Shorthorn Sports

Behind the signage of logos, sponsors and partners on Globe Life Field’s outfield is Brian Nephew’s team. The Arlington native and lifelong Texas Rangers fan said he got lucky in landing his current position. As a UTA alumnus and vice president of partnerships for the Rangers, Nephew is a true American Dream City product. After starting in ticket sales almost a decade ago, Nephew now oversees the team’s day-to-day sales efforts and partnerships with nearly 200 brands, including Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, SeatGeek and Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company, who own the naming rights to the Rangers’ home ballpark. “I just fell in love with [baseball], probably just early on,” he said. “I just loved watching the Rangers growing up and turning on Sunday Night Baseball at home and watching all the pro teams, but specifically the Rangers.” He credits his time playing baseball at UTA for teaching him lessons not only in the sports industry but in life in general. It’s no secret what the 2023 World Series run meant for Rangers fans and the City of Arlington. Capturing its first championship in franchise history, the team ended its drought of being the MLB’s oldest organization without a title. Nephew called the championship run the best month of his life. “It was my professional and my personal career, my lives kind of crashing,” he said. “A decade with the team and being in Arlington my whole life, it was unbelievable.” The run has set even higher expectations for Nephew and the rest of the organization. “The easy way to put it is that the expectations now after winning the World Series in ‘23 is that we want to be a top five franchise in Major League Baseball,” he said. However, the Rangers face a unique challenge in achieving so. As of March 2025, the team ranks as the 12th most valuable MLB franchise, according to Forbes. Although Arlington is a hub for sports entertainment, most teams ahead of them are considered “major markets”: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia to name a few. Being neighbored with the most valuable in all sports, the Dallas Cowboys could also be a challenge for the Rangers. Nephew credits his time playing baseball at UTA for teaching him lessons not only in the sports industry but in life in general. Ray Casas, Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation community impact director, said he and Nephew take a lot of pride in being UTA alumni. “Growing up with the Rangers in our backyard, going to college at UTA and then getting to win a World Series ring, it’s pretty special,” Casas said. K.J. Hendricks, Los Angeles Angels scout and former UTA baseball player, served as Nephew’s assistant coach for his junior and senior seasons. Unlike Nephew, Hendricks was drafted to the MLB in 2002 and spent six seasons in the minor leagues. However, Nephew’s senior season had teams looking in his direction. In 2011, Nephew was selected to the All-Southland Conference second team in his senior season at UTA. On the mound, he played as a third baseman and was a strong hitter, finishing fourth in the regular conference that season with a .356 batting average. He also recorded 31 RBIs and led the Mavericks with 105 total bases. Playing professional baseball was always his goal, but not being drafted was a wake-up call. Despite not making the MLB, Nephew said everything worked out for the best. “Closing that chapter and going to the next corporate life kind of turned the page to make some money and get out of debt and all that stuff,” he said. “That was a big impact, it kind of changed my life.” Despite his talent, Hendricks best remembers Nephew for his leadership on and off the field. “The biggest thing that doesn’t do justice when you look at the stats with Brian is he was a good team leader. He galvanized guys, he brought good energy,” Hendricks said. “You've got to have those good locker room guys to help push the others forward and hold them accountable and encourage them and do all those things. Brian did a lot of those naturally.” Nephew’s principles as a teammate have carried into his future, regarding how he runs operations and treats his team. Nephew hopes to spend his entire career with the Rangers, the organization that has meant so much to him and his family. He met his wife, Bethany Nephew, during his tenure with the team and the pair have a son, Madden Nephew. She works with Casas, serving as the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation foundation event director. “The most important thing that I’ve learned is, now that I’m in a leadership role, just being vulnerable, being able to be a good teammate and be accountable for your colleagues,” he said. “If you do that, then everything else will take care of itself.” @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

With the semester winding down, softball, baseball and track and field look to finish their regular seasons strong. Here is the schedule for Tuesday through May 5. Baseball UTA baseball looks to continue its success against Texas Christian University at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas. The Mavericks defeated the Horned Frogs earlier in the season 6-4. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+. The team will then prepare for a three-game series against conference foe Utah Valley University starting 6 p.m. Friday at Clay Gould Ballpark. The series will continue 2 p.m. Saturday with the finale at noon Sunday. Softball The softball team will finish its regular season with a three-game series against Seattle University at Allan Saxe Field. The series will start with a doubleheader at 3 and 5:30 p.m. Friday and the finale will take place noon Saturday. All games will be available to stream on ESPN+. Track and field Track and field will compete in the TCU Horned Frog Invitational on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas as its final meet before Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. @tdreevess sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The Arlington Renegades (3-2) took on the DC Defenders (4-1) on Sunday in a deciding game for first place in the United Football League. Arlington lost 37-33. Quarterback Luis Perez threw a 63-yard touchdown to wide receiver Deontay Burnett. The Renegades would score a field goal, gaining an 11-0 lead. Arlington scored four times on their first five drives, with three touchdowns and a field goal. But cracks began to show in the second half as offense couldn’t keep up with the Defenders. “You gotta give their coaching staff and players credit for making plays and hanging in there to give their self a chance to come back,” Renegades head coach Bob Stoops said. At the start of the third quarter, D.C. led a comeback attempt to stop Arlington and score a touchdown, bringing the game within seven points. Both teams traded scores repeatedly before the quarter ended with the Renegades leading by eight going into the fourth. Defensive end Chris Odom said the team’s defense will need to improve its play in the future. “That’s not our standard,” Odom said. “That’s not the best of our abilities that we’ve been playing the last four weeks. We’ll watch the film and clean it up.” After two Renegades field goals, D.C. brought the game within three points with a touchdown and a successful conversion attempt. The Defenders got the ball back with two minutes left in the fourth quarter in a drive that would decide the game. D.C. would score a touchdown and get a successful one-point conversion to go up 37-33 with 57 seconds left in the game. Arlington went down the field on their last possession, but after Perez was intercepted with 10 seconds left, the game was sealed. “We got to make sure we stay locked in above the neck and make sure we do our part,” he said. Perez finished the game with 268 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. Running back Kalen Ballage had 79 yards on 10 attempts with one touchdown run. The Renegades will hit the road for their next game 7 p.m. Friday against the St. Louis Battlehawks. @wall035203 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Kara Dill, UTA softball head coach, will join the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s coaching staff for its inaugural season. Launching in June, four teams will play 24 games in the professional women’s softball league. Athletes Unlimited is an organization dedicated to empowering women’s sports. The league also partnered with ESPN to stream at least 18 games. Amid the rising popularity of women’s sports, the new league will allow softball players to play professionally without traveling overseas. “I don’t think it’s a question that people think softball players deserve a chance to continue playing at the pro level,” Dill said. “They haven’t even reached the peak of their athleticism by the time they graduate.” Currently in her third season at the helm for UTA softball, Dill will serve as the associate head coach for team Blaze. She said she will be responsible for managing its matchups and rotations. Having prior coaching experience in a professional softball league, Dill said she has seen what the sport has to offer for athletes. She credits the relationships she’s made for the opportunity to coach in the league. The league plans on expanding into a city-based league in 2026, creating home bases for each team. In its inaugural season, teams Blaze, Bandits, Talons and Volts will travel to 10 cities to play games, including Seattle, Chicago and Austin, Texas. Accepting the position comes with a sacrifice for Dill. Traveling with the league means she’ll be away from UTA during the summer, which is prime recruiting time. However, Dill said she will continue recruiting with the help of her staff. “It wouldn’t be something that I would do if it was going to pull away from UTA or my job here or my athletes here,” Dill said. “They are my number one priority, so having an opportunity where both things can work together is really a dream come true.” Dill hopes the opportunity can help her as a coach while establishing a legacy and said she understands the weight of being a part of something that hasn’t been done before. “Understanding, ‘How can I contribute to the sustainability of this league?,” she said. “I think that will be something that will be really impactful for me and for the summer.” @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu