Continuing its trend of consecutive tournament appearances, No. 19 Texas A&M softball will travel down Highway 21 for the San Marcos Showdown, where it will face Tarleton State and Texas State in the city known for its cool rivers, endemic salamanders and Lyndon Baines Johnson.
The Maroon and White won’t receive any presidential pardons here, however, for they will be the target of two programs searching for their signature win against a ranked opponent, namely the Texans who are yet to win against a top-25 team.
The hosting Bobcats begin their third-straight home turf defense with a 12-7 record, after previously dispatching then-No. 18 Clemson at their States Up Invitational. However, the Aggies pose a unique challenge as sophomore left-handed pitcher Kate Munnerlyn is coming off pitching the first perfect game for A&M in over 20 years against Kennesaw State.
The Bobcats have an experienced arm on the mound as well, with junior LHP Madison Azua taking care of business as the starter for the hosting squad. In 15 appearances, Azua has accrued an 8-6 record with 71 strikeouts and maintained a 2.39 ERA.
Texas State will be well-armed to face its in-state foes, as senior infielder Aiyana Coleman leads her squad with a whopping .439 batting average, paired with 18 hits and 16 RBIs. The Aggies, too, have themselves a prized slugger in junior designated player Mya Perez, whose 21 RBIs are second on the team and 10th in the Southeastern Conference.
Even more efficient in bringing runners home is senior first baseman Micaela Wark, a transfer from Oklahoma State who has made her presence known since coming to College Station. In her limited action with the Maroon and White, Wark has belted a team-leading 29 RBIs, while also leading A&M in home runs with nine.
Apart from Perez and Wark, sophomore catcher Ariel Kowaleski and senior second baseman Tallen Edwards have provided a strong fielding percentage while defending within the circle, while also providing 30 RBIs. As a unit, A&M has maintained a .965 percentage as discipline has been the key to head coach Trisha Ford’s recent success in her limited time at the helm of the program.
What was slated to be a back-to-back doubleheader weekend was shortened due to inclement weather, as the Aggies initially had two matches scheduled against the Texans and the Saint Francis Red Flash but will now have just a single doubleheader versus Tarleton and Texas State on their brief business trip.
While the Aggies still have their tournament hopes building in the early season, their near-immortality has diminished since the loss of key starters like former LHP Emiley Kennedy led to six ranked losses.
Even so, performances like Munnerlyn’s perfect game gave hope that A&M is on the come-up, which must be proven against formidable opponents such as Tarleton. Entering the tournament with a 14-7 record, the Texans have sophomore C Macie Vickers carrying the load of their offense with her 27 hits and 28 RBIs charging the battery of a purple and white machine.
Tarleton has been incredibly efficient in neutral-site games, racking up a 6-1 record when sitting in the gray area between home and away. When Vickers isn’t getting the ball in play, freshman OF Mikayla Wilson wastes no time since coming up from the prep level, as her 18 RBIs come second on the Texans’ squad.
The Aggies, on the other hand, have had no such luck in the same situations, going 6-5 in neutral-site games, with each of those losses coming against ranked opponents. Nevertheless, A&M has the pieces necessary to make a deep postseason run if its bats stay on fire, most especially from senior third baseman Kennedy Powell, whose .475 batting average has had opposing squads fearing her efficiency on the plate.
With two games up, Ford will have a test in store for her Aggies as SEC play lingers just over the horizon. A&M will begin its doubleheader against Tarleton on Friday, March 6, with first pitch set for 11 a.m.
