Softball America: 2024 College Station Regional HQ
Welcome to College Station. The Aggies host a regional in the second year under Trisha Ford. How far can they go?
College Station Regional Schedule
Broadcast team: Trey Bender, Brittany McKinney
*All times Eastern
- Friday, May 17
- Texas State 4, Penn State 2
- Jessica Mullins and Bridget Nemeth were the story for most of the game as there was one run through five innings. However, clutch hitting stole the show. Maddie Gordon picked up where her sister Kate Gordon left off with a two-run go-ahead homer in the sixth in her first postseason appearance. The Bobcats picked up their pitcher. Sara Vanderford’s two-out double tied the game. Anna Jones and Piper Randolph both singled to provide the two-run lead that stood.
- No. 16 seed Texas A&M 6, UAlbany 2
- After Maddi Petrella hit a two-run homer for the Great Danes in the first inning this was all Aggies. Texas A&M answered with five runs in the first. Most importantly Emily Leavitt and Shaylee Ackerman handled the game themselves in the circle and didn’t need to use Emiley Kennedy.
- Texas State 4, Penn State 2
- Saturday, May 18
- Texas A&M 1, Texas State 0
- The battle between Emiley Kennedy and Jessica Mullins went as expected as the two combined to allow six hits. Both teams had their best scoring opportunity in the first inning. The difference was Kramer Eschete. Sara Vanderford was a mere inches away from a two-run homer but instead, it was a double off the wall. Eschete played it perfectly cutting down the runner at third with a great throw. In the bottom half, Trinity Cannon lifted an RBI sacrifice fly after the first two Aggies reached base to open the game.
- Penn State 9, UAlbany 3 (UAlbany eliminated)
- Runs were an afterthought for 3.5 innings. Maddie Gordon and Michela Barbanente homered for Penn State. UAlbany answered with Morgan Petty’s three-run triple. The Nittany Lions had the knockout punch in the fifth. Liana Jones smashed a grand slam to put her team up for good. Bridget Nemeth picked up her 23rd win of the season.
- Texas State 8, Penn State 4 (Penn State eliminated)
- Piper Randolph has become a power hitter. The Nittany Lions tried to walk Sara Vanderford in hopes of maintaining their one-run lead. Instead, Randolph made them pay by hitting her first career grand slam off of Bridget Nemeth. Randolph, Vanderford and Anna Jones drove in all eight runs. Jessica Mullins closed things out for the Bobcats.
- Texas A&M 1, Texas State 0
- Sunday, May 19
- Texas A&M 8, Texas State 0 (F/5) (Texas A&M advances to Super Regionals)
- The Aggies clearly adjusted to seeing Jessica Mullins, who seemingly ran out of gas after carrying her team this whole season, for a third time this season. Texas A&M scored an early run before Rylen Wiggins and Kennedy Powell blasted two home runs in the second that knocked Mullins out. Texas A&M kept scoring and Emiley Kennedy kept dealing. The lefty didn’t allow her first hit until the fourth and sent Texas A&M to their first Super Regional since 2018.
- Texas A&M 8, Texas State 0 (F/5) (Texas A&M advances to Super Regionals)
College Station Regional Stats
| Team (Record) | Scoring (Rank) | ERA (Rank) | FLD % (Rank) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M (40-13) | 6.36 (12th) | 2.59 (38th) | .975 (23rd) |
| Texas State (45-13) | 5.09 (67th) | 1.86 (10th) | .962 (151st) |
| Penn State (34-18) | 4.85 (T-86th) | 3.52 (130th) | .962 (130th) |
| UAlbany (33-12) | 5.24 (57th) | 2.58 (37th) | .968 (76th) |
College Station Regional Stars
No. 16 Texas A&M (SEC At-Large Bid)
- UTL Trinity Cannon
- SS Koko Wooley
- CF Jazmine Hill
- LHP Emiley Kennedy
2-seed Texas State (Sun Belt Tournament Champs)
- 3B Sara Vanderford
- SS Hannah Earls
- 1B JJ Smith
- RHP Jessica Mullins
3-seed Penn State (Big Ten At-Large Bid)
- 2B Maddie Gordon
- C Gaby Garcia
- SS Kaitlyn Morrison
- RHP/UTL Bridget Nemeth
4-seed UAlbany (America East Regular Season and Tournament Champs)
- LF Caitlyn Mitros
- RF Morgan Petty
- C Maddi Petrella
- RHP Wendi Hammond
