Texas A&M Aggies
Overall Rank: #13
Conference Rank: #6 SEC
Texas A&M nearly made another appearance at the Women’s College World Series in 2018. The Aggies cruised through the College Station Regional and then nearly upset Florida in the Super Regionals. Texas A&M fell 5-4 in the first game against the Gators and then flipped that score in game two. The decisive game three was another very close contest, but Texas A&M missed out on their second straight trip to the WCWS.
2018: 44-18, 13-11
2018 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Jo Evans
Key Departed Players:
Sarah Hudek, OF, .363 BA, 8 HR, 33 RBI
Tori Vidales, IF, .350 BA, 14 HR, 62 RBI
Ashley Walters, C, .315 BA, 4 HR, 35 RBI
Keeli Milligan, OF, .307 BA, 8 RBI, 29 SB
Trinity Harrington, P, 2.10 ERA, 13-7 W/L, 143.1 IP, 91 SO
Samantha Snow, P, 2.24 ERA, 12-5 W/L, 103.1 IP, 75 SO
Key Returning Players:
Riley Surtain, IF, .281 BA, 11 HR, 36 RBI
Kelbi Fortenberry, OF, .331 BA, 11 RBI
Projection:
This will be a very different Texas A&M team. Gone are key pitchers Trinity Harrington and Samantha Snow and most of the top hitters. In the circle, Coach Jo Evans will look to transfer Kendall Potts to step into a big role right away. At Baylor in 2016, Potts had a great sophomore campaign, posting a 1.93 ERA and a 13-1 record. She missed most of last season with an injury while at Baylor, but Potts is a proven pitcher who can be a dominating force for the Aggies. Ashlynn Walls, from Texas-San Antonio, and Kelly Martinez, from Utah, will add some much needed experience at the plate. They will join Riley Surtain and Kelbi Fortenberry in a relatively inexperienced lineup. If Texas A&M cannot replace the bats of players like Sarah Hudek and Tori Vidales, the Aggies could be in for a tough season. However, even a tough season for Texas A&M will result in a trip to the NCAA Tournament and by then this young group could be a tough team to beat.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Softball Tournament
