February 10, 2003
Head Coach Jo Evans and her 24th ranked Aggies brought there season record to 5-3 after dropping three and winning two in the Fiesta Bowl Tournament in Phoenix this weekend. After rebounding from two losses in Friday's action the Aggies won both their games on Saturday before losing to the Mississippi St. Bulldogs Sunday morning.
The Aggies took the field at 8 a.m. this morning versus Mississippi St. and came up short in a 5-2 loss. The loss was junior Jessica Slataper's second of the season and evened her record at 2-2 after giving up five runs on eight hits in seven innings of work. Mississippi St. pitching cooled off the Aggies after they posted eleven runs against Utah in a win the previous night.
Coach Evans enjoyed the opportunity to play some strong teams and views the tournament as a building block for what could be a special season in Aggieland. The tournament revealed some bright spots for the Ags and also some areas that need to be improved.
"Overall I fell like we pitched pretty well. We had some bright spots and some low ones. Out pitching was good. Jessica (Slataper) had a good tournament. She showed a lot of poise on the mound and took charge on the field. Lindsey (Rippee) was another bright spot by going in to the Utah game and allowing us to get back in to it and win. It was great to play that caliber of teams. It helps us prepare for the rest of the season. We really competed well and had a chance to win. I am not disappointed by any means."
The opportunity to return home and prepare for next weekend's tournament without having to play a midweek game is something that Evans believes will be beneficial to her team. The Ags are a little tired after a hectic week where they played eight games, including traveling to Arizona.
"We are a little tired and weary. The rest will be good and will allow us to break down practice and get some individual work done. Not having a midweek game will help us prepare for this weekend."
Texas A&M host's the St. Joseph Aggie Invitational I this weekend on Friday and Saturday, February 14th and 15th at the Aggie Softball Complex. The Ags will take on Brigham Young and McNeese St. in games on Friday and Saturday.