UT Arlington softball is set to step on to the new Allan Saxe Field for the first time on Thursday night against Incarnate Word at 7 p.m. to begin the Maverick Invitational.
The 622-seat facility has been a momentum builder for the Mavericks program and has been a long time coming to begin building a home field advantage for UTA.
"It is going to be a pretty amazing thing for these young ladies," UT Arlington coach Kristie Fox said. "They have been waiting for this for quite awhile. The alumni of the past have been waiting for this dream to come true. We have to come out and make a statement. We are waiting for a few things to finish up to really have the home field advantage. I think this weekend is really going to help us start to know our own field."
A big part of the team 's successful opening to the season was producing 30 runs in five games to help the Mavs to a 4-1 start. Mya Anderson launched three homers and the team had five overall.
Fox said that having someone like Anderson in the lineup has helped take pressure off of the rest of the hitters to produce.
"Having someone that can change the game with one swing of the bat is a big thing in our game of softball," Fox said. "So many of our games are one or two run deficits and having someone that can change that in one swing is a big deal. We have a few girls that can do that."
The Mavericks had three that had six hits or more to open the campaign. Senior Nina Villanueva opened with a team-leading seven hits at the Tangi Tourism Lion Classic. Anderson, and freshman Sandra Mendoza, who each had six, joined Villanueva.
Villanueva said that a big part of what she is looking for in this weekend 's home opener is the atmosphere that the senior has yet to be able to be a part of on her own field.
"It will be awesome," Villanueva said. "With the new stands we hope that we will have a lot more people here and that everyone can show up here."
Villanueva, who led the team last season in batting average and home runs, enjoys having someone like Anderson around her in the lineup to help build confidence for those around her.
"She definitely helps out a lot," Villanueva said. "This weekend we are playing better teams so we just have to keep working hard and hopefully come out with wins."
From San Diego, Calif., Villanueva said what she was looking forward to most in her last home opener was getting to have her family watch her play.
The Mavericks continue play on Friday when it takes on Incarnate Word at 5 p.m. UTA takes on Buffalo to conclude Friday play at 7 p.m. On Saturday, UTA will take on Big 10 power Ohio State in the team 's only game at 5 p.m. and conclude play on Sunday against Sam Houston State.
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