Texas A&M softball drops hard-fought series to nation's top-ranked team; Future outlook is bright for Trisha Ford's squad
After taking game one of the regional against the rival Texas Longhorns, the top-ranked softball team in the nation, Texas A&M softball fell in two hotly-contested matchups on Saturday and Sunday, ending the Aggies' season. Both games involved late comebacks by the Aggies, who forced extra innings in game 2 and nearly did the same in game 3.
One hell of a season 👍
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) May 27, 2024
Loved sharing it with the 12th Man 🫶#GigEm pic.twitter.com/mcHyDFEex4
Though this was purportedly a super regional between the #1 and #16 teams in the nation, most thought that the Aggies were decidedly under-seeded so that these two teams would meet in the supers. For their quality as a team as well as their fight, these Aggies earned the respect of their opponents, without a doubt—not an easy thing to do when you're playing in as heated a rivalry as this one, no matter the sport.
#TAMU finished 3rd in the #SEC, which got 13 teams into the NCAA postseason. #Aggies were incredibly underseeded at 16.
— Chip Brown (@ChipBrown247) May 27, 2024
The committee screwed A&M with that 16 seed to put them in the same Super with Texas, which made for great action b/c both these teams should be in the WCWS. https://t.co/qOjrJDNCEB
So, what's next for these Aggies? You'd be hard-pressed to not project great things ahead for Trisha Ford's squad in the upcoming years. After only two seasons on the job, she got this program—moribund before her arrival—to take the top team in the nation to the brink of elimination on their home field.
The arrow for this Aggie softball program is only pointed up. It helps that you're playing a rival, of course, but the intrigue and interest level surrounding their play over this past stretch has been as high as I can remember it for the sport in College Station, as well as the larger fanbase.
You can build quickly in the modern era. Ford seems to have things moving in the right direction, and a few key transfers—like the kind her counterpart, Jim Schlossnagle, brought in—could go a long way. Who knows—maybe very soon, it'll be the Aggies hosting as the nation's top team.