Trisha Ford sees Texas A&M becoming 'perennial' softball program

Texas A&M fought to the very last pitch in the Austin Super Regional but fell short to the top-seeded Longhorns. Head softball coach Trisha Ford joined TexAgs Radio to detail the weekend in Austin, the totality of her second year and what is come for Aggie softball. 

Key notes from Trisha Ford interview

• We left it all on the field. It was a tremendous effort in all three games. We were one defensive play or one hit away from still playing. I always say you have to love the hard. This is hard. It helps motivate us for next year. 
   
• At the end of the year, we started to play some of our best ball. The team could feel it. We had exit meetings yesterday and today. We were all talking about it. That will help us next year. Just picking up where we finished. 
   
• We got so many messages saying it was the best super regional series they had ever seen. I love our sport. You saw two teams battling until the last breath. Anyone who likes sports can appreciate a series like that. 
   
• Before I left, I said, “I like our chances. We might surprise some people.” Before the series, everyone was saying, “Oh, a 16-seed against a 1-seed.”
   
• I know who we are. The things our players got to experience this weekend will be with them forever and will drive them. I knew we had a shot. I knew we had a really good shot. You saw it.
   
• Mya Perez crushed that ball. I loved seeing how excited the team was for her when she came home. I will probably watch the games again this week to get more tidbits out of it. Hailey Golden, we call he our special teams runner, gets the go-ahead run on Friday. 
   
• I still haven't really slept. My brain is still going 200 mph. I will take a couple of days. We have a bunch of senior meetings. They came to the office yesterday, and it was so cute. They said, “We just want to be here.” I want them here too. They just sat in chairs and wanted to hang out with me after meetings. 
   
• The transfer portal has opened, so we are back at it. We are trying to raise money for NIL. Life goes on.
   
• I am a coach but also a parent. To see Trinity Cannon end her career like that, you couldn't ask for more. Julia Cottrill hitting a home run in her last at-bat. Rylen Wiggins has great at-bats and was out of this world defensively. Shaylee Ackerman pitched a great game on Sunday. A lot of seniors came through big time.
   
• Coach Mike White has done a good job. He was at Oregon when I was at Stanford and Arizona State. We both want to kick each other’s butts.
   
• Last year, you saw a lot of good growth with Cannon and coach Jeff Harger. She started off hot, then cooled down. They had an honest conversation about it. They game-planned differently this year. There was a time she started to slide, and they nipped it in the butt. She did. She performed at a crazy rate for us.
   
• The fun part is that it's only year two. That's what I'm excited about. When I took over, A&M was one of the last teams in. Now, we are talking about us being a perennial softball program. That is why I am here. They have bought into it. They know what it looks like. I am excited about our direction.
   
• Emiley Kennedy is a returner. I think it begins and ends with her. You saw the Mya Perez that we knew and recruited. Mac Barbara has posted on socials that she is headed here. That will give us some power. We are losing some power.
   
• We have a couple of freshmen coming in that will be really good. Khamara Dement is one of them, one of the best shortstops in her class. 
   
• We are pretty busy in that portal right now. We are looking to get a couple more arms to help Kennedy and just some athleticism. Hopefully, we have a total package.
   
• Good luck to the baseball team. I told Jim Schlossnagle, “Let’s get after it.”