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Louisiana Tech stuns No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 10 Texas Tech falls in wild day of softball
Friday’s softball slate did not disappoint, with ranked teams falling, statement wins, and dramatic finishes across the country.
Here’s a look at the biggest results from all of the action.
Louisiana Tech stuns No. 4 Oklahoma State
Louisiana Tech pulled off a massive upset Friday, taking down No. 4 Oklahoma State 6-1 in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge behind a second-inning surge and dominant pitching from Allie Floyd.
The Lady Techsters (2-0) capitalized on a poor second inning from OSU (1-1), drawing four straight walks and scoring twice on a throwing error to take a commanding 4-0 lead. Floyd took care of the rest, allowing just one run on seven hits while striking out four in a complete game.
Oklahoma State’s struggles started when starter Kyra Aycock issued back-to-back bases-loaded walks to bring in two runs. A throwing error on a fielder’s choice moments later allowed two more to cross, forcing the Cowgirls to play from behind the rest of the way.
No better time for your first career hit!
💻 https://t.co/oHzWlELcS1@kiarra_sells | #HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/Ny68qqssXN
— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) February 8, 2025
RyLee Crandall provided stability out of the bullpen, retiring 12 straight batters before Louisiana Tech struck again in the sixth. A single from Carly Raley, followed by an RBI hit from Natalie Hammoude, extended the lead to 6-0.
The Cowgirls had their chances but left nine runners stranded. Their lone run came in the sixth when Karli Godwin led off with a double and scored on a Micaela Wark infield single.
Oklahoma State will look to bounce back quickly with a matchup against Northern Colorado next.
Mississippi State shocks No. 10 Texas Tech in extra innings
Mississippi State pulled off an early-season upset, taking down No. 10 Texas Tech 3-1 in extra innings at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
The Bulldogs broke a scoreless tie in the eighth, stringing together clutch hits to push across three runs. Kiarra Sells started the rally with an RBI single through the right side, followed by a sacrifice fly from Morgan Bernardini and an RBI single from Sierra Sacco.
Texas Tech got one back in the bottom half on Mihyia Davis’ RBI groundout, but Raelin Chaffin shut the door to seal Mississippi State’s win. Chaffin was outstanding, tossing eight innings of three-hit ball while striking out six and allowing no earned runs.
Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady was equally dominant through seven innings, striking out 12 and allowing just one hit. But the Bulldogs finally cracked her in extras, making the most of their opportunities.
The Red Raiders managed only three hits all night and stranded six runners. Alana Johnson’s first-inning double was Texas Tech’s lone extra-base hit.
With the win, Mississippi State notched its first ranked victory of the season, while Texas Tech will look to bounce back in its next game at the tournament.
RANKINGS: View the latest softball rankings
Texas A&M rallies late to outslug Baylor
No. 7 Texas A&M powered past No. 19 Baylor with a late offensive surge, securing a 10-7 victory Thursday at Davis Diamond.
The Aggies (3-0) trailed 7-1 after four innings before erupting for four runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth. Rylen Wouley and Rylen Powell sparked the comeback, each driving in runs, while Trinity Barbara sealed the win with a two-run homer in the sixth.
Baylor (2-1) built an early lead behind a four-run second inning, capitalizing on timely hits from McKenzie Flores and Emily Dawson. The Bears extended their advantage to 7-1 in the fourth, but their bats went quiet as A&M’s bullpen capitalized.
Aggies reliever Emiley Kennedy tossed two scoreless innings to earn the win, while Baylor’s pitching staff struggled to slow A&M’s rally, allowing nine runs in the final two frames.
A&M’s aggressive base running and hitting proved the difference, with Vrazel and Dement combining for three extra-base hits and four RBIs.
The Aggies remain unbeaten and will look to keep rolling as the tournament continues, while Baylor aims to rebound in its next matchup.
Duke dominates Mississippi State in run-rule shutout
No. 8 Duke rolled to an 8-0 run-rule victory over No. 24 Mississippi State in five innings at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
Kairi Rodriguez set the tone early, launching a three-run homer in the first inning to put the Blue Devils (2-0) in command. Duke added two more in the second, highlighted by an RBI double from Aminah Vega.
The offense kept rolling in the third as Rodriguez and Amiah Burgess notched back-to-back singles, setting up another score. Burgess later added an RBI infield single in the fourth before Ana Gold dashed home during a rundown to cap the scoring.
Duke ace D’Auna Jennings dominated in the circle, tossing five shutout innings with three strikeouts while allowing just four hits. Mississippi State (1-1) struggled to generate offense, managing only one extra-base hit — a double from Kiarra Sells.
Bulldogs starter Josey Marron gave up five runs in just 1.2 innings, and reliever Lexi Sosa allowed three more over 2.1 innings.
OPENING DAY RECAP: Oklahoma’s go-ahead grand slam, Jordy Bahl and Nebraska’s domination launch the softball season
No. 15 Missouri shuts out No. 20 Northwestern
No. 15 Missouri opened its 2025 campaign with a statement, blanking No. 20 Northwestern 3-0 behind a dominant outing from junior pitcher Cierra Harrison at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
Harrison delivered a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits while striking out six in her season debut. She kept the Wildcats off balance all night, limiting them to just one runner in scoring position.
Missouri capitalized on a first-inning Northwestern error to take an early lead before Stefania Abruscato extended the advantage with an RBI infield single in the second. The Tigers tacked on an insurance run in the sixth when Claire Cahalan roped a two-out triple and scored on a base hit from Hannah Crenshaw.
Northwestern’s best chance came in the fourth when leadoff hitter Ava Avvisato, who finished 3-for-3, doubled to start the inning. But Harrison responded with a strikeout and two flyouts to strand the runner.
Northwestern starter Riley Grudzielanek battled through six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out three.
NEW ERA: Getting to know the ‘new’ Oklahoma softball
No. 24 Maryland routs No. 21 Cal with early surge
No. 24 Maryland wasted no time making a statement, scoring six runs in the first three innings to knock off No. 21 California 6-3 in the Kajikawa Classic. The win marks Maryland’s first of the season.
Mazie MacFarlane powered the Terps at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs, including a two-run double in the third that gave Maryland a commanding 6-1 lead. Sam Bean and Madison Runyan each chipped in RBI singles, while Caitlyn Cornwell added a hit, an RBI, and a stolen base.
Cal struggled to respond early but found some life late. Kaylee Pond launched her first home run of the season in the sixth, and Tatum Bell had an RBI single in the third, but Maryland starter Julia Shearer held the Bears in check. The lefty went the distance, striking out three while allowing three runs on six hits for her third career complete game.
After a rough start, Cal’s pitching settled down. Annabel Teperson entered in the fourth and shut down Maryland’s offense, recording two strikeouts and not allowing a hit the rest of the way.
Maryland will face Miami (Ohio) next, while Cal will look to bounce back in a doubleheader against Utah and a rematch with the Terps.
Delaware shocks No. 22 Michigan for historic win
Delaware made history Thursday, defeating No. 22 Michigan 8-2 at the USF Rawlings Invitational for its first-ever win over a ranked opponent.
The Blue Hens (2-2) jumped on Michigan (0-1) early, plating five runs in the first inning. After loading the bases on a single and two hit batters, Delaware capitalized with a two-run double from Lexi Shaffer, an RBI double from Chloe Blantz, and a fielder’s choice to take a commanding lead.
Michigan had opportunities but struggled to convert, leaving 13 runners on base and going scoreless with the bases loaded in the fourth and sixth innings. The Wolverines’ only runs came on a passed ball in the first and a seventh-inning error.
Delaware’s pitching was key. Grace Kerwood tossed 4.2 innings and allowed just one unearned run while escaping multiple jams. Taylor Hess closed out the final 2.1 innings, sealing the upset.
Shaffer led the offense, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, while Hess, Blantz, and Sydney Cahalan each had multi-hit performances.
The Blue Hens extended their lead with runs in the fourth and fifth innings, cruising to a historic win. They’ll now face No. 3 Florida on Friday, while Michigan looks to rebound from a rough season opener.
Texas
All is calm at the Texas Capitol, at least at holiday ornament time
AUSTIN — In a state where political fights rarely take a holiday, one small tradition offers a respite, wrapped in gold, glitter and goodwill.
Hanging from the boughs of Christmas trees across Texas, annual ornaments featuring the Texas State Capitol capture the beauty of the season and the history of the state, without the bluster and bile that typically characterize life under the pink dome.
Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas, has one on his tree for each year he’s served in the Legislature, where he was first sworn in a few weeks after Christmas in January 2005. Each season, he buys roughly 30 more to give away, a tradition he says transcends party labels.
“They are amazing. It’s the ideal Christmas gift,” he said, making his best holiday sales pitch. “A surefire way to please constituents and mothers-in-laws across the political spectrum.”
Nelda Laney, wife of then-House Speaker Pete Laney, launched the ornament tradition in 1996 with designs created by the Texas State Preservation Board, the steward of the Capitol and other historic state buildings.
Now, the board’s retail team spends at least two-thirds of the year overseeing the annual design, according to the Texas Capitol Gift Shop website. The board runs three shops: one in the underground Capitol extension, one in the Bob Bullock Museum of Texas History and one in the Capitol Visitors’ Center on the south side of the grounds.
The 2025 Texas State Capitol Christmas ornament features a design that’s a throwback to the original design from 1996.
Texas State Capitol Gift Shop
Over the years, the team has produced dozens of iconic ornaments, made of metal or granite, in flat relief or 3D, some lit up, some mobile. The final designs range from shiny metal locomotives to intricately designed granite miniatures of the entire building.
The 2025 design — a view of the Capitol as seen from Congress Avenue in downtown Austin — is a throwback to the inaugural “First Edition” design in 1996, if modernized a bit.
The ornament shows the Capitol’s entire south face, decorated with holiday wreaths and Yaupon Holly swags wrapped around its columns, the board’s description says. The six flags that have flown over Texas appear on the south pediment, with both the Texas and U.S. flags flying above the entrance. The 1889 Great Walk, paved in a black-and-white checkerboard pattern, is flanked by a grand allée of trees, leading visitors inside.
Texas Capitol ornaments through the years
It’s one of dozens of designs that, over the years, have turned the Capitol ornament into a recognizable Lone Star collectible.
A wee statue of the Goddess of Liberty spinning inside golden rings covered in stars debuted in 2006. Three years later, it was black and gold, rectangular — the shape and feel of a tapestry — regarded as one of the more unique designs in the collection. Another from that era used a colorful disc depicting the six flags over Texas. The ornaments start at $25. The current design is fairly typical: Finished in 24-karat gold and 3.5 inches by 3.4 inches.
Older ornaments can be purchased in sets of miniatures. They are available online through the board. The money goes to the preservation board, a taxpayer-funded state agency that releases a new specialty Texas-themed ornament every year.
The ornament release has become a ritual for many, from Capitol employees to repeat customers who buy the ornament every year as gifts.
“A lot of people will come in and buy six because they give one to each family member every year,” said Lisa Gentry, shop manager. “Sometimes they buy the year of their child’s birth. There’s a lot who have a Texas tree, which is only the Texas ornaments that they’ve shopped for in our stores.”
Lawmakers as designers
Rep. Jessica González, D-Dallas, has the entire miniature collection and several annual ornaments from her four terms in office. Her favorite ornaments, she said, are the ones lawmakers design each Christmas to reflect their home districts. Those hang on the Texas House Christmas tree each season and aren’t for sale.
This year, she had two designed by Jesse Acosta and Alejandra Zendejas, co-founders of Pasos for Oak Cliff, a Dallas nonprofit that provides sneakers and other support services to underserved students.
“It’s a small but meaningful way to showcase the flavor of our community… a reminder that every district has its own voice,” González said.
On the consumer side, on a random Thursday two weeks before Christmas, the Capitol gift shop — next door to the building’s popular Capitol Grill — sold more than 300 of the shiny 2025 Texas Capitol keepsakes.
That one design. In one day. In just that one shop.
“People really love them,” Gentry said the following day, as more than 100 flew off her shelves before noon. “Today it’s been nonstop.”
All the trimmings of the 2025 Texas Capitol ornament
- Design: South-facing view of the Capitol from Congress Avenue
- Finish: 24-karat gold
- Size: About 3.5 inches by 3.4 inches
- Price: Starts at $25
Where they’re sold
- Capitol gift shop (underground extension)
- Bob Bullock Museum of Texas History
- Capitol Visitors’ Center
- Online through the Preservation Board
Where the money goes
Proceeds support the Texas State Preservation Board, a taxpayer-funded agency that maintains the Capitol and other historic buildings.
Texas
Texas A&M is reportedly close to hiring its new defensive staffer
The staff shake-up continues amid CFP preparation, as Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is reportedly adding another to his staff.
Soon after the news that the Aggies were expecting to hire former Arkansas defensive coordinator Travis Williams, Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported that former Rutgers co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Zach Sparber would be added to the staff in some capacity. Sparber is very familiar with new Texas A&M DC Lyle Hemphill, having worked with him at JMU and Duke.
It is an interesting hire, as similar to Travis Williams, Sparber is also coming off a defensive staff that was let go after bottom-of-the-conference defensive performances. However, before joining the staff at Rutgers, he helped James Madison’s team rank 21st nationally in scoring defense as the linebackers coach. While his official role has not yet been announced, his experience with Hemphill should help with continuity heading into next season.
No. 7-seed Texas A&M hosts the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (10-2) in a CFP first-round game at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20, at Kyle Field. The game can be viewed on ABC/ESPN.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.
Texas
How to get tickets for #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Miami in College Playoff 1st round
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The 10th-ranked Miami Hurricanes hit the road for College Station for a Saturday afternoon matchup against the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The game is scheduled for noon ET (11 a.m. CT) with tickets still available to watch live.
How to get Texas A&M vs. Miami tickets for the best prices: Tickets for the Texas A&M vs. Miami playoff game are available on secondary markets Vivid Seats, StubHub, SeatGeek and Viagogo.
The lowest prices are as follows (as of Dec. 15):
- Vivid Seats starting at $375
- StubHub starting at $388
- SeatGeek starting at $315
- Viagogo starting at $345
The Aggies own the homefield advantage and are listed as 3.5-point betting favorites to play their way into the second round. Texas A&M won its first 11 straight games of the 2025 season before falling to rival No. 16 Texas (27-17) in its regular-season finale. The Aggies were battle-tested in going 7-1 in a Southeastern Conference that put five teams into the College Football Playoff field. They also join Miami as teams to beat Notre Dame this season, winning a 41-40 shootout back in Week 3.
#10 Miami (10-2) at #7 Texas A&M (11-1)
College Football Playoff 1st round
- When: Saturday, Dec. 20 at noon ET (11 a.m. CT)
- Where: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas
- Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek | Viagogo
- TV channel: ABC/ESPN
- Streaming on: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate)
The Hurricanes’ 27-24 win over then-No. 6 Notre Dame was the best line entry on the team’s résumé as the third-place finisher in the messy Atlantic Coast Conference. Miami rattled off four straight wins to close the season and showed the kind of explosive scoring offense required to stack up with Texas A&M, scoring 34-plus points in each of those four wins. The Canes closed the season with a 38-7 blowout win over then-No. 23 Pitt to strengthen their CFP case.
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