The Texas A&M softball team will take on the Galveston College Whitecaps in a doubleheader on Thursday. First pitch is at 4 p.m. at the Aggie Softball Complex, with Game 2 set for 6 p.m.
“I’m happy with the way we’ve been playing,” A&M head coach Jo Evans said. “I just want to continue to just get better and better.”
A&M is undefeated in its fall exhibition slate, with shutout wins over Blinn College and Temple College. The Aggie pitching trio of Lexie Smith, Hannah Mayo and Maddie MacGrandle allowed only two hits in 14 innings to clinch the 9-0 and 11-0 victories over Temple on Tuesday.
“Our pitchers are throwing well and I expect them to continue on that path,” Evans said. “The pitching staff as a whole has been impressive. They’ve really shut down our opponents.”
In both games against Temple, the Aggies got off to a fast start, taking an 8-0 lead after just two innings.
The Aggies notched double RBIs in Game 2, with Ashley Walters leading Erica Russell and Kristen Cuyos. Walters also posted two RBIs in Game 1 and Riley Sartain added a double RBI of her own to secure the 9-0 Game 1 victory for the Aggies.
“We’ve got a bunch of kids who are hitting well,” Evans said. “Ashley Walters, Sarah Hudak, Keeli Milligan and Blake-Ann Fritsch are stepping up.”
In addition to the offensive success, Evans said she is also happy with the play of her defense.
“We haven’t made any errors,” Evans said. “We’ve played really flawless on the field.”
Though the team is young, with eight freshmen and five sophomores making up over half of the team, Evans is confident in their ability to gain confidence in their game.
“My main focus right now is having those players gain some experience, just be more confident at the plate, play a little bit looser,” Evans said. “I think when you’re in your very first opportunities to play and you’ve been waiting to get that uniform on for years, it can be a bit overwhelming, and so it’s really important to get those youngsters comfortable and confident.”