Spring in College Station means more than just Ring Dance and Final Review; it signals another chance for the Texas A&M softball team to capture a Big 12 Championship.
With five all-conference players returning for the No. 17 ranked Aggies, Head Coach Jo Evans maintains high hopes for this season, her eighth at the helm.
“We are as athletic as we have ever been,” she said. “I certainly expect us to be battling for a Big 12 championship.”
The Aggies will begin their 2004 campaign against the University of North Texas at 5 p.m. in College Station this Wednesday at the Carolyn and Jack Little ’60 Athletic Complex.
The Aggies are coming off a successful 38-22 season that ended in a heartbreaking loss to perennial power house University of Arizona in the NCAA Regional Finals.
The Wildcats later went on to finish with a tie for fourth in the Women’s College World Series.
The team carries the mutual feeling that this could be the year for a Big 12 crown. Junior infielder and team co-captain Adrian Gregory said she has high expectations for this year’s squad.
Winning the Big 12,” Gregory said. That’s the main goal right now.”Senior pitcher and co-captain Lindsay Wilhelmson added her high hopes for the future.
“We are expecting everything,” she said. “There is no reason why we shouldn’t get to the World Series.”
With energy running high in the Aggies clubhouse, you can expect this season to play out exactly the way Evans predicted.
She said that, unlike the Aggies, high-ranking Oklahoma and Nebraska lost key players after last season.
“A lot of the teams are doing some rebuilding,” Evans said. “I expect big things from us.”
Evans remained positive about the spirit and integrity of her team, despite what could be seen as a disappointment by some.
“I think (last season) was a success,” Evans said. “We had disappointing losses, but we never folded up the tent.”
The Aggies’ opener with the UNT, a first-year program, should provide fans with a chance to see some exciting softball and an Aggie victory.
“We played them in the fall,” Wilhelmson said. “We hit really well, we played great defense, we aren’t expecting anything less than a win.”
One thing remains constant amongst the players and coaches alike: the much needed and deserved support from students.
“This year has been huge in every sport. Attendance records have been set, come help us break ours,” Gregory said.
Evans looks to the student body to venture into new territory, beyond the larger baseball stadium.
“Jump on board! We really need that energy in the stands. Come out and support your fellow students,” she said. “Let’s set some records over here across the street. Come out and give us that home field advantage that every