, Ana Paula Jimenez, Mialy Ranaivo and Ioana Dumitrescu. They were presented with flowers and portraits as keepsakes. The team started on a high note, winning all three doubles matches to earn the point. Novikova and freshman Maria Lucia Araoz-Gosn earned the first win with a decisive 6-1 match. The duo of Ranaivo and junior Valeriia Ivanovskaia were able to overcome adversity to win 6-3, clinching the doubles point for UTA. Novikova said despite the emotions, she and her team came out on fire and carried that throughout the match. Singles were delayed due to weather conditions. However, the intermission didn’t slow the Mavericks’ momentum. “It doesn’t help having to play in this type of weather, but I would say it’s the same for both teams,” head coach Diego Benitez said. Araoz-Gosn secured the first singles win for the Mavericks, sweeping her opponent 6-0 in both games. Wins by Ranaivo and Novikova sealed the deal for UTA, winning 4-0. The three other singles were unfinished. Dumitrescu, who’s spent her entire career at UTA, highlighted her journey with the program. “UTA became my home inside and outside the court. I found family here,” she said, “It helped me grow so much. We went through literally everything you can possibly imagine here, very amazing memories.” The team will wrap its regular season up at Tarleton State University at 1 p.m. Thursday. @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

We’ve survived the madness. With the Final Four upon us, fans can expect to see some high-level basketball between the best teams throughout the season. This year’s NCAA men’s Final Four is merely the second time in history all No. 1 seeds have made it that far and the first since 2008. In both the men’s and women’s tournaments, the University of Connecticut is the lone non-No. 1 seed to make the Final Four — in the women’s tournament, beating No. 1 University of South California. USC lost 2025 Naismith Women’s College player of the year Juju Watkins for the season earlier in the tournament. We should all want to watch the best teams competing for a national championship, but upsets and storylines are what make March Madness special. With the state of collegiate athletics as is, the transfer portal and name, image and likeness have completely changed the landscape of college basketball. However, UTA Athletics director Jon Fagg said he believes this year’s dominance of one seeds is a fluke. “A lot of people are saying it’s because NIL has made the best teams, the best and everybody else something else,” he said. “There’s some merit to that, but I feel like it’s going to still turn out to be a fluke.” While there might not be a direct correlation, TV ratings skyrocketed for the first two rounds of the men’s tournament despite the lack of cinderellas. The opening rounds saw the highest average audience since 1993, according to Nielsen ratings. However, ratings took a 10% hit in the Elite Eight compared to last year’s. The NCAA faces bigger questions. One of them being: In the vaunted age of the transfer portal, where’s the balance between power five conference schools and mid-major to lower Division I programs? The portal has allowed players like Auburn University forward Chad Baker-Mazara to play longer than the standard four years in college. The 25-year-old is one of many athletes who started their careers at lower-level programs and eventually played at bigger schools, using all of their redshirt seasons and eligibility to showcase their ability. Many collegiate coaches have voiced their displeasure with the transfer portal, particularly when it opens for basketball. Geno Auriemma, University of Connecticut women’s basketball head coach called the portal “a big cloud” that hangs over the NCAA Tournament during a March 28 press conference. “For instance, do you think the NBA will ever have open free agency during the NBA playoffs? I doubt that,” Auriemma said. The answer is no, but Fagg added an interesting perspective. “Ideally, it seems like [the portal] would open after the entire season is over. But, the reason it doesn’t is because most people’s seasons are over when March Madness starts,” he said. Although college coaches are losing a grip of the power they once held, the NCAA is empowering student athletes to not have to potentially wait another three extra weeks to announce a decision regarding their future. In addition to the portal, NIL has played a part in the increase of student athletes electing to prolong their college career, as opposed to going pro. For example, on Monday, Olivia Miles, University of Notre Dame guard, chose to forgo the WNBA Draft and enter the transfer portal as a graduate transfer. The decision caused some confusion as to why the projected No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft chose to remain in college. Regardless of the reasoning behind decisions like this, there’s no denying the vast difference between what once was the reality for student athletes. If a player was eligible to enter the draft — and was good enough — there used to be no doubt that player would have declared for the draft. Now, especially in women’s basketball, athletes earn more money from NIL and brand deals in college than they probably would during their whole WNBA career. “Now they have enough incentive to keep going to school, make some money and maybe more will blossom into pro players,” Fagg said. The NCAA we once knew is a distant memory. If the NCAA wants to continue operating as a professional organization, player empowerment is something they will have to tolerate. As for us fans, we should just appreciate the product that is being displayed on our TVs. @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA men’s tennis (10-9) took down Abilene Christian University (11-9), 4-3 in a tightly-contested battle at the UTA Tennis Center. The team celebrated seniors Pedro Sasso and Daniel Pérez-Caraballo, embracing them with self-portraits and team pictures prior to the first serve. The Mavericks dominated in doubles, winning two matches, including a victory in straight sets, 6-0, by freshman Ian Uraga and sophomore Yazid Lahjomri. Pérez-Caraballo and freshman Federico Garbero secured the point for UTA, winning their match 6-3. “We came out hungry and we were able to put that point on the board,” head coach Diego Benitez said. “That’s huge. When you have that extra point on you, that’s huge.” Sophomores Andres Medus and Meethre Barot kicked off singles with wins in straight sets, putting the Mavericks up 3-0. Freshman Mattia Ricci clinched the victory for UTA, but the remaining matches carried on. Despite his loss, Pérez-Caraballo competed hard, taking his opponent the distance. He split the first two sets 4-6 and 6-4, before losing 6-1 in the final. Pérez-Caraballo reflected on his time at UTA and how much the program has meant to him. “Senior day means a lot, just because it’s the last chance that you have to play at home,” he said. “UTA has given me a lot. I’m thankful to be here.” Benitez said he saw what the team has been working on in practice come to fruition in their victory. With the Western Athletic Conference Tournament approaching, the Mavericks will continue to prepare by using the time to improve conditioning and footwork, he said. Sasso, who’s looking to help UTA win their third-straight WAC championship despite the heightened pressure, said he wants to enjoy his last matches with the team. “I always had this mentality that, ‘what matters in the end is the team,’” he said. The WAC Tournament will take place April 17 through 19 at the Arlington Tennis Center. @tdreevess sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The Maverick Activities Center is a place for students to stay active, meet new people and get involved on campus. The center provides students with various resources to maintain physical and mental health. Students have access to the Maverick Activities Center from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday and noon to midnight Saturday and Sunday, with varying hours depending on breaks and finals. Intramural sports are offered every semester for those looking for an activity. Josh Hale, Campus Recreation assistant director for sports programs, said they watch for what sports students enjoy participating in and offer a variety. The schedule currently includes volleyball, basketball, flag football, volleyball, billiards and more. “We like to say that it is recreational sports, but we have some highly competitive teams as well that participate in a lot of these activities too,” Hale said. The MAC also offers a large variety of exercise machines and weights, along with an indoor track and treadmills. Students needing help with weight management, sports nutrition or medical nutrition therapy can sign up for one-on-one nutrition consultations with registered dietitian Stacie Ellis. Information systems junior Teniola Dolunade said he enjoys the hours of operation since some other places don’t open on Saturday, as well as what the facility provides. “Go in there, play basketball with friends,” Dolunade said. “It’s just a fun time. Get your mind off things, off schoolwork.” The center offers memberships for students and day passes where students can sponsor two guests who don’t attend UTA for $10 a visit, said Lauren Rodriguez, who works with MAC membership services. All fee-paying students are automatically members and are eligible to participate in all Campus Recreation programs and services. Alumni memberships are $35 a month. Student memberships are $75 for fall, spring and summer, $40 for partial summer sessions or $20 for breaks. “Students have access to lots of different things. I think it’s all about just coming to visit the MAC and then asking questions, seeing what all you have access to and what you can utilize,” Hale said. @tdreeves sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA softball (21-14) fell to the reigning four-time national champions, University of Oklahoma (32-3), 13-2 in five innings Tuesday at Allan Saxe Field. Sooners fans made an impression on Arlington, helping set the ballpark’s attendance record at 1,228. Vendors such as Raising Cane’s, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and others added to the excitement of the anticipated game. “It’s just a really cool turnout,” head coach Kara Dill said. “I know our support staff has worked really hard on this for weeks to set this up so it was a good experience for everybody, and you could feel it. It was a fun atmosphere.” The game got out of hand quickly for the Mavericks. After a scoreless opening inning, the Sooners scored four runs in the second, including a two-run home run by Corri Hicks, University of Oklahoma freshman catcher. After University of Oklahoma added a run at the top of the third inning, UTA found momentum in the bottom. The Mavericks got two runners on base before sophomore catcher Mia McNulty singled to drive in a run. Next at bat, junior first baseman Dee McClarity smashed a deep double to drop just short of a home run. Junior catcher Kailee Bautista scored from second base to bring UTA within three, 5-2. “That inning was awesome,” Dill said. “We had a lot of fight in us, when we’re one swing away from being one run behind them, two runs behind them, having runners at second and third with one out, that’s a big deal. I thought our offense was very intentful in that inning.” However, the offensive onslaught from the Sooners continued in the fourth inning. The University of Oklahoma scored a whopping eight runs in the period, blowing their lead up 13-2. The game was capped in the fifth inning due to the NCAA’s run-ahead rule, which is utilized if a team is up by eight or more runs after five innings. Despite the result, Dill saw the game as an opportunity to measure how the team could improve in the long run. The team will be back in action against Western Athletic Conference rival California Baptist University at 4 p.m. April 11 in Riverside, California, for the first of a three-game series. @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

“She bled blue and orange.” That was the sentiment Shereka Wright, women’s basketball head coach, recalled of former Lady Maverick Rebekah Van Dijk. On March 12, the UTA legend died. Van Dijk, 29, played from 2014 to 2018 and is notably the only Lady Maverick to have her jersey retired. In her four years at UTA, the star center averaged 13.9 points and nine rebounds per game. “She was probably one of the best bigs they had in the league,” Wright said. “Her ability, her skill set to be able to dominate inside the post and to be able to face up were some things that was very, very important.” Her rebounding dominance was a reflection of her character and work ethic, said Krista Gerlich, former women’s basketball head coach. She recalled Van Dijk growing up on a farm and milking cows early in the morning. “She did hard work her entire life, and that’s what rebounding is. It’s just hard work,” she said. In Gerlich’s first season at UTA, the team only won four games. When Van Dijk enrolled as a freshman the following year, the team increased its win total to 17. “It was the largest turnaround in the nation in Division I that year in women’s basketball,” Gerlich said. “I will forever be grateful to her for believing in us before she could even see what we were going to do.” Van Dijk wasn’t just a great talent, she was someone opposing teams created defensive game plans for. Her strong hands, passing ability and catching radius were a few things opponents struggled to defend. “When you’re a player in a conference where people are having to create their game plan around limiting you, that speaks to the type of talent that you’re giving,” said deputy athletic director Debbie Garcia. Although the now-infamous transfer portal wasn’t much in that era, Gerlich said she appreciated Van Dijk’s loyalty to UTA while she was being recruited by other teams. “It tells you how she was raised. She understood family, and it just speaks to her character about loyalty,” she said. Although Van Dijk was unstoppable on the court, the Maverick community remembers her for her character and big heart. Former teammate Brooke Alexander reflected on her and Van Dijk’s dynamic on the court and how she was initially attracted to UTA at the prospect of playing with a “big-time post player.” Given that Alexander was the primary ball handler, the tandem directly influenced each other’s success on the court. Recruited for the point guard position, Alexander said the team’s vision was to play a two-man game with Van Dijk. “One of my strengths was playing off a big post player like Bek and getting the ball to them,” Alexander said in an email. “I was always great friends with any post player I played with because our chemistry on the court was so strong because I fed them the ball.” Alexander said she was in a depressed season in her life coming into UTA, and Van Dijk was the one to comfort her in those moments. Through Van Dijk, she was able to connect with Bible study groups and find community off the court. “Bekah didn’t care what anyone else thought. If she liked it, she was going to go all out in it,” she said. Alexander considers Van Dijk her first friend at UTA, with whom she participated in various organizations and attended Texas Rangers games. Van Dijk was an NCAA Woman of the Year nominee in 2018. The title highlights the player’s combined athletic, academic and community impact. Garcia said those closest to Van Dijk knew the two things that influenced her. “Everybody who knew her will know that her faith and her family, those were the most important things to her,” she said. Before heading to Las Vegas for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in March, the Lady Mavericks honored Van Dijk with a patch on their jerseys. Garcia said she was extremely proud of Wright and her staff for taking the initiative to honor Van Dijk. “She’s our guardian angel. We wanted to represent her in a way to bring light and to give her her respect because she is one of the most recognizable players that we’ve had here,” Wright said. “It was only right to honor her and to wear her number and her initials on our jersey, and I do believe that she was with us during that time.” @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA baseball and softball face stiff competition this week, while the tennis teams gear up for next week’s Western Athletic Conference tournament. Here is the schedule for Tuesday through April 8. Baseball Coming off back-to-back losses, the baseball team looks to bounce back against No. 17 Dallas Baptist University at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Horner Ballpark. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+. The team will remain on the road for a three-game series against Lamar University. The first game is set for 6 p.m. Friday, followed by 5 p.m. Saturday and the finale at 1 p.m. Sunday. Softball The softball team will match up against No. 2 University of Oklahoma at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Allan Saxe Field. The Sooners are the reigning four-time NCAA national champions. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+. Track and field The track and field teams will head to Denton, Texas, on Friday to compete in the Bill Schmidt Invite hosted by the University of North Texas. Men’s tennis With the WAC tournament approaching, UTA tennis is closing the regular season slate. The men’s tennis team will return home to host Prairie View A&M University at 10 a.m. Wednesday, returning Thursday to face Abilene Christian University at 2 p.m. Both games will be at the UTA Tennis Center. Women’s tennis The women’s tennis team will travel to take on UT San Antonio at 1 p.m. Friday. The team will play in a back-to-back, returning home to host Prairie View AMU at 11 a.m. Saturday at the UTA Tennis Center. Women’s golf The women’s golf team will remain in Dallas-Fort Worth to face Southern Methodist University in the Veritex Bank Collegiate at Trinity Forest Golf Club. The first 36 holes are scheduled for April 7, with the final round on April 8. @tdreevess sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA baseball (8-16, 2-4) lost to California Baptist University (16-12, 4-2) 6-3 on Sunday and dropped the weekend series at Clay Gould Ballpark. The Mavericks began the series with a 7-6 win Friday. In game two of the three-game series, UTA was on the other side of a 7-6 score, tying the series at 1-1. The Mavericks headed into game three hoping to win the series over a Western Athletic Conference rival. Head coach Mike Trapasso said the team played well up until the final three outs. “It was really a good college baseball game until the last inning, when we couldn’t throw strikes and couldn’t make plays,” he said, “But that’ll hopefully be a learning experience to play all 27 [outs].” After a scoreless first inning, the Lancers earned the first run aided by a wild pitch from the Mavericks and a single. The Mavericks equalized in the bottom of the fourth inning jump-started by Tyce Armstrong’s, redshirt junior first baseman, leadoff double. Armstrong scored the tying run after a throwing error by the Lancers. Later in the inning, senior catcher Parker Airhart drove in an RBI with a big hit to left field, scoring junior outfielder Jake Martinez to give UTA the lead going into the fifth inning. CBU responded with a run in the top of the sixth inning, tying the game 2-2. Freshman infielder Austin Phillips stood out, assisting on a double play in the top of the seventh, providing a much-needed defensive spark. “[They] made great plays behind me. The pop ups, the ground balls, and made the plays for me. That's all you can ask for,” redshirt senior pitcher Joe Steeber said. Steeber recorded four strikeouts in 7.2 innings. UTA regained the lead in the seventh inning when junior infielder Xavier Melendez singled to score Phillips. The Mavericks led 3-2. After subbing Steeber out, UTA held on to its lead until the ninth inning, when the game began to unravel. The Maverick defense struggled to keep runners off base. A couple of pitching changes weren’t enough for the Mavericks to overcome this. With bases loaded, the Lancers scored four unanswered runs. Trapasso highlighted the pitching struggles late in the game. “You walk two guys with a one-run lead, you’re going to lose. That’s just the way it is,” Trapasso said. The Mavericks had one more chance to make a comeback in the bottom of the ninth but were only able to get one runner on base. The team will remain in Dallas-Fort Worth for a game against No. 17 Dallas Baptist University at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Horner Ballpark. @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu