Senior catcher Kailee Bautista yells during a game against the University of Oklahoma on April 1, 2025, at Allan Saxe Field.
UTA softball is getting ready to hit the diamond as the spring season approaches.
The team will compete in five tournaments and invitationals from Friday to March 14 to prepare for conference play.
The Mavericks will kick off play in the Western Athletic Conference on March 20 with a three-game series against Abilene Christian University on the road.
The team finished last season 24-25 overall and 10-14 in conference play, earning the seventh seed in the WAC tournament. UTA lost 4-1 to No. 6 California Baptist University in the opening round.
Despite the early exit, UTA enters this season ranked No. 3 in the WAC preseason coaches poll, trailing California Baptist and Tarleton State University.
Head coach Kara Dill said the team’s shared mindset has made it easy to coach.
“They really feel connected and bonded on this mission of winning [the] conference championship,” Dill said. “They recognize, and us as a staff, we recognize the importance of bringing people who are different together for a common goal.”
Senior catcher Kailee Bautista, who’s been with the team since her freshman year, said this year is the best chance they have to win because the players bring so much to the table.
Bautista and junior catcher Mia McNulty were named to the 2026 WAC Preseason All-WAC Team, two of only 11 players to receive the honor.
After limited playing time early in her career, Bautista broke out last season, leading the team in batting average, on-base plus slugging (OPS), hits and doubles among qualified hitters.
McNulty, a transfer from the University of California Los Angeles, made an immediate impact in her first season with the Mavericks. She led the team in RBIs and total bases while hitting a team-best 11 home runs.
Sophomore pitcher Kynlee Bowlin pitches the ball during a game against Abilene Christian University on March 21, 2025, at Allan Saxe Field.
Sophomore shortstop Talia Maldonado is expected to build on a strong freshman campaign where she started all 49 games and batted .288 with 38 hits and 29 RBIs.
With Bautista, McNulty and Maldonado anchoring the lineup, opposing pitchers could face challenges navigating the order.
Despite the offensive talent, UTA has emphasized preparation. Bautista said fall practices were intentionally demanding.
“You’re going to make practices hard for you to be prepared physically in the game,” Bautista said. “We’re going to do this rep 100 times, cause you’re going to get that one rep in the game. So yes, it was hard, but we are prepared.”
Freshman Haley Sralik said fall practice allowed her to adjust to life as a student athlete.
UTA opens the season at 1 p.m. Friday against the University of Massachusetts Lowell at the New Mexico State Softball Complex.
“We are here to win. We are prepared to win. That is the goal for this season,” Bautista said. “We are climbing the ladder, trying to set a new standard for UTA as a whole.”
Sports editor Kale Ivie contributed to this article.
@diegocllazo