No. 11 A&M plays at No. 12 Bama; SEC softball leaders fall on Friday night (2024)

How well the Texas A&M softball team plays on the road in the next month will be vital in determining how long it could stay at Davis Diamond in the postseason.

The Aggies are ranked eighth in the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and are 10th in the NCAA’s Rating Percentage Index (RPI), which are both metrics the NCAA Softball Tournament Selection Committee will use in determining the 64-team field and its seeds. The top 16 seeds will have the chance to be regional hosts and the top 8 will have the chance to be super regional hosts. After a strong nonconference showing, A&M climbed inside the top 16 in both the KPI and RPI rankings. The Aggies opened Southeastern Conference play by winning eight of nine for the program’s best start since joining the league. A&M (31-8, 10-5) has positioned itself, barring a late-season collapse, to potentially host a regional for the first time since 2018 and a strong finish could make it a top 8 seed for the first time since 2008.

A&M will have quality opportunities to prove itself. The Aggies will be at 12th-ranked Alabama (29-8, 6-6) this weekend and they will conclude the regular season at ninth-ranked Florida (34-7, 9-3) on May 3-5. A&M is a combined 2-22 all time at those venues. A&M is 1-8 at Tuscaloosa, Ala., having lost six straight. The last time A&M went on the road, it was swept by LSU.

“I just think the big thing is our preparation for the week,” said A&M graduate center fielder Jazmine Hill.

Second-year head coach Trisha Ford swears her practices are harder than any game and the Aggies had extra work this week because the three-game series doesn’t start until 11:30 a.m. Saturday in the league’s featured series that’ll end with a Monday night game on the SEC Network. Saturday’s game and Sunday’s games both will be on ESPN2.

“I like [the schedule,] because we don’t have a midweek [game] , so you can spend all of your energy to focus on what we’re going to face,” Ford said. “I do like that piece. I think in this instance, it’s going to help us.”

A&M is coming off a 1-0 Sunday loss to Kentucky. The Aggies were denied a sweep, shooting out just two hits. A&M had but four base knocks in the opener, but rallied for a 5-4 victory. At LSU, the Aggies led every game heading into the fifth inning. A&M outhit LSU 18-15 for the series, but had only one extra base hit. It had only one homer against Kentucky, which had six.

Ford is optimistic that A&M is poised for a strong finish.

“I think we still have more in the tank,” she said. “I think there’s another gear. This is when you’re tired. You’re starting to get tired right now and we don’t have time for you to be tired. They’ll tell you they hate the saying [from me], but tired is a mental state. Tired is not physical. So at this time, right now, they’re tired mentally. How are we going to execute at a high level when you are quote, unquote, tired?”

A&M better be awake Saturday morning. Alabama’s Rhoads Stadium is one of the SEC’s toughest venues for opponents. The Crimson Tide is 671-119 (.849) at home under coach Patrick Murphy, who has made 14 trips to the WCWS, including last year. The Crimson Tide won the title in 2012 and was runner-up in ’14.

While she was the pitching coach at Stanford, Ford went to Alabama twice in the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinal was swept in the 2006 Tuscaloosa Regional, losing 8-7 in eight innings in the second game. Alabama beat Stanford in the 2011 super regionals. Stanford won the first game, but Alabama came back to win the second game via run-rule and eked out a 1-0 victory in the deciding game.

“I love it, it’s an exciting crowd,” Ford said. “It’s hostile. It’s all the things you would want in a home-field advantage to be. It’s probably what teams feel when they come and play in front of the 12th Man. But all of that’s good, it’s going to get us ready for the postseason. To me, there’s nothing better as an athlete competing and the crowd is silent. That is THE best feeling. We have an opportunity to go do that.”

Alabama had been scuffling until sweeping last-place Ole Miss (21-18, 3-12), outscoring the Rebels, 14-2. Alabama had lost series to Georgia, Florida and Kentucky. The Crimson Tide goes to 17th-ranked Arkansas next weekend and returns home to face fourth-ranked Tennessee.

“Last year at this time, we had the same record,” Alabama senior third baseman Bailey Dowling said.

The Crimson Tide opened the second half by sweeping Mississippi State en route to going 8-4 in the second half. It won two games at the SEC Tournament and then won regionals and super regionals.

“We need to protect our home turf and it starts Saturday against Texas A&M,” Murphy said.

This is Alabama’s softball alumni weekend with more than 180 players returning. A movie on Alabama’s national championship “BAMA SB” will debut on the SEC Network after Monday’s game. Alabama will show it on the video board following the game with fans allowed to sit on the field.

The top-ranked Arkansas baseball team is at Alabama this weekend and Alabama’s spring football game will be at 3 p.m. Saturday.

“The crowds are going to be incredible, we can’t wait,” Murphy said.

NOTES — The games will be broadcast on radio station KAGC (97.3 FM). … Alabama sophom*ore catcher Riley Valentine transferred from A&M. She’s batting .220 with two homers and 11 runs batted in. She caught all three games last weekend for the first time. She batted .188 last year for A&M with six homers and 20 RBIs.

A&M is hitting .313 to rank fourth in the SEC. Alabama is 10th at .278. A&M has 48 homers, 14 more than ‘Bama. A&M has 56 stolen bases, second to Florida. Alabama has 33.

Alabama’s 1.67 earned run average is second to Tennessee (1.29 ERA). A&M is at 2.20 ERA, which is fifth. Alabama’s key pitchers are graduate right-hander Kayla Beaver (13-3, 1.38 ERA, 109 IP, 118 Ks, 40 BBs), sophom*ore right-hander Jaala Torrence (7-3, 1.87 ERA, 45 IP, 48 Ks, 10 BBs) and freshman right-hander Jocelyn Briski (6-1, 2.35 ERA, 47.2 IP, 47 Ks, 17 BBs). … A&Mkey pitchers are junior left-hander Emiley Kennedy (15-6, 1.57 ERA, 124.2 IP, 134 Ks, 51 BBs), graduate right-hander Shaylee Ackerman (6-1, 2.58 ERA, 54.1 IP, 35 Ks, 24 BBs) and junior right-hander Emily Leavitt (8-1, 2.62 ERA, 45.1 IP, 50 Ks, 13 BBs). … Hill is batting .392 with 8 HRs, 32 RBIs followed by sophom*ore first baseman Amari Harper (.373, 7 RBIs), junior right fielder Allie Enright (.367, 8 HRs, 34 RBIs), junior shortstop Koko Wooley (.324, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 15 SBs, junior left fielder Kramer Eschete (.322, 1 HR, 11 RBIs), senior catcher Julie Cottrill (.303, 7 HRs, 29 RBIs), senior designated hitter Trinity Powell (.301, 15 RBIs), sophom*ore third baseman Kennedy Powell (.301, 15 RBIs) and senior second baseman Rylen Wiggins (.284, 8 HRs, 22 RBIs).

SEC title update. Odds are Tennessee (29-6, 10-2) or Florida (34-6, 9-3) will win the title after both won key series at home last weekend. Tennessee topped Georgia (31-8, 7-5) and the Gators took care of LSU (32-6, 9-6).

Tennessee getting the best of Georgia was impressive, considering it was without graduate outfielder Kiki Milloy. The All-American rolled an ankle in practice. She’s hitting .355 with nine homers, 20 runs batted in and 20 steals. Milloy set school records last year for homers (25), runs (86) and slugging percentage (.929).

Tennessee surprisingly in Game 2 started sophom*ore right-hander Charlie Orsini (2-0) instead of graduate Payton Gottshall who typically starts the second game. Orsini didn’t get an out of the second inning, giving up two runs. Gottshall relieved and allowed on hit in six innings, striking out seven with no walks. She was tagged with the loss because the Lady Vols tied the game at 2 and Georgia won on a homer, the lone hit allowed by Gottshall (13-3, 1.26 ERA) who along with Karyln Pickens (15-3, 0.81 ERA) are the league’s and one of the nation’s best 1-2 pitchers.

What a series. Florida came within a strike of sweeping LSU last weekend. But on the flip side, LSU came up an out short of taking the series.

Florida won the series Monday night with a 6-5 walk-off victory in the eighth inning on a throwing error by the catcher on a third strike with two outs. Florida tied the game at 5 with four runs in the sixth, all unearned and three of them with two outs. Florida’s lone earned run came in the first on three walks and a hit batter. LSU won Game 2, also in eight innings, 4-3. LSU tied it with two outs in the seventh on an extra base hit. The only “lopsided” game was Florida’s 4-2 victory in the opener.

Around the nation. The Texas Longhorns won back-to-back 2-1 games last weekend to take a series from the Big 12 Conference-leading Sooners (35-3, 13-2) for the first time since 2009.

UT snapped OU’s 40-game Big 12 winning streak on Saturday by ending the game by throwing out a runner at the plate. It also snapped OU’s 17-game winning streak. It was OU’s first Big 12 series loss since 2011.

Texas is at Baylor (22-14, 5-10) this weekend in a key series.

FRIDAY NIGHT SEC RESULTS

• No. 14 Arkansas 4, No. 25 South Carolina 3: COLUMBIA, S.C. – Robyn Herron (8-7) threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings for the Razorbacks (29-10, 8-5).

Riley Blampied had a two-run homer for the Gameco*cks (28-14, 4-9).

• No. 17 Mississippi State 9, No. 4 Tennessee 1: STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Bulldogs (29-10, 9-7) had four doubles in run-ruling a top 5 team for the first time.

MSU's Aspen Wesley pitched a two-hitter.

The Lady Vols (30-7, 10-3), who scored in the first inning, had a trio of errors.

• Auburn 3, No. 6 LSU 2: BATON ROUGE, La. – The Tigers (22-12-1, 4-9) scored single runs in the sixth and seventh to rally by LSU (32-7, 9-7).

Maddie Penta pitched two innings of relief with one hit, striking out four. Shelby Lowe pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up a two-run homer to Karli Petty.

• Kentucky 7, No. 8 Georgia 5: LEXINGTON, Ky. – Taylor Ebbs had a trio of hits, including a three-run homer for the Wildcats (25-14, 4-9) and Erin Coffel had a solo shot. Stephanie Schoonover threw her second straight complete game, throwing 153 pitches. The Bulldogs (32-9, 7-6) fell behind 6-0 in losing for the third time in their SEC last four SEC games.

• No. 15 Missouri 6, No. 9 Florida 3: COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Tigers didn’t have a hit in the first five innings, but used walks and hit batters to trail only 3-2. Missouri (32-10, 6-7) had three hits and two walks in the sixth to score four.

Maddie Gallagher capped the inning with a two-run single after Alex Honnold was hit by a pitch to make it 4-3. Marissa McCann (7-2) allowed only one hit in the last three innings.

Ava Brown hit a solo home run in the second to give the Gators (34-8, 9-4) a 2-0 lead.