After a weekend that saw the Bobcats go 2-1 against the James Madison Dukes, Texas State (23-7) now turns their attention to the Texas A&M Aggies (25-3) who come to San Marcos for a quick one game stop on Wednesday, March 20 at 6pm (CT). The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required).
The Bobcats and Aggies have played each other a total of 81 times with the Aggies up in the series, 70-11. The last time these two teams played each other was in the Austin regional in last year’s NCAA Tournament with the Aggies winning 4-2. The last time the Aggies came to San Marcos the Bobcats walked away with a 7-6 victory in the 2021 season.
The Bobcats moved up to #19 in the Softball America’s rankings this week, up from last week’s ranking of #24. The Aggies also moved up to #12 after being ranked #13 last week and went 2-1, just as the Bobcats did, last weekend against Mississippi State.
The Bobcats Ace on the mound is senior pitcher Jessica Mullins. She is 13-3 on the season with an ERA of 0.79 with 96 strikeouts in 97.1 innings pitched. Maddy Azua (4-3, 2.20 ERA, 39 strikeouts in 41.1 innings pitched) and Karsen Pierce (2-1, 1.84 ERA, 18 strike outs in 26.2 innings pitched) are also part of the regular rotation for the Bobcats.
The Bobcats are led offensively by Sara Vanderford who is hitting .353 with 23 RBI’s (team high), 30 hits, and a team leading 5 home runs. Other Bobcats to highlight are Ciara Trahan (.344, 11 RBI’s, and 31 hits), Hannah Earls (.363, 37 hits, and 20 runs scored), Anna Jones (.346, 18 RBI’s, 28 hits, and 1 home run), Karmyn Bass (.259, 22 RBI’s, and 22 hits), Piper Randolph (.308, 14 RBI’s,20 hits, and 2 home runs), and JJ Smith (.258, 18 RBI’s, 17 hits, and 4 home runs. Yes, I understand that I just highlighted seven offensive players but that is a testament to how this team has been playing all year. Anyone on the team can get hot and have contributed in various games to help the Bobcats pick up a win at some point.
The Aggies are coached by head coach Trisha Ford who has coached the team since the 2023 season. With the Aggies she has an overall record of 60-24. Per 12thman.com, Ford was one of three head coaches and the only Power 5 head coach to lead their team to the NCAA Tournament in year one at their current school in 2023.
The pitching staff for the Aggies is led by Emiley Kennedy who is 13-2 on the season with an ERA of 1.10 and 110 strikeouts in 89.1 innings pitched. Shaylee Ackerman (5-1, 1.98 ERA, 28 strikeouts in 35.1 innings pitched) and Emily Leavitt (5-0, 2.23 ERA, 31 strike outs in 31.1 innings pitched) are also part of the regular rotation for the Aggies.
The Aggies are led offensively by Jazmine Hill who is hitting .392 with 28 RBI’s, 29 hits, and 8 home runs. Other Aggies to highlight are Trinity Cannon (.347, 28 RBI’s, 25 hits, and 8 home runs), Allie Enright (.418, 27 RBI’s, 27 hits, and 6 home runs), and Julia Cottrill (.342, 23 RBI’s, 26 hits, and 6 home runs) to name a few. Much like the Bobcats, the Aggies have several players who have chipped in during the season to help them get victories.
Gameday Notes:
•Vandy Homer Watch: Sara Vanderford has 34 career home runs and trails Ariel Ortiz, who has 39, for all-time leader.
•Vandy RBI Watch: Vanderford has 161 career RBI’s and also trails Ariel Ortiz, who has 164, for all-time leader.
•Hannah Earls has 72 career stolen bases, which is currently third all time, and trails Haley Gaddis (79) and Kristen Zaleski (128) on the all-time career list.
•The Bobcats are 20-0 this season in games where they score 3 or more runs and they are 2-6 in games where they score 2 or less runs. In games where they score first, they are 18-2.
•The Aggies are currently on a 4-game winning streak against the Bobcats.
•In traditional away games the Aggies are 5-1 and they are 6-1 at neutral sites for a combined record of 11-2 away from Davis Diamond.
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