Through nearly seven innings in Knoxville, Tenn., no runner crossed home plate in a tight series opener last Thursday between Texas A&M and the Lady Vols.
Third baseman Kennedy Powell approached her fourth at-bat of the game with none on and two outs. Keeping the Aggies offense alive, she slapped a 1-1 pitch toward Tennessee third baseman Taylor Pannell, who couldn’t scoop on the charge.
Shortstop Koko Wooley was next and slammed another 1-1 pitch into left center field. The ball bouncing off the warning track gave Powell more than enough time to slide like a penguin into home plate for the Aggies to take the lead.
And eventually, the 1-0 win.
With a .368 batting average and zero home runs this season, Powell is not typically known for her power. But throughout her career at Texas A&M and previously at UCLA, the Conroe native has played a key role in strong offenses. The win against Tennessee, which helped solidify A&M as the top-ranked team in terms of RPI, was just another example of how important Powell’s speed and on-base skills are.
“I’m always trying to get to second base, so if teammates do hit a gap, or if they do hit a ball up the middle, I can give my team a chance to score,” Powell, a junior, said.
She’s not just speedy, Powell is savvy
As the team’s leadoff hitter, Powell is instrumental in A&M scoring the 19th-most runs in the country this season. Powell’s speed and “ultra focus” spark the Aggies, leading the team in runs (56) and being a perfect base-stealer (19-19).
Powell’s focus was on display a few weeks ago when the Aggies swept LSU. She went 4-for-8 with four hits, four hit by pitches and six runs scored over the series. She and weight-lifting partner Wooley are tied for second on the team in hits by pitch at 13.
“Coach (Trisha) Ford talks to us about playing seven hard innings of softball … you know, kind of take care of business early,” Powell said in an exclusive interview last month with the American-Statesman.
Once she gets the green light to steal from her coaches, Powell tries to get a good jump off the bag and will peek at the catcher to determine her next steps.
“It’s kind of like a feel. If I see the catcher’s already got the ball and are already getting the throw, I’m probably going to go headfirst, but then, if I see the ball still getting there … I go feet first,” Powell said.
She stole one base in the April series against LSU, but Powell’s base-running included a seventh-inning insurance run to secure the 9-7 win.
“She is a gamer, and I always say this base-running wins and loses you ball games,” Ford said.
Powell, who was a Pac-12 all-freshman selection for UCLA, has scored 23 runs and stolen nine bases this season in conference play.
“I just run the bases aggressively, but I also run them smart… I want to make sure that I’m making the right decisions and not just giving up outs on the base,” Powell said.
Aggies eye glory in SEC, NCAA Tournament
The LSU series in April helped propel the Aggies to No. 1 in the national rankings and atop the NCAA’s RPI rankings, which helps determine the 16 seeded teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Powell’s ability to get on (she owns a .427 on-base percentage) and steal bases is part of what makes the Aggies’ offense unique. Over a team-high 167 at-bats, she’s struck out just 12 times. Not making outs is important in front of sluggers Mya Perez and Mac Barbara, who are each among the top 40 in the country in RBIs per game.
“(Powell) is ultra-competitive, and so those ultra-competitive kids get really focused in big games,” Ford said.
She scored three runs in A&M’s two wins over Tennessee last weekend.
“My goal is to always get in scoring position,” Powell said.
After finishing the regular season in a 2-1 series against Tennessee, the Aggies are the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament in Athens, Ga. Their first game of the tournament is Thursday and they play the winner of Alabama and South Carolina.
If the Aggies plan to go far in the postseason, they will need “ultra focus” from the team and Powell to qualify for the College Softball World Series for the first time since 2017.
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas A&M softball: Kennedy Powell has profound effect on offense
Through nearly seven innings in Knoxville, Tenn., no runner crossed home plate in a tight series opener last Thursday between Texas A&M and the Lady Vols.
Third baseman Kennedy Powell approached her fourth at-bat of the game with none on and two outs. Keeping the Aggies offense alive, she slapped a 1-1 pitch toward Tennessee third baseman Taylor Pannell, who couldn’t scoop on the charge.
Shortstop Koko Wooley was next and slammed another 1-1 pitch into left center field. The ball bouncing off the warning track gave Powell more than enough time to slide like a penguin into home plate for the Aggies to take the lead.
And eventually, the 1-0 win.
With a .368 batting average and zero home runs this season, Powell is not typically known for her power. But throughout her career at Texas A&M and previously at UCLA, the Conroe native has played a key role in strong offenses. The win against Tennessee, which helped solidify A&M as the top-ranked team in terms of RPI, was just another example of how important Powell’s speed and on-base skills are.
“I’m always trying to get to second base, so if teammates do hit a gap, or if they do hit a ball up the middle, I can give my team a chance to score,” Powell, a junior, said.
She’s not just speedy, Powell is savvy
As the team’s leadoff hitter, Powell is instrumental in A&M scoring the 19th-most runs in the country this season. Powell’s speed and “ultra focus” spark the Aggies, leading the team in runs (56) and being a perfect base-stealer (19-19).
Powell’s focus was on display a few weeks ago when the Aggies swept LSU. She went 4-for-8 with four hits, four hit by pitches and six runs scored over the series. She and weight-lifting partner Wooley are tied for second on the team in hits by pitch at 13.
“Coach (Trisha) Ford talks to us about playing seven hard innings of softball … you know, kind of take care of business early,” Powell said in an exclusive interview last month with the American-Statesman.
Once she gets the green light to steal from her coaches, Powell tries to get a good jump off the bag and will peek at the catcher to determine her next steps.
“It’s kind of like a feel. If I see the catcher’s already got the ball and are already getting the throw, I’m probably going to go headfirst, but then, if I see the ball still getting there … I go feet first,” Powell said.
She stole one base in the April series against LSU, but Powell’s base-running included a seventh-inning insurance run to secure the 9-7 win.
“She is a gamer, and I always say this base-running wins and loses you ball games,” Ford said.
Powell, who was a Pac-12 all-freshman selection for UCLA, has scored 23 runs and stolen nine bases this season in conference play.
“I just run the bases aggressively, but I also run them smart… I want to make sure that I’m making the right decisions and not just giving up outs on the base,” Powell said.
Aggies eye glory in SEC, NCAA Tournament
The LSU series in April helped propel the Aggies to No. 1 in the national rankings and atop the NCAA’s RPI rankings, which helps determine the 16 seeded teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Powell’s ability to get on (she owns a .427 on-base percentage) and steal bases is part of what makes the Aggies’ offense unique. Over a team-high 167 at-bats, she’s struck out just 12 times. Not making outs is important in front of sluggers Mya Perez and Mac Barbara, who are each among the top 40 in the country in RBIs per game.
“(Powell) is ultra-competitive, and so those ultra-competitive kids get really focused in big games,” Ford said.
She scored three runs in A&M’s two wins over Tennessee last weekend.
“My goal is to always get in scoring position,” Powell said.
After finishing the regular season in a 2-1 series against Tennessee, the Aggies are the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament in Athens, Ga. Their first game of the tournament is Thursday and they play the winner of Alabama and South Carolina.
If the Aggies plan to go far in the postseason, they will need “ultra focus” from the team and Powell to qualify for the College Softball World Series for the first time since 2017.
Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas A&M softball: Kennedy Powell has profound effect on offense
