SNEAK PREVIEW
Texas will get a taste of SEC against old rival Texas A&M
Texas infielder Joley Mitchell knows all about the South. A native of the tiny town of Rose Bud on the southern edge of the Arkansas Ozarks, she appreciates playing on fields surrounded by blooming dogwoods and a chorus of cicadas.
The South is “homey,” she said, and Texas’ impending move to the SEC is one reason she transferred to Austin after spending her first four seasons at Notre Dame.
“So, me, I’m especially excited to go into the SEC next year,” said Mitchell, a senior with one more year of eligibility. “I like the South. I like the weather; I like the heat. I like it all.”
Things will certainly heat up for Texas in the SEC, considering the quantity of quality squads that make it the most competitive softball conference in the country. And that’s not hyperbole; all 13 SEC softball teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament; seven of the 16 teams competing in this weekend’s super regionals are from the SEC; and two more — Texas and Oklahoma — will officially join the SEC on July 1.
But No. 1-seeded Texas (50-7) doesn’t have to wait long to get a heaping helping of SEC flavor. Texas A&M, the Longhorns’ former and future conference rival, are now in their 12th season as an SEC program. The 16th-seeded Aggies arrive in Austin this weekend eager to take down the Longhorns in a best-of-three series.
Aggies coach Trisha Ford said the grueling SEC schedule has prepared A&M for this moment.
“I mean, (Texas) is a really good team,” Ford said. “They have multiple arms that can come in and be effective, and they have a good balance of speed and power. You’re going to have to play your game, and I think we’re prepared to do that.”
Texas A&M: Hardened by the grueling SEC
Texas A&M (43-13), which finished third in the SEC this season behind Ten
nessee and Florida, boasts a storied softball legacy that includes national championships in 1983 and 1987. The program had particular success late in its Big 12 era; in their final nine Big 12 seasons, 2004-12, the Aggies won two conference titles and finished lower than fourth place just once.
But A&M’s move to the SEC changed its fortunes, and that could serve as a warning for Texas. The Aggies have had just three winning conference seasons in the SEC, which boasts a lot more conference contenders than a Big 12 that’s been dominated by Oklahoma for the past decade. The Sooners had won 11 consecutive regular-season titles before Texas snapped that streak this season, and they have captured six of the past seven Big 12 postseason tournaments, dating back to the resumption of the event in 2017.
In comparison, six different SEC teams have won either a regular-season or a tournament title over the past decade.
“I feel like the balance in the SEC is much higher than a lot of conferences, from top to bottom,” Ford said. “My head always goes to pitching, so you have kids on every roster that are throwing 70 (miles an hour) no matter where you’re at. So your hitters are always kind of facing that level of pitching. And then, I think everybody has at least five or six top-notch players. What I mean by that is somebody that can swing them a bat, get a crooked number up there, and has some speed.”
Mitchell agrees with that talent assessment but also says a lot of the players, especially the ones from the South, bring even more intangible qualities.
“I just think that they have the grit and that swag about them,” she said. “But I feel like the South in general, just sports-wise, everybody’s passionate about it. So I think that it carries over to the softball programs.”
Texas slugger Reese Atwood, the sophomore catcher who’s one of the three finalists for USA Softball’s player of the year honor, said competing in the country’s toughest conference will provide a new challenge.
“I’m definitely extremely excited to play in the SEC,” Atwood said. “I think the competition is going to be the best of the best, and it’s going to really get us ready for postseason for next year. So just super excited for the opportunity to play some of the best out there.”
How will Texas, OU fare in SEC softball?
So will the dominance of Oklahoma and the ascension of Texas under sixthyear coach Mike White hit a roadblock in the SEC?
Don’t count on it, Ford said.
“I’m a straight shooter, and OU and Texas are going to be fine in the SEC,” she said. “I think they’re going to only add to the level of play. I’m excited, to be honest with you. We’ve been all itching to get them in (the conference) because we all want to play them every single year. It’s just great for the sport.”
What Ford and White want, at least when it comes to the schedules, won’t happen, however. Every team will play a three-game series against eight rotating opponents for a total of 24 conference games in each SEC season. There are no permanent opponents, which means the Longhorns won’t face A&M and Oklahoma each season but will travel to each of the other schools at least once in a fouryear span.
“Those traditional rivalries won’t be a part of the matchup, which is interesting,” White said. “But it’s also good that you get to play everybody. So there’s going to be a mixed bag next year.”
That uncertainty about the next game with A&M makes this weekend’s super regional series even more special, said Atwood, who grew up outside of Corpus Christi.
“For me, being a Texas native, I think there’s always been a rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M for all sports,” Atwood said. “But coming into this weekend, the goal for this team is not to just look at the rivalry (because) we just need to be us and play our game.”