The Texas A&M softball team will take the field for its 17th time in 19 days against Houston at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Aggie Softball Complex.
The No. 22 Aggies (12-4) are riding a five-game winning streak heading into Wednesday’s clash with the Cougars, dispatching BYU, UCSB, Cal State Fullerton, Syracuse and Stanford at the Mary Nutter Classic.
Freshman Tori Vidales and Kristen Cuyos contribute for the middle of the lineup, accounting for eight home runs on the young season. A consistent face in the top of the lineup is senior Brittany Clopton, who has batted at the top of the order in every game this season, reaching base in all but four games.
The Cougars (7-11) have hit a rough patch to their season, losing five of their last six games.
Juniors Selena Hernandez and Courtney Klingler lead the Cougar offensive attack. Hernandez recently batted 7-for-15 with a double and a home run at the Hilton Houston Plaza Classic. Klingler leads the club with four home runs.
The mound for Houston is led by junior Julana Shrum and senior Summer Groholski, who both hold ERA’s under 3.5 on the season.
Senior Rachel Fox and junior Katie Marks have logged 11 wins in 16 games on the mound for the Aggies. Both Fox and Marks achieved season-highs in strikeouts last weekend, with Fox fanning 10 BYU batters and Marks putting away six Syracuse bats.
A&M leads the all-time series 16-6, but lost its most recent meeting with the Cougars 2-1 last April when the ball clubs met at the Cougar Softball Complex in Houston.
First pitch begins at 6 p.m.