The last time the Longhorns faced Megan Gibson and the Aggies, they came up short.
The Texas Longhorns (25-19-2. 9-8 Big 12) must hope for an upset if they want to beat Texas A&M (45-7, 16-1 Big 12) tonight at 6 p.m. in College Station. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
The Aggies' sweep this weekend against the Nebraska Huskers earned them the Big 12 title. With these wins, senior ace and USA Softball Player of the Year Finalist Megan Gibson pushed her season record to 29-1. In the second game of their weekend series, she worked through seven complete innings, struck out six hitters and only surrendered three runs on eight hits.
In the Aggies' last meeting with the Longhorns, junior right fielder Holly Ridley hit a home run in the top of the fifth to break away from a 1-1 tie and push the Aggies ahead 3-1. Ridley worked that same magic last weekend. In the second game of the Nebraska series, she went
2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored, a walk and drove in four runs. She accounted for six of the Aggies' 12 runs on the weekend as a whole.
According to Aggie head coach Jo Evans, tonight's State Farm Lone Star Showdown will be jam-packed with rowdy Aggie fans.
"It's going to be a great atmosphere," Evans said in a statement. "Our kids are so great at home and play really relaxed. The atmosphere is going to be nuts. I want to challenge our fans to break the attendance record. We broke the record for a single in 2005 when we played Texas. Let's break it again. I really want our fans to come out and congratulate our kids and watch us hoist up that Big 12 trophy and be a part of something really special."
If the Longhorns really want to upset the Aggies, their intensity levels will have to match the madness of the crowd.
Freshman pitcher Brittany Barnhill, who pitched all seven innings in their last meeting, explained that even though they are facing one of the best teams in the nation, the Longhorns will simply "relax and play like [A&M] is just like any other team."
She further stated that the Longhorns will come out with a strong mentality that, if they just play their game, the score will take care of itself.
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