Trisha Ford's No. 6 Aggies head back to Florida for JoAnne Graf Classic

The sixth-ranked Fightin' Texas Aggie softball program is heading back to Florida for the JoAnne Graf Classic this weekend. Head coach Trisha Ford joined TexAgs Live to speak on the growth of her group through 11 games and what she expects to see in the Sunshine State. 

Key notes from Trisha Ford interview

• It was a great learning weekend for us at the Clearwater Invitational. The Oklahoma State game stung. You need to have some of these things to motivate you. I told the players they had 20 minutes between the Oklahoma State game and the Virginia game. That was one of the hardest turnarounds I’ve had in my career.
   
• We figured out a way to win a game, and I was proud of them for that. We felt like we played. I told them we aren't trying to win a championship in February, we're trying to win a championship in June so let's learn from this. 
   
• I think at the catching and shortstop position, they've done a tremendous job. Koko Wooley is KK Dement's biggest fan. It says a lot for her to come in and fit in. The team enjoys her. She will be the shortstop of the future. DeeDee Baldwin got her first start, had two RBIs and picked the kid off at second base. It's the next player-up mentality. Our veterans have done a good job pushing them on.
   
• Sydney Lessentine has done well. Our 0-2, 1-2 pitches, she and I had some discussions about cleaning those up. For a freshman, she pitched against Wichita State. Her changeup was working for her. I got to spend some time with her this weekend in the dugout talking to her. I think those moments are really going to help her move forward. 
   
• We still scored a lot of runs this weekend. We only hit one home run. For me, that's a good sign. You saw our lineup from top to bottom. Frankie Vrazel was lights out this weekend. I think that's a good sign wherever you are in the lineup, something can get started. 
   
• The offense understands the rhythm. They know what their jobs are. We had players getting to third base with less than two outs. Moving people over. Getting the ball in the air to score runs. Coach Jeff Harger does an amazing job.
   
• Offensively, our offensive attack was very solid. We understand what our plan was. We executed it. Against Oklahoma State, I think we had a couple of defensive miscues that ultimately led to some runs. I think we learned about executing certain pitches in certain situations. There are some things I thought I could have done differently.
   
• As a team, we know we can play with anyone in the nation, and we're going to have to punch. Florida State has one of the best offenses in the country, but we have one of the best pitching staffs. Our pitching staff is going to have to step up.
   
• Our actions on the diamond are where they need to be right now. There is a way for us to still go. Our communication, understanding what our responsibility is, understanding the speed of runners... They understand when they're not doing things the right way and what they need to do in order for things to go in a different direction.
   
• Our kids are meshing with the other kids. Pitching-wise, I think we are getting better and better. This weekend, I felt like there's growth that needs to happen. Grace Sparks did a tremendous job. I felt like her heights were much better. She commanded the upper half of the zone, which is what she needs to do. We're in a good spot, but this weekend and the weekends coming forward, we're going to get tested.
   
• You can practice the reps all you want, and you're like, "It's going to bite me in the butt in the game. It doesn't happen until game time." That kinda happens with KK in that first tournament when she held onto the ball. This past weekend, there was another situation, and it didn't happen. She got the ball. She brought it in, and so you need to live it to kind of learn it.
   
• We talked about being dogs. They're super confident. They understand what it takes to get to where we need to go. We have the leadership. The kids returning... Kennedy Powell was a part of our program last year. They know that the work that they've put in going to pay off in the end of the road. It doesn't surprise me that KP said, “We are a bunch of dogs.” She is a key component of our offense.
   
• I was joking with Coach Michael Earley. I scheduled my preseason much better than he did with the weather. It was beautiful in Florida this past weekend. We're headed back there. At the end of the day, we got to play good teams, and figure out what we got to do and tweak to get better. We're going to have Florida State this weekend. Next weekend, we have a whole slew of talent coming into College Station, so I'm excited. It gets us ready for the conference. 
   
• We're going to approach getting everyone in the lineup like we do pitching. Who's the best matchup? We have kids who are early-inning substitutes, and we have late-inning substitutes. We'll talk as a staff, and we will watch a lot of films and learn what that strategy looks like. The good thing is if something arises, we know we have the depth to plug someone else in right away.
   
• What Mya Perez has brought is mature at-bats. Just taking her walks when she needs to take her walks. She's had some big-time at-bats. Mac Barbara has been a little off for us. I know she's going to bounce back. She's brought some protection to Mac. She's played really solid first base for us. There are a lot of things that Mya has I feel like grown, especially from last year. All things we knew she was capable of doing, but it's showing up.