Get to Know Texas A&M Softball’s Possible Opponent: Arizona State or McNeese

Get to know your opponent.

It matters because if you don’t know what you are up against, it can result in elimination.

For Texas A&M softball, what is up ahead for head coach Trisha Ford’s program is a date with UConn before taking on either Arizona State or McNeese in either an elimination game or a ticket to the Regional Championship.

One of those opponents, the Sun Devils or the Cowgirls, will try to take down the host of the Bryan-College Station Regionals and play spoiler, so here's what the landscape looks like for both teams.

Arizona State

Texas A&M softball. — May 10, 2024; Auburn, AL, USA; Texas A&M Aggies starting pitcher/relief pitcher Shaylee Ackerman (10) pitches against the Florida Gators at Jane B. Moore Field. Mandatory Credit: Julie Bennett-Imagn Images | Julie Bennett-Imagn Images

Heading into the regionals, the Sun Devils are sitting at 41-16 overall and are on a six-game winning streak. They have a strong resume with a stacked roster that has a shot at going the distance. They wrapped up the season with a 23-12 home record, a 13-4 record on the road, and a 5-0 neutral record.

As of May 2, Arizona State had a team batting average of .328 while it held opponents to .257. Their slugging percentage was sitting at .569, and their on-base percentage was at .421. As for the fielding, it sat at .965 overall.

There were a ton of powerful hitters up and down the roster that found their way on board and drove teammates across the plate. Tanya Windle, Samantha Swan, and Katie Chester played significant roles when stepping up to the dish. If they can figure out how to get to the pitching staff, it could be a long afternoon.

McNeese

When the Cowgirls come galloping into the Regionals, they are feeling confident about the body of work they have done throughout the season to knock off anybody that stands in the way. Wrapping the regular season up, they sat at 40-20 overall with an 18-9 record in the conference. When they played at home, they were 27-10 and were 12-9 on the road to go along with a 1-1 home record.

As a unit, McNeese has a team batting average of .322 with an OPS of .929, a slugging percentage of .512, and an on-base percentage of .417. The pitching staff is at a 4.30 ERA across 394 innings pitched and a WHIP of 1.56.

Some of their leading batters who have been main contributors include Kassidy Chance, Nyjah Fontenot, and Rylee Cloud. Ten girls have a .300 batting average and will post runs in the blink of an eye if a bad pitch is offered.

Both schools will be tough outings for the Aggies, so whichever one draws the matchup will put up a solid fight.

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