No. 4 Texas A&M made its debut in the top five of the most recent national poll after a series victory over No. 6 LSU. The Aggies (27-3) will now travel to Athens, Georgia, for their first SEC road series to face the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs.
This past weekend the Aggies opened their SEC schedule with LSU visiting College Station. In the opening game of the series, senior outfielder Cali Lanphear hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to put A&M in the lead. Lanphear said that the early home run really helped the team relax and play their game and hopes the momentum will continue through this weekend and their season.
“The home run came in the first inning so I think that was a good way to open, it set the tone on how the series was going to be played,” Lanphear said. “I hope that I can personally do that again for the team.”
Freshman Samantha Show, who leads the nation in victories with 16, said that the victory over No. 6 LSU was a confidence builder. Show said that the best thing about being able to defeat a higher ranked opponent is the experience the team gains about its ability on the field as a unit. This confidence, Show said, should translate into this weekend’s matchup and only continue to grow.
“One thing coach Rhi, our pitching coach, tells me is to keep wins and strikeouts against good batters in my back pocket as a reminder to give me confidence,” Show said. “This win gave us the confidence to know that we can defeat higher ranked opponents, but we also have to have fun and stay loose.”
With the majority of her team being led by underclassmen, Texas A&M head coach Jo Evans said she is excited for the matchup with the Bulldogs, who have a strong and experienced team. Evans said that she constantly reminds her team of the importance to stay level-minded amidst the high rankings and success.
“I tell them to stay calm, I think it’s important not to get too high or too low,” Evans said. “Those were great wins that we had, but we’re going to have to really buckle down and play well to beat Georgia.”
The series opener is set to begin Friday at 5 p.m. at the Georgia Softball Stadium in Athens, Georgia.
