LEXINGTON, Kentucky (KRHD) — Texas A&M softball head coach Tricia Cullop arrived in Lexington, Kentucky, with her team ready to face Auburn in the SEC Tournament, and said the Aggies are focused on playing their brand of softball as win-or-go-home postseason play begins.
"I have a lot of prepping to do tonight, so I'll grab some food and prep away, but excited to be playing and getting tuned up for hopefully a long run here in this postseason," Cullop said.
The Aggies enter the tournament coming off a difficult series against Oklahoma, and Cullop said the team used the experience as motivation heading into Lexington.
"There were some really good things that we did in that series and some things that maybe I didn't love the way we responded," Cullop said. "We had two good days of practice. Today we practiced before we left because I just didn't know what the weather was gonna be like here."
Cullop said the team is mentally prepared for the stakes ahead.
"I can feel them, just knowing that the end is near, basically. It's win or go home from here on out. And so we know if we have a weekend like we did this last weekend, our season will be done, and I know this group really wants to continue to play on," Cullop said.
Cullop praised her pitching staff, highlighting standout performances from Kate Merland, Grace Sparks, and Taylor Pinnell, and said the unit's tight bond is one of its greatest strengths. She also addressed the injury status of pitcher Sydney Lescentine.
"She's doing good. This time of year, everybody has, they're banged up a little bit, and her and Peters have really logged a lot of innings for us, so I think right now it's just managing through it," Cullop said. "She's a tough kid, she's still got really, really good stuff."
Cullop said Lescentine's character sets her apart.
"It's never about her. It's always about her team. And like, you'll always hear her talk about, 'I just want to do really well for this team.' And I think for me, that says a lot about who she is and what kind of character she has," Cullop said.
Lineup balance and protecting Maya Perez
When asked about consistency throughout the lineup heading into the postseason, Cullop pushed back on the premise and said the Aggies have had a balanced attack.
"I think we've had a pretty balanced attack, to be honest with you. Kelsey Mathis has had a heck of a year. We've had Paisley Allen that's had some big hits," Cullop said. "What we have to do is protect Maya Perez, and I think talent had a big weekend this last weekend. Work had some really good productivity, and those pieces are important. AK has been important to us."
Cullop said the team's ability to manufacture runs is what makes them difficult to prepare for.
"What makes us so hard to just kind of prepare for is our ability to short game, move runners, hit sack flies, just those little things. Even if we're at a part of the lineup that hasn't had success, they have found ways to have productive outs," Cullop said.
Facing Auburn and the postseason resume
Cullop said the Aggies' 14 Quad 1 wins this season build a strong resume, and that the message heading into the bracket is simple regardless of the opponent.
"I don't really care who is over on the other side of the field. We have to play Aggie softball," Cullop said. "Nobody wants to have us in their regional. I always just go back to, let's go do what we do really well, and let's go be annoying and get after it."
SEC Tournament moving to neutral site
Cullop also weighed in on the SEC Tournament's move away from campus sites, calling it the right decision despite some mixed feelings.
"I absolutely agree with the decision to move it off campus. I think there's too many teams," Cullop said. "A lot of times the programs that are hosting these conference tournaments in our conference, they're also expected to host regionals the very next weekend, and so we thrash their field."
She pointed to logistical and financial challenges that come with campus hosting.
"Last year when we were in Georgia, our hotel rooms were almost $1,000 a night, like per room," Cullop said. "Really putting it into one spot that's always played there allows us to be more cost effective. It allows us to have warm-up fields."
Cullop acknowledged the charm of campus settings while embracing the change.
"Part of it is, it's nice to be on a campus. But kind of like as growth comes, you gotta change. The only thing that's constant is change, right?" Cullop said.
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