Friday, May 19
Austin, Texas
6:30 PM
Texas A&M
vs
Texas State
Photo by: Evan Pilat/Texas A&M Athletics
Texas A&M Opens NCAA Action Friday at Austin Regional
May 18, 2023 | Softball
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas A&M softball team opens NCAA play as the No. 2 seed in the Austin Regional against Texas State, Friday night at 6:30 p.m. at McCombs Field.
Fans can watch Friday's game on ESPN+ with Alex Loeb (play-by-play) and Cat Osterman (analyst) in the booth. Matt Simon brings the call on the 12th Man Mobile app or locally in the Brazos Valley on Gospel 97.3.
The winner of Texas A&M and Texas State will play the winner of the Texas vs. Seton Hall game on Saturday at 2 p.m., while the losers play at 4:30 p.m.
REGIONAL HISTORY/INSIDE THE SERIES
Texas A&M (33-19) is making its 21st straight appearance and 33rd appearance overall in the NCAA Tournament with an 89-71 record all-time. The Aggies are 68-11 all-time against Texas State (34-23-1) and 2-0 in regional play against the Bobcats. The two teams last met on April 19 this season as the Aggies run-ruled Texas State, 8-0, in six innings at Davis Diamond.
THE T-FORD EFFECT
Trisha Ford is 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. Other coaches include Trena Prater (Campbell) and Dedeann Pendleton-Helm (Northern Colorado). In her first year in Aggieland, Ford led Texas A&M to their most wins (33) in a regular season and most conference series wins (5) since 2018. Known across the nation as a pitching guru, the Aggie pitching staff has benefited with improvement in team ERA from 5.36 in 2022 to 4.31 in 2023 and K-to-BB ratio from 1.03 a year ago to 2.07 this season.
ON-BASE MACHINES
Trinity Cannon has reached base safely in 47-of-51 games this season, including the last 16, while Koko Wooley has reached base safely in each of the last 10 games. Cannon is batting .306 during the 16-game stretch and boasts an impressive .526 on-base percentage, including 15 walks and four hit-by-pitches, while owning a .556 slugging percentage with three home runs and 11 hits in 36 at-bats. Wooley is 18-for-38 (.474) in her last 10 games, including a .658 slugging percentage with two doubles, one triple, one home run and eight RBI, while scoring 13 runs.
THE CROWN JULES
Julia "Jules" Cottrill leads the Maroon & White in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.354), slugging percentage (.660), doubles (12), home runs (10), RBI (43) and total bases (95). The catcher has been nearly flawless behind the dish with a .992 fielding percentage, while allowing only four passed balls. Cottrill caught fire blasting two home runs in each of the bookend performances in the series win over Missouri April 28-30. In the opener she hit a pair of two-run home runs in the 6-2 win, followed by hitting two three-run dingers in the 11-4 victory. The junior earned D1 Softball and NFCA National Player of the Week honors. Cottrill became the first Aggie to receive a national weekly recognition since Tori Vidales on Feb. 20, 2018.
To learn more about Texas A&M softball, log on to 12thMan.com or follow @AggieSoftball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Fans can watch Friday's game on ESPN+ with Alex Loeb (play-by-play) and Cat Osterman (analyst) in the booth. Matt Simon brings the call on the 12th Man Mobile app or locally in the Brazos Valley on Gospel 97.3.
The winner of Texas A&M and Texas State will play the winner of the Texas vs. Seton Hall game on Saturday at 2 p.m., while the losers play at 4:30 p.m.
REGIONAL HISTORY/INSIDE THE SERIES
Texas A&M (33-19) is making its 21st straight appearance and 33rd appearance overall in the NCAA Tournament with an 89-71 record all-time. The Aggies are 68-11 all-time against Texas State (34-23-1) and 2-0 in regional play against the Bobcats. The two teams last met on April 19 this season as the Aggies run-ruled Texas State, 8-0, in six innings at Davis Diamond.
THE T-FORD EFFECT
Trisha Ford is 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. Other coaches include Trena Prater (Campbell) and Dedeann Pendleton-Helm (Northern Colorado). In her first year in Aggieland, Ford led Texas A&M to their most wins (33) in a regular season and most conference series wins (5) since 2018. Known across the nation as a pitching guru, the Aggie pitching staff has benefited with improvement in team ERA from 5.36 in 2022 to 4.31 in 2023 and K-to-BB ratio from 1.03 a year ago to 2.07 this season.
ON-BASE MACHINES
Trinity Cannon has reached base safely in 47-of-51 games this season, including the last 16, while Koko Wooley has reached base safely in each of the last 10 games. Cannon is batting .306 during the 16-game stretch and boasts an impressive .526 on-base percentage, including 15 walks and four hit-by-pitches, while owning a .556 slugging percentage with three home runs and 11 hits in 36 at-bats. Wooley is 18-for-38 (.474) in her last 10 games, including a .658 slugging percentage with two doubles, one triple, one home run and eight RBI, while scoring 13 runs.
THE CROWN JULES
Julia "Jules" Cottrill leads the Maroon & White in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.354), slugging percentage (.660), doubles (12), home runs (10), RBI (43) and total bases (95). The catcher has been nearly flawless behind the dish with a .992 fielding percentage, while allowing only four passed balls. Cottrill caught fire blasting two home runs in each of the bookend performances in the series win over Missouri April 28-30. In the opener she hit a pair of two-run home runs in the 6-2 win, followed by hitting two three-run dingers in the 11-4 victory. The junior earned D1 Softball and NFCA National Player of the Week honors. Cottrill became the first Aggie to receive a national weekly recognition since Tori Vidales on Feb. 20, 2018.
To learn more about Texas A&M softball, log on to 12thMan.com or follow @AggieSoftball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.