
Head Coach Darin Thomas	Assistant Coach Jay Sirianni	Assistant Coach K. J. Hendricks	Volunteer Assistant Coach Fuller Smith

ARLINGTON, Texas - The 2009 season saw UT Arlington win 30 games for the first time since 2004 and had many record-breaking performances from a squad full of upperclassmen, including 21 seniors. Those seniors are now gone but it is the experienced leaders and talented newcomers that make the Maverick coaching staff excited about the 2010 season.

Gone are SLC strikeout leader Nathan Long, SLC batting champion Matt Otteman and Andrew Kainer, who broke the school and SLC hitting streak record a year ago, but returning are Michael Choice, Chad Comer, Rett Varner, Jason Mitchell and Adam Boydston, who all played significant roles in the Mavericks' successful 30-win campaign a year ago.

"I think one of our biggest strengths is going to be our leadership," third-year head coach Darin Thomas said. "We have some guys back who really want to win and work hard and I think that will rub off with our new players."

Headlining the list of returning players is preseason All-American Michael Choice (.413, 11 HR, 52 RBI in 2009). A member of the 2009 USA Baseball National Team (Collegiate), Choice enters his junior season as the school's all-time leading hitter (.396) and has been the starting center fielder for the Mavericks since his first game in a UTA uniform.

Chad Comer (.266, 1 HR, 32 RBI) was an honorable mention All-Southland Conference selection at catcher in 2009 as a redshirt sophomore. Behind the plate it is hard to find a player as polished as Comer proved to be last season. He threw out 51 percent of opponent base stealers during conference play and threw out 29-of-67 would-be base stealers for the season, which is the most runners thrown out by a UTA catcher in over a decade.

Rett Varner (2-3, 3.95 ERA, 44 K) might be the most interesting returner. With a strong redshirt sophomore season under his belt last season where he ranked ninth in the SLC in ERA, made 10 starts with two combined shutouts and was drafted in the 34th round by the Chicago Cubs, the year ahead looks to be much brighter for Varner.

He spent the 2009 summer pitching for the Coppell Copperheads where he led them to a league championship while being named Texas Collegiate League Pitcher of the Year. He tallied a 4-2 record in 46 innings with a 1.17 ERA and 57 strikeouts. Varner's power-pitching approach is equipped with a fastball that was consistently clocked in the 93-96 mph range in the fall and with a slider many considered among the best in the TCL last summer.

Jason Mitchell (4-5, 4.63, 42) was up and ready on the drop of a dime last season for the Mavericks as a starter or out of the bullpen. He was nearly un-hittable pitching at Clay Gould Ballpark with a 4-0 record, 2.91 ERA in six appearances (two starts). Mitchell joined Varner as the only Maverick pitchers to start in at least five games and also make over 15 appearances.

Adam Boydston (1-5, 3.29, 9 saves) had a breakthrough season as the Mavericks top bullpen option as a sophomore. Boydston led the team with 29 appearances and his nine saves were the most by a Maverick since 2004 (Mike Snapp, 12).

With those five returners the Mavericks will have plenty of experienced players to lean on, but it is the list of newcomers that stretches 22 deep which leaves concern for UTA.

"With a schedule like ours we don't have any easy games where we can just ease the new players in," Thomas said. "They are going to have to learn on the fly. We have to get them ready to play and when we hit some rough patches we are going to have to be patient with them and stay positive."

But recent UTA baseball history shows it isn't necessarily bad to have a large group of newcomers. Just ask the 2006 Mavericks who ended their season in the NCAA Tournament at the Austin Regional after winning the SLC Tournament with only five returning lettermen and 26 newcomers on the roster.

The list of 2010 newcomers includes 10 freshmen, nine transfers and three returning redshirted players.

The Mavericks led the SLC with a 4.38 ERA last season, but only four pitchers that threw at least 10.0 innings return from that staff.

Varner looks poised to step forward and be the staff ace. In only seven appearances and four starts in SLC play last season, Varner posted a 2.89 ERA in 28.0 innings with 14 strikeouts. And Mitchell, who made six starts - four in conference - threw in 58.1 innings last season.

"They are two returners, they both went out and got better over the summer, they are both ready to have really good years and they are two guys we are going to be counting on to carry the load and win big games for us. I'm excited to see how the year goes for them and how they lead our pitching staff."

Varner was an All-League selection in the TCL and was ranked the fourth best MLB Draft prospect from the TCL league by Baseball America's Top Prospect List of collegiate summer leagues. His summer numbers include walking only seven batters and holding opponents to a .159 batting average.

"Rett has gotten better since he has been here," Thomas said. "He has gotten better from year-to-year and from semester-to-semester. If you compare his starts last season at the beginning to his starts towards the end of the year against Baylor and Oklahoma, it is night and day. He continued that into our conference tournament and pitched in some big innings for us.

"He then had a great summer and the few times we put him out there this fall he showed us he has made a big jump. And I think he will continue to get better."

Mitchell was the Opening Day starter for the Mavericks a year ago and was put in crucial moments as a starter and reliever all season. Mitchell pitched in close contests against Texas, Illinois, Sam Houston State, UTSA, TCU, Oral Roberts and Baylor to name a few. In addition, eight of Mitchell's 12 relief outings were multi-inning appearances.

"He pitched in numerous roles for us last year," Thomas said. "He closed, provided long relief in the midweek, started and he was out there in a lot of big situations. His first four, five or six appearances the game was on the line every time he was out there and that is invaluable experience. He has gotten better and he has worked his tail off and he is ready to have a good senior year."

One of the newcomers the Mavericks will rely heavily on is Logan Bawcom (Midland, Texas - Midland JC), who the coaching staff sees as a potential two-way threat.

Bawcom went 5-1 with a 4.02 ERA and 45 strikeouts at Midland JC in 2009, and he also recorded a .325 average with 10 home runs and 47 RBI. He also nailed down seven saves while being named first team All-Conference.

"Logan is a guy we really liked in the fall," Thomas said. "He is a strike thrower and his velocity is better than it was last spring when we saw him. He has gotten better. He is a two-way guy, he is also a hitter. Right now we really need him to be a productive starting pitcher for us. He is a three-pitch pitcher, and he is a strike thrower and a very good competitor."

A pair of freshmen could be options in the Mavs' rotation as righty Preston Beck (Dallas, Texas) and lefty Brody Walker (Waco, Texas) made strong impressions during the fall season.

Beck should make an immediate impact for the Mavericks as a hitter and pitcher after earning first team All-State as a senior at Bishop Lynch HS. Last summer, Beck led the Dallas D-BAT Mustangs to the Connie Mack World Series where he was named All-Tournament team hitting .318 with six runs, three extra-base hits and five RBI in tournament play.

Beck batted .517 with eight home runs and 45 RBI as a senior with a 6-3 record, 66 strikeouts and a 2.30 ERA on the mound.

"We are very excited to have Preston in our program," Thomas said. "He is a very good freshman that we can add to the mix. With Preston being a two-way player that makes him even more valuable. He is going to pitch a lot. He threw a lot for us in the fall. He is a three-pitch guy with an outstanding changeup, a good slider and has plenty of velocity.

"Preston is a competitor and a good athlete. I don't know what role he will be in going into the season. We are going to start him at the beginning of the year, but I know he can pitch in a variety of roles, but he will definitely throw a lot as a freshman. He will also possibly be in the middle of our order as a hitter."

Walker had a dominating senior campaign striking out 55 with a perfect 6-0 record and a miniscule 0.43 ERA. He earned District Pitcher of the Year honors and helped Midway HS to a 23-5 overall record.

"Brody could be one of our top starters," Thomas said. "The sky is the limit for him. He has plenty of velocity, he is a big kid with long arms and is a little bit raw but really learned as the fall went along. He is the kind of player you want in your program because his up-side is about as good as anyone on our pitching staff. We expect him to contribute a lot as a freshman."

One transfer who could be a wildcard for the Mavericks is junior Josh Christenson (Humble, Texas - Richland College). After helping lead Richland College to a national championship during his freshman season, Christenson had a solid sophomore campaign before heading to UTA this past fall. Christenson sat out much of the fall season with an arm injury and if healthy could prove to be a pitcher who logs a lot of innings in 2010.

"Josh Christenson was a big recruit for us," Thomas said. "He has been injured and if he is able to get healthy he will really be able to help us on the mound. If he bounces back from his injury he has a lot of potential."

UT Arlington's bullpen returns one of the top closers in the SLC with Boydston and also returns lefties Brian Watson (1-1, 5.09, 20) and Mark Picca (0-1, 13.50, 7). The Mavericks have added plenty of depth to their bullpen, which lost seven seniors from a year ago.

Boydston came on the scene for the Mavericks and proceeded to lead the team with 38.1 relief innings in 2009. He was the stopper and the closer for UTA while retiring 21-of-29 first batters he faced and he allowed only three inherited base runners to score while leaving 15 stranded on base.

"Adam pitched a lot of big innings for us last year," Thomas said. "He helped us win a lot of games and was out there in some crucial situations, which should really help him this year. Now that doesn't mean Adam is going to be pitching strictly out of the bullpen this year. We are going to try and start him, but we do know we can count on him out of the bullpen."

Watson, who is one of only two seniors for UTA, was a key ingredient for the Mavs in 2009. He was third among Maverick relievers with 20 strikeouts and was solid against ranked opponents with a 2.84 ERA in 6.1 innings. Two of Watson's top performances came against No. 7 Baylor (4.0 IP, 5 K) and No. 25 Minnesota (W, 2.1 IP, 2 K).

"Brian Watson came out of the bullpen for us last year and really pitched well," Thomas said. "He is capable of eating up some innings for us again this season."

Picca, who won his first collegiate game as a freshman at Texas, returns for his junior season and will look to give the Mavericks another solid lefty out of the bullpen.

"Mark Picca got better this fall," Thomas said. "He struggled last year, but I expect him to come in and pitch for us and help us this year. As the fall went along I saw him go out there every time with more confidence and with a little more conviction."

Freshman Sam Hansen (Hewitt, Texas) and sophomore transfer Calan Pritchard (Fort Worth, Texas - Weatherford College) are two newcomers who the Mavericks are counting on for production in their bullpen.

"Pritchard is a walk-on pitcher that was better than what we were expecting in the fall," Thomas said. "He is the type of pitcher where if he throws strikes he will be very difficult to hit. His ball has life, has plenty of velocity and has a lot of movement. He is tough to hit when he is in the strike zone."

Hansen, who was high school teammates with Brody Walker at Midway HS, was a second team All-Conference pick his senior year while going 3-1 on the mound.

"We saw Hansen get a lot better on the mound during the fall," Thomas said. "I really think he can help us this spring. I see Sam pitching out of the bullpen for us all season."

Also looking for innings out of the Mavericks' bullpen will be right-handed pitchers Garrett Laird (Humble, Texas - North Central Texas College), Cody Wilson (Groesbeck, Texas - Hill JC) and Stephen Krolick (Keller, Texas) along with left-handers Kris Ashby (Mesa, Ariz.) and Jake Pinchback (Katy, Texas).

Chad Comer has started in 74 games during his two-year career and the redshirt junior had an impressive 2009 campaign with 42 hits, 15 doubles and 32 RBI. He was fourth on the team with eight multi-RBI games and he produced five go-ahead RBI and had two game-tying RBI. But it is defensively where Comer shines the most.

"Chad makes it easy on the coaches," Thomas said. "Having him behind the plate we don't have to worry about certain situations and handling the pitching staff. I know it sounds like a cliché, but he is a coach on the field for us.

"He handles the pitching staff well, he throws people out, he keeps the ball in front of him, he is accurate, he doesn't try to do too much, and he is just invaluable. He is going to be a very tough player to replace when he is out of here. He is the type of guy who came in and redshirted, paid his dues, and has gotten better every year he has been in the program. He is a very valuable part of what we are trying to do."

Vying for midweek duty for the Mavericks behind the plate will be redshirt senior Steffan Guest (.271, 2, 18 in 2008) and freshman Daniel Garcia (Arlington, Texas).

"I'm interested to see what Steffan can do physically," Thomas said. "He has been hurt since the day he got here with numerous injuries. But the more he caught this fall the better he got. We will see how his arm holds up and how healthy he can stay."

Three players are in the mix for the starting position at first base. It looks to be a tossup going into the season as to who the starter will be. The two returners who will be battling for the position are redshirt sophomore Jordan Vaughn (.000, 0, 2) and redshirt junior Shane Hopkins (.238, 0, 0 - before season-ending injury) and freshman Preston Beck will also be a top contender.

Hopkins is the only returning player who made a start at first base last season with six, but made his last start on March 6 before suffering a season-ending injury.

"We don't really know what we are going to do at first base going into the season," Thomas said. "We have three guys at that position with two left-handed hitters (Hopkins and Beck) and Vaughn, who bats from the right side. It is up in the air right now."

Also in that mix might be Bawcom, who the coaching staff feels might be the best defensive player in the group. Beck is a player who could see time at many defensive positions, but one thing will remain constant, his bat will be in the lineup.

"With Beck, we are going to try him at third base, first base and we will try him in left field," Thomas said. "We just need to find a spot that fits him best because we need his bat in the lineup."

The Mavericks led the Southland Conference in fielding percentage last season and it will have to be a new group of players if the Mavericks are to repeat as the SLC's top defensive unit.

Junior Jesse Payne (Carrollton, Texas - North Central Texas College) and freshmen Daniel Jordan (Wylie, Texas) and Cody Dyvig (Fort Worth, Texas) are the core of the middle infield group.

Payne batted .437 with 11 doubles and 27 RBI during his sophomore season at North Central Texas College in 2009 while Jordan was a three-time All-District selection in his prep career and Dyvig hit .422 with five home runs, 21 RBI and 14 stolen bases as a senior.

"I like the fact that we have three good middle infielder," Thomas said. "Two can play shortstop and two can play second base. Daniel Jordan and Jesse Payne were both solid defensively in the fall at shortstop, and Daniel and Cody Dyvig were both strong at second base.

"So we have three people that can play two spots. All three can play there and all of them will get a shot at those positions and we will just see what our rotation will be there."

Junior Brian Nephew (Arlington, Texas - McLennan CC) and Beck will battle for the starting spot at the hot corner after the three players who patrolled third base last season all graduated.

Nephew had two strong seasons at Texas junior-college powerhouse McLennan CC. He helped lead his team to a third-place Regional Tournament finish while batting .340 with 15 doubles, seven home runs and 50 RBI in 2009. He crushed six home runs and drove in 35 RBI as a freshman. Nephew was an All-Conference selection his sophomore season.

"Brian Nephew could be a middle of the order hitter for us," Thomas said. "He is a good leader and brings a good bat to our lineup. He is a good baseball player.

"Preston Beck will also push for playing time at third base. Brian is a little ahead defensively, but offensively the sky is the limit for Preston, he has a chance to really hit."

Thomas knows lack of experience is an issue for his young infield group, but he likes what he sees when it comes to making out a lineup.

"I liked when we scrimmaged in the fall and split up our middle infielders that defense was never an issue. Offense comes around with experience, but sometimes defense doesn't. It was a good sign seeing how well we played at those positions defensively. I'm excited to have all of them for the next couple of years."

Not only is Michael Choice the top returning player for the Mavericks, he is arguably the top returning player in the Southland Conference and one of the top returning players in the country. In fact, one publication has Choice listed as the No. 13 ranked player in the nation in a top 100 projected players list.

Choice has enjoyed unparalleled success in his brief UTA career, one that no player in UTA history has ever been able to match following their first two collegiate seasons. He became the first player in school history to play for Team USA, and he followed with a .350 batting average with three home runs and 13 RBI while being named to the World Baseball Challenge All-Tournament team with the top returning collegiate players in the nation.

He has ranked in the top five in the SLC in batting during both his freshman and sophomore seasons, and his freshman batting average of .376 was a UTA freshman record.

Choice collected 30 multi-hit games in 2009 and enters the 2010 season with a career best 12-game hit streak. He was second on the team with 25 two-out RBI and his 13 infield base hits led the team. He also led the team with a .427 average with runners on base and hit a team-high .467 (35-for-75) with runners in scoring position.

"He is definitely the face of the program," Thomas said of his center fielder. "He is going to be the middle of the order hitter for the third year in a row and will be our main RBI guy and the guy we look to.

"I'm not worried about him producing I'm worried about the guys around him producing," Thomas said. "That is what we had last year and that is what made Michael successful. We had a couple of hitters step up and get better around him and I think we will this year too. Who that will be, I don't know, I couldn't have predicted it last year either. But it is going to be exciting to see his junior year, but it is also going to be exciting to see some people playing well around him also."

Two newcomers that are looking to crack the Mavs' starting lineup are Bryant Lopez (Copperas Cove, Texas - North Central Texas College) and Nick Orr (Mesa, Ariz. - Mesa CC), who are both junior-college transfers that had strong fall seasons.

"A couple of very good defensive players are Bryant Lopez and Nick Orr," Thomas said. "They both run really well and both are top of the order hitters. Bryant is a right-handed hitter and Orr bats left. They are both very good defensively and have a chance to hit in the one and two spots in our order."

The Mavericks also have options in right and left field with redshirt sophomore Eric Wright (.188, 1, 3) and freshmen Jake Pinchback and Taylor Mabra (Mansfield, Texas).

Wright was the top hitter off the bench for the Mavericks in 2009 going 3-for-8 in pinch-hitting opportunities. His first career home run came in a ninth-inning pinch hitting appearance on the road against Louisiana-Monroe.

"Eric Wright is back and he had a good fall swinging the bat and is an option in left field," Thomas said. "Taylor Mabra is a freshman that got better and better and better in the fall and he is a right-handed hitter. Jake Pinchback is a left-handed hitter that had a good fall and will play some outfield and also pitch in relief for us."

David Walsh (Coppell, Texas) is another talented newcomer who could be a valuable asset to the Mavericks offense if he is able to come back from his shoulder surgery which sidelined him all fall.

"David Walsh was a big recruit for us," Thomas said. "If he is healthy he could step in and help us offensively this season. We just need to be careful with him and not rush him back."