Texas A&M's Trisha Ford 'blessed' to reach the 500-win milestone

Sixth-ranked Texas A&M softball returns to Davis Diamond after a road sweep of Auburn last week. Head coach Trisha Ford joined Wednesday's edition of TexAgs Live to discuss A&M's outing on The Plains and preview the upcoming three-game set with No. 24 Alabama.

Key notes from Trisha Ford interview

• I felt like in the first game, we had some bumps, but we overcame them, and I thought Emiley Kennedy was fantastic this weekend. She was lights out and kept us in both the games. On Sunday, she was even better than she was on Friday. It was good to get Sidne Peters back on the hump. Overall, it was a great weekend.
   
• Wins in this league are at a premium. I talked to the team about that after Saturday's win. You have to take them whenever you can get them.
   
• Of all of the SEC teams, they are all ranked in the top 30 in our sport. For us, it is a great way for us to prepare for the postseason. Every weekend is a regional or super regional type of weekend. These could be World Series matchups. Getting so many of those great reps of facing good arms, good defense, how to adjust pitch by pitch, at-bat by at-bat, and then day one, day two, day three. These are really good reps that most people in our sport don't have if they aren’t in a conference like this. We get a lot of reps that help prepare us for the postseason.
   
• Who would have thought two home runs? Amari Harper is not that kid, but she has been someone who has been very steady in our lineup. She continues to work. She plays second base, first base and outfield for us. We are trying to get these pieces together. Mac Barbara, Mya Perez and Harper.
   
• Frankie Vrazel has been lights out as well. We are just trying to put these pieces together. We are going to start to see those pieces move a little bit. Vrazel obviously was a starter for us to begin the season. She broke her finger and had to take some time to rest. We’re really excited to add her back into our toolbox.
   
• If you don't have momentum, defense can bring you momentum. Strikeouts bring you momentum. Big defensive plays bring you momentum. We had a big play at the plate and a c couple of double-play balls. This weekend, we made some big pitches in some big areas, but really, what led to our momentum on our side was our defensive play.
   
• Koko Wooley was electric. She continues to do great things. I think you have to find ways to win in this league. Sometimes it's pitching. Sometimes it is defense, and sometimes it is offensive. Usually, you have to have two of those things to click in order to win, so for me, that defensive piece is huge for us.
   
• I think Kennedy is starting to find her rhythm. We were talking as a staff about how she started off this year really well and then hit a little bump. Really, it was just getting her head right. She is down a little bit of innings from last year, which is on purpose. I feel like she is starting to hit her stride. In theory, that's what we want. We want her in a good spot for postseason play. In the circle, we didn't have to use a lot of arms. This weekend, we are going to have our hands full, so I am excited to get back in front of the 12th Man.
   
• The 500th win means I have good players and good assistants. I feel very blessed to be able to do this as a profession. I enjoy it. I hope to spend more years here in Aggieland and bring a lot more wins here. It's really never about me.
   
• I'll be up here prepping and watching Alabama and Florida State on my office television. It will be a good game. I am excited to see what happens.
   
• It's not about me. I have a good husband. My kiddos understand what I do. For me, Jeff Harger makes fun of me a little when it comes to watching film, but I really want to make sure I am as prepared as possible so that I know the lineups back and forth. I want to see the opponents’ habits. What are our strengths? That is why I am here, and I want the hitters and pitchers to know we have done everything on our end to prepare them for success. For me, I want to know that I go into every weekend knowing that I turned over every stone and every card to make us more prepared to compete at this level.
   
• Having veterans is huge. This is the first year we are the hunted. We are always the hunters, and I think we are starting to understand what that means and how to play with that target on our back. You have to come out and play your game with your intensity. Last year's loss still stings. I want it to sting a little bit. I want the Florida series to sting a little bit. I feel like those are great opportunities to get that chip on our shoulder and really go out and play Aggie softball.