No. 4 Texas A&M softball has exceeded all preseason expectations thus far, posting a 31-5 record and outperforming its opponents 53-7 in the last five games. The Aggies are headed east to face No. 16 Georgia, with the Bulldogs leading the all-time series 7-19.
In conference play A&M is 6-3, dropping two games to then-No. 3 Florida and one to then-No. 24 Alabama. The Aggies took care of business against then-No. 22 Auburn with an away series sweep as well as winning the series over Alabama.
Despite being ranked No. 16, Georgia is on a two-game losing streak, posting a 4-8 SEC record thus far. The Bulldogs are coming off their away series against the Crimson Tide in which they dropped the series, 1-2.
Key players
The Aggies have found a spark in junior right fielder Amari Harper during SEC play, with Harper batting .600 off of 15 at-bats.
“It gives me more confidence knowing like I have great batters behind me and in front of me,” Harper said following her outstanding performance against LMU.
The California native had a monstrous outing against Auburn earlier this year, recording five hits, five RBIs and two home runs to lead the Aggies to a sweep over the Tigers. While Harper did not begin consistently starting or playing until the series against Auburn, she has truly proved to be the right woman for the job.
The Bulldogs are led in SEC play by junior infielder Tyler Ellison, who currently leads the team in batting average and runs, .375 and 8, respectively. The Bulldogs have struggled in SEC play, posting a 4-8 record. They have lost every SEC series they have played in — Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU and Alabama — but have taken one game from each of them.
Notable matchups
A notable common game for both A&M and Georgia is Alabama. The Bulldogs are coming off a losing series against Alabama, while the Aggies won their series a week ago. In the Aggies’ loss against Alabama, they struggled with “miscues and didn’t get the big hit when [they]needed the big hit,” according to coach Trisha Ford. In their two wins against Alabama, hitting was strong and led by sophomore first baseman Mya Perez and graduate designated player Mac Barbara, going back-to-back with home runs.
In the Bulldogs lone win against the Tide, they were able to get base runners on and back home safely due to three errors from the Tide. The Bulldogs scored two unearned runs in the game, sending them to a 4-3 victory over the Tide. In their losses, pitching seemed to be the problem. The Bulldogs gave up two home runs, for four total runs — a deficit they could not come back from.
Strengths and weaknesses
The Aggies have been extremely successful on offense this season, batting a team average .310, with 45 runs off of 71 hits in SEC play. A&M has also knocked six balls out of the park, thanks to Harper, Barbara, Perez and freshman second baseman KK Dement.
Pitching has been an issue a few times for the Aggies, especially in their first SEC series against Florida, in which they lost the series 2-1. In one of those losses, the Aggies gave up four early runs off of junior right-handed pitcher Grace Sparks, who had been phenomenal all season. Sparks only got through 0.1 inning, before Ford looked to the bullpen to switch something up. As Ford shuffled through the bullpen, the Aggies only recorded three strikeouts compared to four walks.
The Bulldogs have also had a few ups and downs, as all teams do, their best performance being against then-No. 3 LSU, in which they won 11-3, in part due to an absolute bomb from freshman utility Mua Williams.
The Bulldogs have had issues staying consistent throughout conference play, as they have yet to win a series against an SEC foe despite fleeting moments of offensive brilliance against LSU. For this Georgia team to compete with the Aggies, they must play their dominant game through all seven innings.
