Trisha Ford provides fall update ahead of exhibition at Texas

Key notes from Trisha Ford interview

• There have been some good things, but also been some areas we need to work on. You practice for four weeks, and then you get into games in four to five weeks. It gives you a good reset on what you need to work on, what you are doing well, just things you can tweak and address.
   
• This year, a focus has been to get to know our squad a bit more. We are very young. The only one, Kennedy Powell, who is in her actual position, was in last year. KK Dement has moved over to shortstop. We have a senior transfer at first base in Micaela Wark, and we have Mya Perez. We have a freshman behind the plate because Ariel Kowalewski can not play yet. She has to sit for a whole year. She is only a sophomore. In the outfield, it is sophomores. This year, we are looking at what it looks like. We need reps and a lot of them.
   
• I think one of the things we talk about each year in the portal is getting athleticism out of there. Each year, we’ve gotten more athletic. Tallen Edwards was a Golden Glove at third base at Oklahoma State. Now, she’s at second base. Paislie Allen played second base at Georgia last year, and now she’s in the outfield. I think that’s the biggest piece. Finding out offensively the pieces we need and how they fit on the field.
   
• Frankie Vrazel had a breakout year last year. She’s a great kid. When Amari Harper got hurt, she competed beautifully for that spot. This year, she is going to be competing for that spot until she gets beaten out. That’s what is so great about this versatility. It raises the competition. Vrazel, this fall, has had some big games. She had a big hit against Texas State, burning the left fielder. She has some juice this year. She has the element of the short game and putting pressure on the defense. People got to see on Friday, she put a ball at the wall. She is adding to her toolbox.
   
• The first time I wrote a lineup this fall, with no Emiley Kennedy, I was like, “What?” What we were able to do was bring along some of those young pitchers from last year. Sydney Lessentine was three up and three down in her last outing. I am looking forward to seeing what she looks like this year. She can make the ball dance in the strike zone. She’s somebody who has shown that all fall. She has done a great job.
   
• Having Sidne Peters back has been huge. She was an integral part of the team last year, which obviously we were not able to access for most of the year. Having her back in the bullpen and working with her every day is good. She is more comfortable in her skin. I’d say that for all of our pitchers.
   
• You’ve seen some good outings from Grace Sparks. Last year, I’d say, and she’d say, it wasn’t her best year. She struggled. But this offseason, she worked hard, and you are seeing that drop ball go back to what it's capable of doing. It has been nice. We are going to have six arms in our bullpen, and you are going to see some very different looks, which is exciting.
   
• The biggest thing is your return and what that looks like from a team standpoint. When the transfers show up on campus, how are they integrated into the team? The majority of our transfers came in the middle of summer and were able to work out. Edwards was able to work out. That helps tremendously. Wark was finishing up school. We make sure our key players, like Dement and Perez, are connecting with those transfers and making sure that the transition is smooth. The sooner you get them to feel like this is home, Texas A&M does a good job of it. Everybody talks about that. Those two things are something we pay a lot of attention to.
   
• Maddie Sauni, I am excited about. She and my daughter played together growing up. I’ve known her since she was around nine or 10. She brings a lot of power. She has some freshman at-bats, and they’ve been big. It is just being consistent. She has a big arm. She had two big throwouts in each game, and they were huge for us. They were innings killers. I am looking forward to her growth. She has a special personality. You will see her on the field, and as you get to know her more, you will see how special she is on and off the field. She does a great job of connecting with her teammates. So when you are building a program and get better, you need to have some of those pieces in your dugout, and you sustain this push.