Ford Inks Consensus Top 10 2027 Signing Class

By Brad Marquardt, Assistant Athletics Director

Seven high school standouts signed with the Aggies and will join the team in 2027-28.
The signing class earned top 10 rankings from Softball America/Rivals and D1Softball.
All seven signees were ranked in the National Top 100 by Softball America/Rivals

COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M head softball coach Trisha Ford announced the Aggies’ seven-player 2027 signing class, which earned top 10 rankings from Softball America / Rivals and D1Softball.

Softball America / Rivals rated the Aggies’ class at No. 8 nationally, while D1Softball put the Maroon & White at No. 10.

“I’m really excited about this class,” Ford said. “It’s a great combination of athleticism, power, and versatility and each of these players brings something that will make our program better. We continue to put an emphasis on recruiting not only talented players, but great people who will represent Texas A&M and the 12th Man the right way. This class also reflects the national reach of our program, with talented players from coast to coast choosing to call Aggieland home.”

All seven members of the Aggies’ 2027 class were rated in the top 100 of Softball America’s recruit rankings, including three inside the top 35. Two of the signees were the top recruit in their respective states. The class features three pitchers and four infielders and has signees from six different states: Texas, California (2), Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma and Utah.

“What I really love about this group is how close they already are,” Ford added. “They’ve built strong relationships with each other, and that’s something that will only make us better. Our staff did a tremendous job identifying players who fit what we’re building here. I’m excited to get them on campus, watch them compete and see the impact they can make on our program.”

Texas A&M Class of 2027 Signees

Kynlee Arechiga	Infield	La Porte, Texas (La Porte HS)
Leanna Bourdage	Pitcher	Gainesville, Fla. (Santa Fe HS)
Jenna Caldera	Infield	Whittier, Calif. (Ganesha HS)
Ella Carmack	Infield	Lee’s Summit, Mo. (Blue Springs South HS)
Brielle Gardiner	Pitcher	Newton, Utah (Bear River HS)
Leighton Gray	Infield	Norco, Calif. (Norco HS)
Zoie Griffin	Pitcher	Tahlequah, Okla. (Tahlequah HS)

Kynlee Arechiga | Infield | La Porte, Texas (La Porte HS)

Why Texas A&M? “Texas A&M has always been my dream school since I was a little girl. From the first time I stepped on the field and met the coaches I knew it felt like home and wanted to call it home. The way the coaches not only want to help you leave as a better player and help you reach your full potential, but also want you to leave as a better person. The experience on my visit was amazing and very genuine. It’s also really close to home and that was a deciding factor.”
Softball America: 4-star, No. 62 overall, No. 19 middle infielder, No. 19 player in Texas
Club: Plays for Impact Gold and is coached by KC Jackson
Received Impact Goldy awards for Team Offensive MVP, Be the Impact Award and Trust the Process Award
In 2023, Arechiga was named to the Alliance Super Cup All-Tournament Team
In 2024, she was named Alliance Super Cup All-Tournament, 2024 Bombers Exposure All-Tournament and Clearwater Fall Classic Offensive MVP
In 2025, she was named IG Fall Exposure All-Tournament, TFL Summer Championship Offensive MVP and All-Tournament TFL Fall Championship
High School: Coached by Bryant Upshaw
A standout softball, basketball and volleyball player at La Porte, Arechiga has reached 500 kills, 1,000 digs and 2,000 assists in volleyball and 100 hits and runs in softball for her career
Member of the Superintendent Advisory Council and National Honor Society

Leanna Bourdage | Pitcher | Gainesville, Fla. (Santa Fe HS)

Why Texas A&M? “I chose Texas A&M because of the strong family feel and atmosphere throughout the entire university. The coaching staff is truly the best I have ever had the opportunity to work with, and the facilities are second to none. The moment I experienced the Aggie community, I knew it was somewhere I wanted to be. Becoming an Aggie is truly a dream come true, and I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity.”
Softball America: 4-star, No. 97 overall, No. 33 pitcher, No. 9 player in Florida
Club: Competes for Impact Golf Jackson 18u and is coached by KC Jackson
Named to the all-tournament teams at Tier I Alliance Fastpitch, Clearwater Fall Classic and Summer Cup
High School: Coached by Gene Finley
Was named Team MVP as freshman and junior and Offensive MVP as a sophomore
Named to the big school all-area softball team in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Was named the Player of the Year in the Gainesville, Fla., area and big schools
Freshman All-America by SBLive in 2024 after striking out 251 batters in 136 inning and pitching three no-hitters
Off the diamond, Bourdage is a member of NHS and was named the biology honors student of the year
Her mother, Keri Bourdage, was a pitcher for UNC-Wilmington where remains the school record holder for career wins, complete games and shutouts

Jenna Caldera | Infield | Whittier, Calif. (Ganesha HS)

Why Texas A&M? “I chose Texas A&M because it felt like home to me. The coaches, the girls, and the atmosphere made me feel like there was nowhere else I wanted to be.”
Softball America: 4-star, No. 17 overall, No. 2 middle infielder, No. 13 player in California
Club: Plays for Athletics Mercado Academy and is coached by Dave Mercado
In 2024, Caldera earned Triple Crown MVP, first-team All Trinity League honors
In 2025, Caldera was named Rosary Sophomore Player of the Year and Defensive MVP
Also in 2025, she received the Golden Glove Award, Trinity League MVP, Orange County Register All-County Team, All-Tournament at the Michelle Carew Classic and was nominated for the Gatorade California Softball Player of the Year
High School: Coached by Jason Shelton
In 2024, Caldera batted .537 and posted a 1.312 OPS with 36 hits
In 2025, she batted .573 with a 1.462 OPS on 51 hits.

Ella Carmack | Infield | Lee’s Summit, Mo. (Blue Springs South HS)

Why Texas A&M? “I chose Texas A&M because the people and coaching staff are so welcoming and they will push me to be a better person and player. I knew it was a place where I could grow both as a student and as an athlete. Texas A&M is building something special and I wanted to be part of that!”
Softball America: 4-star, No. 93 overall, No. 25 middle infielder, No. 4 player in Missouri
Club: Plays for Aces Fastpitch and is coached by Ryan Taylor
Two-time Defensive Player of the Year with Aces Fastpitch
High School: Coached in high school by Jordan Theurer
Coached at Blue Springs High School by Kristi Williams
Owns school records for home runs, hits, RBI and runs
Four-time all-conference and three-time all-state, region and district.
Her father, Peter Carmack, played collegiate tennis

Brielle Gardiner | Pitcher | Newton, Utah (Bear River HS)

Why Texas A&M? “I chose Texas A&M because every time I visited campus it felt like a university with values and traditions that I wanted to be a part of. I feel the coaching staff and my future teammates can push me and make me become the best player and person I can be. I want to earn two rings, an Aggie Ring and a National Championship Ring! Coming from a small town, I loved the feel of the college town and atmosphere.”
Softball America: 4-star, No. 35 overall, No. 11 pitcher, No. 1 player in Utah
Club: Plays for AZ Storm National Mathis and is coached by Corey Mathis
PGF Sophomore All-American in 2025
PGF Junior All-American in 2026
On Deck 5 Star
Two-time U18 Junior Women’s National Team, 2025, 2026
World Cup Gold Medalist 2025.
High School: Coached by Jordan Theurer
As a junior in high school, she earned first-team all-state honors after compiling a .491 batting average with 13 homers and 46 RBI and a .163 OBA with 53 strikeouts while playing only half the season after transferring.
As a sophomore, Gardiner earned first-team all-state honors after batting .583 with 17 homers and 41 RBI.
As a freshman, Gardiner was named Utah’s Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps Player of the Year. … also named Miss Softball for Utah, MaxPreps Underclassman All-American and first-team all-state after batting .532 with nine homers and 55 RBI and compiling a 27-1 record on the mound with a 0.78 ERA and 246 strikeouts in 162 innings.

Leighton Gray | Infield | Norco, Calif. (Norco HS)

Why Texas A&M? “I chose Texas A&M because of the competition culture and the supportive community. With the coaches on staff I knew after these couple of years I would be set up to become the best and most successful version of myself.”
Softball America: 4-star, No. 34 overall, No. 9 middle infielder, No. 13 player in California
Club: Plays for Athletics Mercado Smith 18u and is coached by Dave Mercado
Ranked No. 8 by Extra Inning Softball Elite Top 100
2025 PGF 16U Premier National Champions (Athletics Mercado Hovermale/Tidd)
2025, 2026 Patriot Games Champions
2026 ESPN Game Champions
Coached in high school by Rick Robinson
Led Norco to the 2025 CIF Southern Section Div. 1 Championship
2025 MaxPreps first-team Underclass All-American and second-team All-American
In 2025, Gray was named first-team All-CIF Southern Division, All-Tri-Valley, All-Inland Empire.
Was All-Big 8 in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Her brother, Grant Gray, played football and baseball at UCLA and currently plays for the Chicago Cubs.
Her stepfather, Rudy Arguelles, played baseball at Arizona State from 1996-98 and was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in 1998.

Zoie Griffin | Pitcher | Tahlequah, Okla. (Tahlequah HS)

Why Texas A&M? “From the moment I stepped on campus, Texas A&M felt like home. I fell in love with the atmosphere, the people, and the incredible support I saw from the 12th Man. I knew it was somewhere I could see myself growing, both on and off the field.”
Softball America: 4-star, No. 68 overall, No. 17 pitcher, No. 1 player in Oklahoma
Club: Plays for Hotshots National Nelson 18u and is coached by Nathan Nelson
In 2023, Griffin was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Alliance National Championship
In 2024, she was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Alliance National Championship, rated the No. 7 in the class of 2027 by Extra Inning, was a two-time Alliance Player of the Month and named to the Underclass All-America Team by MaxPreps
In 2025, she was Alliance Player of the Month (January), named to Fastpitch Watch Top 25 Pitcher, Top Gun 16u All-Tournament Team, CFL Top Club National – Pitcher of the Tournament and TCS CO Fireworks/Sparkler 16U 1st Team All-Tournament Team
High School: Four-year letterwinner for Chris Ray at Tahlequah High School where she owns the career strikeouts record with 1,323
Led Tahlequah to its first-ever Oklahoma Class 5A state championship in 2026 and earned all-state, district player of the year and Gatorade Oklahoma Player of the Year honors. Compiled a 27-2 record with a 0.34 ERA in 164.1 innings.
As a junior, she earned PNTV 5A all-state and district player of the year honors while leading the Tigers to the state semifinals. She was named the Player of the Year for softball by the Tulsa World
As a sophomore, she was received district pitcher of the year and was named to the All-Tulsa World softball team after compiling a 27-5 record with 362 strikeouts and a 0.76 ERA. She was also named the PNTV 4A Young Gun Pitcher of the Year
As a freshman, she was the district pitcher of the year, Muskogee Phoenix pitcher of the year and was the only freshman or sophomore named to the All-Tulsa World softball team after compiling an 18-9 record with 321 strikeouts and a 0.92 ERA

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