The Texas A&M Athletics’ fall schedule is in full swing, and with that comes the beginning of the fall slate for A&M softball.
Signaling the spring season is right around the corner, the maroon and white continues its fall exhibitions on Wednesday, Oct. 20 in a doubleheader against the Temple College Leopards at Davis Diamond. Game 1 begins at 4 p.m., with Game 2 shortly after at 6 p.m.
Wednesday’s doubleheader marks Games 2 and 3 of the Aggies’ seven-game fall slate. The maroon and white fell to Texas 8-6 in a ten-inning exhibition on Oct. 17. Innings six through 10 of the matchup consisted of situational runner on-base scenarios. These scenarios gave the A&M hitters and fielders the opportunity to practice at-bats and fielding plays with runners on base.
The Leopards are coming off a 2021 season at 26-20 with a 21-12 mark in conference play. They proved successful offensively, with a team batting average of .319 and 49 total home runs.
In preparation for the 2022 season, A&M returns six of eight position player starters from a 2021 squad that finished 32-23 overall and 8-16 in Southeastern Conference play. The Aggies finished the season ranked 10th in conference play out of 13 schools.
Senior catcher Haley Lee returns as the undisputed leader of the A&M offense, having finished the 2021 season with a .422 batting average, 25 home runs and 51 runs batted in. Lee led the team in all three categories.
In addition, the offense is boosted by the return of senior two-way outfielder and pitcher Makinzy Herzog. Last season, the Florida State transfer ranked second on the team with a batting average of .354 and 13 home runs.
On the mound, the Aggies will bring back their two most experienced pitchers from the 2021 season: Herzog and graduate student Kayla Poynter. The duo each pitched over 100 innings and combined for 22 wins and 194 strikeouts.
A successful fall season will be key to the Aggies’ success come 2022. A&M is set to face 2021’s top three SEC teams -— Florida, Arkansas and Alabama — in the spring.
