No. 6 Texas A&M softball started the season with the expectation that it would be a contender in the Southeastern Conference and has not disappointed, boasting a 10-1 record. Through the Aggie Classic and Clearwater Invitational, the Aggies have dominated doubleheaders, four-day tournaments and ranked teams.
Coach Trisha Ford has had a stellar impact on the A&M softball program during her tenure, with an overall 79-36 record heading into this season. Ford led the Aggies to an astonishing 44-15 record in 2024, the most wins A&M has had in a season since 2017. Each season, Ford’s team gets better, and after last year’s Super Regional loss to Texas, that pattern could mean a Women’s College World Series bid.
The Aggies kicked off the season by hosting the Aggie Classic at Davis Diamond in front of a never-disappointing 12th Man. The homestand against Utah State, Purdue, then-No. 19 Baylor, Abilene Christian and Villanova was thrilling as the Aggies posted a 6-0 start to the season.
The grit and determination of the Maroon and White was on display as they took on Utah State for the first game this season in comeback fashion. With a sixth-inning offensive spark consisting of a pair of base hits and back-to-back-to-back home runs, the Aggies took the lead, setting the tone for the season and impressing the Davis Diamond crowd. Sophomore first baseman Mya Perez was the star of the show, going 3-for-4 at the plate and tallying four RBIs, a new career high.
Later in the evening, the Aggies carried their momentum into a 10-2 victory over Purdue, where the 12th Man saw senior left-handed pitcher Emiley Kennedy dominate on the mound. Recording eight strikeouts, Kennedy showed why she was selected to the 2025 USA Softball Top-53 Player of the Year watchlist.
Kennedy held the Boilermakers scoreless through three innings before giving up two runs late in the game. On the offensive side, the Aggies played lights out, recording 10 runs in three innings and were able to complete their first run-rule win of the season.
Baylor was next on the schedule as they faced their first ranked opponent of the year. The Bears got out to a five-run lead, giving the Aggies a true test of determination. The Maroon and White entered the fifth inning down 7-1, with only two innings left to complete the anticipated comeback. The grit of the Aggies led to seven unanswered runs that pushed them over the Bears, 10-7.
The young talent of freshman right-handed pitcher Sydney Lessentine is one to watch as the Fightin’ Famers continue their season. Lessentine earned her first collegiate start against Abilene Christian with nine strikeouts, which was the most by any starting freshman pitcher since 2016.
“[She] did a heck of a job,” Ford said after the ACU game. “ … It was nice to see her come out, pound the zone, really spin the ball in and out, good change up.”
The Aggies shut out the opponents in their last two games against Villanova and Purdue before heading into the Clearwater Invitational ranked No. 5 in the nation. On Thursday and Friday, A&M rolled past Wichita State and UCF, with a 9-1 victory in each. The real test came on Saturday with a top-10 matchup against then-No. 10 Oklahoma State.
The Maroon and White led the entire game before Oklahoma State found some resilience and battled back with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. 2024 All-Big 12 freshman INF Rosie Davis drove two runs in to make it a one-run game for the Cowgirls. The exclamation point was a walk-off home run by INF sophomore Karli Godwin, giving the Cowgirls the win and handing the Aggies their first loss of the season.
However, they quickly got back into the win column with victories against the University of Virginia and Charlotte. A&M moved down to No. 6 in the Division I Softball Rankings despite a 10-1 record.
Ford recruited an excellent freshman class that’s paying off, with right fielder Frankie Vrazel and second baseman KK Dement having played in all 11 games this season. Vrazel has not batted under .400 so far, with her most powerful performance being a .556 in the loss to Oklahoma State. She had season highs of three hits and three runs scored against Baylor, but she is still on the hunt for her first collegiate home run.
The other freshman sensation for the Aggies is Dement, who has been crucial to the Fightin’ Farmers. Dement has started each game this season, which was well deserved after being named the Tri-Country Conference-King’s Division Most Valuable Player her senior year of high school. Dement has two home runs on the season thus far, and it doesn’t look like she’s slowing down anytime soon.
The Aggies will head to Tallahassee, Florida for the JoAnne Graf Classic from Feb. 21-23 to face Florida A&M, No. 8 Florida State and Southeastern Louisiana.
