If road games are supposed to toughen up a team, consider the No. 23 Texas A&M softball team as tough as they come. The softball players have become road warriors as they have been on a month-long odyssey across the country, playing tournaments on both coasts.
But this weekend the Aggies will finally return to the Aggie Softball Complex. Although returning home will be nice for the Aggies (21-11), there will be no rest for the weary as the No. 5 University of Nebraska Cornhuskers come calling this weekend. A two-game series between the teams begins Saturday at 2 p.m. and ends Sunday at 1 p.m.
Overall, the Aggies went 9-5 on the road, going 5-2 in the first half of the trip and 4-3 in the second half, including losing two games in a row in the Blue and Gold Classic.
The Aggies also played a doubleheader against Texas Tech University before coming home, splitting the doubleheader 1-4 and 10-1. The Aggies simply couldn’t get their offense going in the first game, managing only one run when freshman Kristin Gunter knocked in sophomore second baseman Adrian Gregory in the top of the sixth inning. But in the second game, the Aggies finally found their groove, jumping to an 8-1 lead by the top of the fourth, led by senior outfielder Cheryl Fowler and senior shortstop Crystal Martin, who each hit home runs to help seal the win for the Aggies.
The Aggies need to be ready for the Huskers this weekend if they expect to get off to a good start in Big 12 play, and nobody knows that better than Aggie Head Coach Jo Evans.
“Nebraska is a great team, and they are ranked in the top five,” Evans said. “They were the preseason pick to win the Big 12, and their record reflects that. Junior pitcher Peaches James throws a good drop ball, and she really keeps the ball down. Also, they have a freshman phenom in Summer Tobias, who throws agreat change-up. We saw her a lot on the recruiting trails, but we have yet to face her in a game.”
Meanwhile, Nebraska (18-4) will also be coming off of its first conference games as the Huskers opened conference play with a doubleheader in Lincoln against No. 3 University of Oklahoma on Thursday. The Huskers have been on a tear lately, defeating No. 9 Cal State-Fullerton on March 14 to gain the best 20 game start in school history. The Huskers are led by strong pitching from James and Tobias and by senior left fielder Lisa Wangler who currently has a blistering .395 batting average. Although the Huskers are currently riding high, games with the Aggies in the past have been hotly contested.
“There is a great friendly rivalry between Nebraska and A&M, and many games in the past have come down to the wire,” said Nebraska Head Coach Ronda Revelle. “A&M has had some close losses they wish that they could redo, and so do we. (Former Nebraska Athletic Director) Bill Byrnes has gone 5-0 against Nebraska since he’s been at A&M, and there is a lot of pressure to keep a perfect record. We will be looking to change that.”
The Aggies will have two more home games before hitting the road again when Sam Houston State University comes to College Station for a doubleheader on Wednesday with the first pitch at 5 p.m.
Softball team hosts No. 5 Nebraska
March 21, 2003
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