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THURSDAY, MARCH 26

@THEBATTONLINE

SPORTS

NEWS

After starting 2-4 in conference play, No. 25 A&M baseball looks to find footing, secure series win in road contest A2

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension detects invasive pest, issues sectional quarantine to limit spread throughout Southeast A5

Photos by CJ Smith — THE BATTALION

Clockwise from top left: Left fielder Paislie Allen (11) rounds third base during Texas A&M softball’s game against Kentucky at Davis Diamond on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Second baseman Tallen Edwards (44) hits the ball during Texas A&M softball’s game against Kentucky at Davis Diamond on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Designated player Micaela Wark (14) rides Homer the Horse in celebration after hitting a home run during Texas A&M softball’s game against Kentucky at Davis Diamond on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Right fielder Frankie Vrazel (8) attempts to catch a line drive during Texas A&M softball’s game against Kentucky at Davis Diamond on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Shortstop KK Dement (16) fields a ground ball during Texas A&M softball’s game against Kentucky at Davis Diamond on Sunday, March 22, 2026.

Aggie hoedown in Lone Star Showdown No. 15 A&M hits road to face top-ranked rival in Austin By Mathias Cubillan Managing Editor The Lone Star Showdown doesn’t need an introduction. And it definitely doesn’t need any extra motivation beyond clean old-fashioned hate. But when the eyes of the state are upon No. 15 Texas A&M softball as it heads behind enemy lines to take on No. 1 Texas with a chance to snap the reigning national champion’s 27-game win streak, the stakes are only heightened. After opening the Southeastern Conference slate 5-1 and coming off a sweep of Kentucky, A&M has the opportunity to restore its national perception to the wagon it was a year ago before its shock postseason exit. “Everybody knows we are playing Texas … we know it’s gonna be exciting,” head coach Trisha Ford said. “I like that it’s gonna be a little spicy. That’s what college athletics is about. For me it’s about keeping our heads focused on the task at hand instead of all the other noise that’s around.” This year’s iteration of the Lone Star Showdown comes after last season’s 14-2

run-rule pummeling that the Maroon and White laid on the Burnt Orange in the SEC Tournament. In 2026, though, Texas is the top steer in the stockyard, stampeding its way to a 27-game win streak. Led by Women’s College World Series cult hero junior right-handed pitcher Teagan Kavan and her team-leading 14 victories with nine complete games, Texas’ pitching has paved the path of dominance. The 2025 WCWS Most Outstanding Player has three shutouts under her belt and averages over nine strikeouts per seven innings. Texas’ offense has been the point of difference for the Longhorns, who have overwhelmed opponents with ceaseless waves in the batter’s box. Top-10 nationally in batting average, on-base percentage, RBIs, scoring and slugging, the Texas offense is no longer the same one that watched A&M have batting practice in the postseason a year ago. The Longhorns’ ace in the circle comes at a stark contrast to the Aggie’s pitching-by-committee approach that has led them to a 3.10 group ERA. Sophomore RHP Sydney Lessentine has been the rotation’s Friday starter, and while she has an elite 8.57 strike-to-walk ratio, she is outside the SEC’s top 20 in ERA. “We’re gonna have to attack strikes,” Ford said. “ … They got really good arms. We gotta keep their offense off bay. They’re gonna

score some runs off of us, can we punch back? … The good thing is they’ve played against each other all their career, a bunch of these Texas kids. I just want to go out and compete.” While the pitching has faltered, the Aggie bats have shined. Senior third baseman Kennedy Powell has been a stalwart on the hot corner for three years but has blossomed as one of the league’s premier leadoff hitters. The Conroe native is hitting .443 and is currently in the midst of a 35-game on-base streak. But Powell shines most on the basepaths, showcasing what Ford calls her “gymnast” athleticism en route to 18 stolen bags. The Maroon and White’s game plan has been simple: have Powell and the top of the lineup get the ducks on the pond, and have junior first baseman Mya Perez clean it up. And boy has she done just that, mashing 14 home runs at an absurd .506 clip. While Perez has emerged as one of the sport’s premier offensive forces, less than two years ago, the Lone Star Showdown was her coming-out party as a seldom-deployed freshman. At the 2024 Austin Super Regional, A&M was down 8-5 when Perez latched onto a two-out, three-run homer to tie the game in the seventh inning Now, Perez knows that Texas has her name circled.

“I feel like Texas is going to come after me, and I am ready for it,” Perez said. “I’m going to find a pitch I can drive, and we’ll see.” The Longhorns have a similar barrage of batters lined up to attack the Aggies’ arms, with none more dominant than junior 1B Katie Stewart. The do-it-all defender rakes at the plate, launching 15 home runs on a .493 average before March 25’s Texas State matchup. To rival Powell’s twitchy athleticism, Texas has a speed demon of its own — junior left fielder Kayden Henry, who leads the SEC in doubles and stolen bases as of March 25. For a Longhorn team that is third in on-base percentage, keeping Henry off the bags will be at the forefront of Ford’s mind, as she has repeatedly emphasized strikes as a focus for the pitching staff this season. Given Ford and Co.’s admission that they expect to get punched in the mouth by the Texas offense, A&M will want to ride the wave of its performance at the plate against Sam Houston, where it pushed 18 runs across in just four innings of offense, to hit back. The first pitch of the weekend’s opening matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Red & Charline McCombs Field on Friday, March 27, before Saturday and Sunday’s games both start at 1 p.m.