Ford enters fourth season with a talented roster that's still developing

Trisha Ford and the Fightin’ Texas Aggie softball team return to Davis Diamond on Thursday to open the 2026 season with the Aggie Classic. We’re looking ahead to the upcoming campaign with our 2026 Texas A&M Softball Preview Series.

Eyes will linger where players such as Emiley Kennedy and Mac Barbara once resided.

But rather than longing for what used to be, there is an excitement to be had for the team that is stepping into Davis Diamond.

As the No. 1 overall seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament, Texas A&M had its sights set high on winning it all.

However, a crushing defeat shockingly ended those hopes for head coach Trisha Ford and the Aggies in the Bryan-College Station Regional.

With their heads held high, Ford is bringing her team back and stronger than ever in 2026, with their gaze set only on the road ahead.

It's an A&M team that is ready to play. And a team that is ready to do whatever it takes to win.

“Last year was last year, and this year is this year,” the head coach said. “I think it's really about developing this group.”

Though the roster changes, the Aggies are still the Aggies.

They return to Davis Diamond with the same drive and discipline that defines the identity and culture of the program. Though they have a new team with a new identity, the culture is rooted in the heart of Aggieland and remains constant.

“I feel like our culture is always going to be the same,” Ford said. “We’re going to play blue collar, hard-nosed, kind of in your face. That's just kind of how I am.

“But I think this team as a unit is still growing together.”

Ford is stepping into her fourth season at A&M. The St. Mary’s graduate began her coaching career at her alma mater before a stint at Stanford that led to her becoming the head coach at Fresno State (2013-16) and Arizona State (2017-22) before her arrival in Aggieland.

Since coming to A&M in June of 2022, Ford has put together a 127-47 record that includes a 43-23 mark in SEC play. A&M has reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three years and was the No. 1 overall seed for the first time in program history in 2025.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Trisha Ford owns a .657 winning percentage across her first 15 seasons as a head coach.

Now, she is beginning her 16th season as a head coach, and in May, Ford was named to the U.S. Women’s National Team coaching pool for the 2025-28 quad.

Ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, 10 of the country's elite softball coaches will be brought together to help with training camps and international events leading up to the 2028 Olympics.

A staff led by head coach Patty Gasso, inclusion gives Ford the chance to potentially land on the official coaching staff for upcoming international tournaments, including LA28.

Of course, there is work to be done in College Station before turning attention to Southern California.

“I came here with the hopes of being a top program year in and year out,” Ford said. “I’m excited about this year, and I’m really excited about who's coming in next year in our ‘27 class.

“For me, it's to put in front of the 12th Man a product that represents Texas A&M and what it should be. I think we should be a perennial top-10 program, and I think the fans deserve it. Who wouldn’t want to come to Texas A&M and be around Aggieland?”

In 2025, A&M had one of the top offensive units in the league, combined with Kennedy, the program's first left-handed pitcher to earn All-American status.

As Kennedy graduated from the program, the Aggies then began further equipping players such as Sidne Peters and Sydney Lessentine to carry on that legacy.

“We have some arms in the circle who are going to be able to hold some offenses down hopefully,” Ford said. “I don’t know that we’re going to have the home runs that we had last year. We are going to be a more off-the-wall team.”

The pitching transfer from Washington, Peters battled through the 2025 season as she appeared in only 11 games with a 7-0 record due to an injury. Peters held her opponents to a .221 average at the plate, walking only 10 and striking out 43.

Peters will step back onto the mound this week, healthy and ready to dominate whoever stands in the box.

But that won’t come without help from another powerhouse arm in Lessentine.

Zoe Kelton, TexAgs

Sophomore Sydney Lessentine enters her second season under the tutelege of Trisha Ford, who is a pitching coach by trade.

“I put her in some very stressful situations last year, and she's just more comfortable in her skin,” Ford said of Lessentine. “She has executed at a high rate. I’m excited to see her go out.”

Lessentine came in hot as a freshman, leading the staff in 2.89 ERA, a batting average of .179 and a WHIP of 1.18. She pitched 66.1 innings with 29 appearances and racked up 79 strikeouts. She set a program single-game record of 19 strikeouts, making that the most in the nation in a seven-inning game.

“We’re going to have to do some tweaking because she's young,” Ford said. “But I am excited. She’s got the tools, so it’s just kind of combining those worlds.”

For a fourth year in a row, A&M softball enters the season among the nation’s top 25 as the Aggies are ranked No. 11 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason poll.

“It’s an honor right, and I don't want to take that for granted,” Ford said. “Our team from last year really worked hard, and we’ve earned that ability to stay in that top 25, top 10-ish range. At the end of the day, that’s the job that I’m supposed to do.”

Softball is an intense, fast-paced sport, producing athletes that perform at high-levels. Players like Kennedy, Barbara and Koko Wooley are recent stars who left a lasting impact on the A&M program.

They set a high standard and left Aggie fans wanting more talent like theirs. Talent that Ford is working day in and day out to produce.

“I think you’ll be thoroughly impressed with their level of athleticism,” Ford said. “You have women throwing balls 70 miles an hour from 43 feet. I mean, you know it's hard.”

This season, the Aggies will see players such as Peters and Lessentine, along with transfers like Tallen Edwards and Micaela Wark. That’s not to mention All-Americans Mya Perez and KK Dement, or a familiar face like Kennedy Powell.

Women who represent what the sport is about. Women who are bringing the Aggie spirit to life.