No. 15 seed Aggies host Sun Devils, Cowgirls and Huskies at Davis

What: 2026 Bryan-College Station Regional
Who: #4 Texas A&M, #5 Arizona State, McNeese and UConn
Where: Davis Diamond – Bryan-College Station, Texas
When:

• Friday: 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. CT (ESPN2 and ESPN+)
• Saturday: 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. CT (TV TBD)
• Sunday: 2 p.m. CT (TV TBD)

#4 Texas A&M Aggies

• RPI: 17
• Record: (36-17, 16-8)
• Team average: .340
• Team ERA: 3.61
• Fielding percentage: .970
• Offense: 6.89 runs/game
• Defense: 3.89 runs/game

Top Pitchers

• Sidne Peters (14-5, 2.84 ERA, 115.2 IP, 125 K, 42 BB)
• Sydney Lessentine (14-4, 3.18 ERA, 125.2 IP, 99 K, 27 BB)

Top Hitters

• Mya Perez (.435 avg, 1.538 OPS, 52 RBI, 18 HR, 52 BB)
• Kennedy Powell (.419 avg, 78 H, 14 2B, 17 SB)
• Micaela Wark (.322 avg, 1.160 OPS, 19 HR, 33 BB)
• Ariel Kowalewski (.371 avg, 1.064 OPS, 59 H, 7 HR)

Scouting Texas A&M

Earning a top-16 seed for the third-straight year, Trisha Ford has spearheaded Texas A&M's rise in a stacked softball conference, but when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, it's been a sore spot for Ford through four years in Aggieland. Twelve months ago, the No. 1 overall-seeded Aggies were viewed as a team destined for Oklahoma City until Liberty stunned the Maroon & White in the 2025 Bryan-College Station Regional. Since that moment, Ford & Co. have awaited an opportunity to reset a narrative.

TexAgs

The NCAA Tournament returns to Aggieland for the 18th time in program history.

Facing 10 national seeds in 2026, A&M went through a gauntlet that dwarfs last year’s heralded regular season in difficulty and demand. Yet, those tests helped the Aggies prepare for moments to come in April. If one were to glance at A&M's slate played through early March, losses to Louisiana Lafayette, Texas State and a run-rule defeat from UCLA would jump out. Yet, A&M's early-season stumbles hardly tell the full story.

The Aggies settled into a groove during SEC play. Defensively, much of the rebound came from first-time position players making the unfamiliar feel routine. Ariel Kowalewski started 19 games in the outfield before moving back to her natural position at catcher. A Gold Glove winner at third base a season ago, Oklahoma State transfer Tallen Edwards moved to second base upon arriving at A&M and has grown more comfortable at the keystone.

The Aggies live and die by an offense that can ignite games quickly, led by the SEC first-teamer Mya Perez. As the only Division 1 player to reach base in every game this season, SEC pitchers treated the junior slugger with caution, rarely willing to throw her with strikes. Perez drew 26 walks and struck out just six times this year. As the team's leader in hits (78) and runs scored (58), senior slapper Kennedy Powell has served as a consistent spark at the top of the lineup. In addition, A&M's supporting cast includes home run hitter Micaela Wark, a steady bat in Edwards and a double machine in Kowalewski. A&M's lineup has proven it can produce crooked innings in a hurry, and when striking first, they are 28-6 on the season.

If A&M is to advance from its own regional, it will be because its pitching staff supports the nation's No. 19 offense. Most recently, giving up 11 runs to below-.500 Auburn, the staff should be eager to bounce back from the early SEC Tournament exit. The duo of Sidne Peters and Sydney Lessentine has handled the bulk of the work, throwing 74 percent of A&M's 324.2 innings this season. Peters earned All-SEC honors for leading the team in ERA and strikeouts. As A&M's usual Friday night starter, Lessentine prides herself on limiting free bases. The Aggies have an offense that gives the arms some leeway, but postseason success will ultimately depend on the pitching staff delivering at its absolute best.

#5 Arizona State Sun Devils

• RPI: 21
• Record: (41-16, 11-13)
• Team average: .327
• Team ERA: 3.44
• Fielding percentage: .965
• Offense: 7.21 runs/game
• Defense: 4.21 runs/game

Top Pitchers

• Kenzie Brown (15-6, 2.29 ERA, 142.2 IP, 238 K, .172 b/avg)
• Meika Lauppe (13-9, 3.94 ERA, 108.1 IP, 29 BB)

Top Hitters

• Samantha Swan (.381 avg, 1.144 OPS, 26 RBI, 10 HR)
• Emily Schepp (.362 avg, 12 HR, 45 RBI)
• Katie Chester (.356 avg, 1.155 OPS, 19 HR, 64 RBI)
• Kaylee Pond (.338 avg, 1.191 OPS, .491 OB%, 46 RBI)

Scouting Arizona State

Claiming the Big 12 Tournament title last weekend, Arizona State heads into regional play with real momentum. Winners of their last six games and 10 of their last 13, the Sun Devils have played their best softball down the stretch. It's Year 4 for head coach Megan Bartlett, who has ASU dancing for the second-straight year. Now, they have a chance to advance past the regional round, unlike last season in Los Angeles.

Bartlett took over at Arizona State after Ford departed for College Station in 2022, adding a layer of intrigue to this weekend's field. She has compiled a 118-94 record in Tempe, and with each passing season, her program has taken another step forward. This year’s squad appears to be her strongest yet. The Sun Devils took down three ranked opponents on their way to a conference crown as ace Kenzie Brown outdueled Texas Tech's "million dollar arm" NiJaree Canady. During the regular season, it wasn't always smooth sailing as the Sun Devils finished under .500 in Big 12 play with a 5-9 record against ranked foes. However, don't mistake Arizona State's regular-season bumps for weakness, as their ceiling has risen several flights in the last few weeks.

The aforementioned Brown will command the spotlight for Maroon & Gold. As one of the most coveted arms in the country, the senior lefty has been brilliant as of late. In her last two outings against two top-15 offenses, she threw 14 innings and struck out 16 while giving up seven hits, one run and four walks. Opposing bats will have their hands full with the all-conference selection in the circle, recording a .172 batting average against her this season. Beyond Brown, Meika Lauppe has been a reliable No. 2 and leads the team in appearances (37). On paper, the Sun Devils have the best pitching staff in the regional.

At the dish, ASU possesses a balanced attack led by unanimous conference first-team selection Samantha Swan. A product of development within Barlett's program, the catcher logged a .473 average in conference play, the second highest in the Big 12. Hitting in front of her in the two-hole is the most experienced bat in the whole regional. With 578 at-bats in her college career, Kaylee Pond has a knack for getting on base and has scored a team-leading 53 runs in 2026. The production remains steady as you get to the middle of the order with Emily Schepp, who rarely strikes out, and Big 12 first-teamer Katie Chester, who has clubbed 19 long balls.

Many pundits around the country have already tabbed the Sun Devils as the team to upset the hosts this weekend. If Brown sustains her run of postseason dominance, ASU's offense doesn't have to put up jarring numbers. Even a handful of well-timed runs could be enough if their ace is in control. But perhaps Brown is relied upon too much. There could be a breakdown similar to former A&M ace Emiley Kennedy a year ago in the NCAA Tournament. ASU’s equation relies heavily on one arm being at its best.

McNeese State Cowgirls

• RPI: 44
• Record: (40-20, 18-9)
• Team average: .322
• Team ERA: 4.30
• Fielding percentage: .993
• Offense: 6.2 runs/game
• Defense: 4.95 runs/game

Top Pitchers

• Brookelyn Taylor (13-7, 3.26 ERA, 124.2 IP, 93 K, 45 BB)
• Maddie Taylor (18-4, 3.79 ERA, 133 IP, 70 K, 40 BB)

Top Hitters

• Kassidy Chance (.445 avg, 65 H, .497 OB%)
• Nyjah Fontenot (.356 avg, 48 H, 8 HR)
• Jada Muñoz (.326 avg, 45 RBI, 10 HR)
• Rylee Cloud (.331 avg, 49 RBI, 8 HR)

Scouting McNeese

The McNeese Cowgirls have found their way back into the NCAA Tournament by winning the Southland Conference Tournament. Claiming his fifth SLC crown and owning a career record of 379-201, head coach James Landreneau has established McNeese as a commendable mid-major. An 18-9 conference record helped the Cowgirls secure a second-place finish in the Southland regular-season standings.

Few teams enter the postseason hotter than the Cowgirls, who have won 14 of their last 15 games dating back to early April. Yet, the emergence did not just begin late in the year, as February wins over Ole Miss and Baylor hinted at the group’s postseason capability. Against the nationally seeded teams on the schedule (Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and LSU), the Cowgirls struggled to take down the sport's elite.

A year removed from being the SLC Freshman of the Year, Kassidy Chance hit her way to first-team SLC honors as the only Cowgirl to hit above .400 this season. The shortstop earned SLC Tournament MVP recognition in her most recent outing, batting at a .620 clip in six games. Jada Muñoz's 10 home runs add some pop to the middle of the order, and Rylee Cloud leads the team in total bases in the three-hole. Though she appeared in just 40 of 60 games, Arkansas transfer Nyjah Fontenot maximized her opportunities early in the year.

Brookelyn and Maddie Taylor shoulder the bulk of the load. Although not sisters, they have accounted for 65 percent of the innings thrown, becoming the backbone of the staff. Brookelyn's strikeout numbers are higher in her freshman season, but Maddie holds a lower batting average against.

For McNeese to advance its postseason run, the Cowgirls can't afford to be carried in spurts. It will take an all-around effort from Landreneau's club to knock off A&M and Arizona State.

UConn Huskies

• RPI: 97
• Record: (31-26, 18-6)
• Team average: .292
• Team ERA: 4.21
• Fielding percentage: .968
• Offense: 5.96 runs/game
• Defense: 4.12 runs/game

Top Pitchers

• Jessica Walter (8-8, 3.31 ERA, 116.1 IP, 24 BB)
• Caprice Bohmer (13-9, 3.92 ERA, 126.2 IP, 132 K)

Top Hitters

• Cat Petteys (.397 avg, 73 H, 58 RBI, 19 HR)
• Savannah Ring (.342 avg, 67 H, 32 RBI)
• Kaitlyn Breslin (.305 avg, 54 H, 56 RBI, 11 HR)
• Emma Willers (.306 avg, 33 H, 37 RBI)

Scouting UConn

The last automatic qualifier of the bunch hails from the Big East. Ending its 24-year NCAA Tournament drought by qualifying a year ago, UConn is back in the field of 64. With a record hovering above .500, the Huskies claimed their second consecutive conference title and NCAA Tournament berth by defeating Creighton in a winner-take-all finale.

This in itself should be viewed as an accomplishment, considering UConn went 4-14 in February. It wasn’t a pretty first month, but they didn’t allow a slow start to hinder them. In fact, the Huskies went 12-3 in April and proved that peaking at the right time matters.

Cat Petteys spearheads UConn's offensive attack, leading the Big East in runs scored (60) and home runs (19). Petteys — the league’s player of the year — and left fielder Kaitlyn Breslin are the only Huskies who have produced double-digit home runs this season. Savannah Ring has been a reliable piece of the infield and has also produced at the plate.

UConn brings another two-arm approach to Davis Diamond as Jessica Walter and Caprice Bohmer have been the Huskies' most reliable pitchers this season. Bohmer generates significantly more swing-and-miss than Walter, but the lefty rarely walks batters. If the Huskies are going to extend their postseason run, the bulk of the innings will rest squarely on that duo.

NCAA Tournament time means the level of competition ramps up a notch, especially for a team with the 101st-ranked strength of schedule. With a 0-4 record this season against ranked foes, A&M will present more of the same challenges. To make it out of the regional, UConn will have to do the unexpected.