When was last time Texas A&M softball made the WCWS? Aggies aiming for first trip since 2017
The Lone Star Showdown is one of college athletics' richest rivalries, one that's set to be renewed on the softball diamond in the NCAA Tournament super regional round this weekend in Austin.
Putting together three wins in the Bryan-College Station Regional last weekend against Albany and Texas State, No. 16 seed Texas A&M will now play for a chance to head up to Oklahoma City for the Women's College World Series. But the task at hand won't be easy: The Aggies must first take down the Reese Atwood and top-seeded Texas at Red & Charline McCombs Field in the best-of-three series.
MORE: Watch Texas A&M vs. Texas in the 2024 NCAA Softball Super Regionals with Fubo (free trial)
For the Aggies — who are led by Koko Wooley (.389/.436/.465) at the plate and Emiley Kennedy (1.57 ERA, 23-10 record) in the circle — this is the furthest they have made it in an NCAA Tournament since 2018. Texas A&M has not made it past this round of the postseason since 2017, their last appearance in the WCWS.
With that, here's what you need to know about the Aggies' WCWS history as the super regional round of the NCAA Softball Tournament begins on Friday:
When was the last time Texas A&M softball made WCWS?
The last time that Texas A&M advanced to the WCWS was in 2017, when the 9 seed Aggies defeated 8 seed Tennessee 2-1 in the best-of-three Super Regional series. Texas A&M lost 8-1 in Game 1 before taking back Games 2 and 3 with scores of 6-5 and 5-3, respectively. With that, the Aggies made their first trip to Oklahoma City since the 2008 college softball season.
However, the Aggies' stay in Oklahoma was short-lived that year: They got run-ruled 8-0 in five innings against the eventual national runners up Florida in their first game, then 8-2 lost to UCLA in their elimination game.
Texas A&M softball WCWS history
Heading into the 2024 NCAA Softball Tournament, Texas A&M has eight WCWS appearances on its resume.
Texas A&M first appeared in the WCWS in 1983, the same year it won its first national championship. To make the WCWS that season, the Aggies had to just defeat Kansas in the first round of the NCAA Softball Tournament, as the super regional round was not part of the postseason format. Texas A&M blanked the Jayhawks 5-0 and 1-0 in the best-of-three Central Regional to make the WCWS.
The Aggies then appeared in the WCWS four additional times in the 1980s under former coach Bob Brock. Former coach Jo Evans, who took over the program in 1997, led Texas A&M to Oklahoma City three times in 2007-08 and 2017, including a runner-up finish in 2008 to Arizona State.
Here's a full list of when Texas A&M has made an appearence in the WCWS, including their ultimate result:
WCWS record listed in parentheses
1983: WCWS champions (5-1)
1984: WCWS runners up (4-2)
1986: WCWS runners up (3-2)
1987: WCWS champions (5-1)
1988: 1-2
2007: 0-2
2008: WCWS runners up 3-3
2017: 0-2
How many WCWS titles does Texas A&M softball have?
National championship titles: 1983 and 1987
Texas A&M has won two NCAA national championship titles in the history of its program: one in 1983, and the other in 1987.
In 1983, the Aggies defeated Cal State Fullerton 2-0 in 12 innings to win their first national championship, capping off five straight wins for Texas A&M after losing to South Carolina in the opening game of the WCWS that season.
Texas A&M's next title came in 1987, when the Aggies went 5-1 in WCWS play. They lost to in the third game of the WCWS, then won three straight — including two vs. UCLA in the championship series — to claim the program's second NCAA championship.
The Aggies have finished as the runner-up at the WCWS on three different occasions in 1984, 1986 and 2008.
Note: Texas A&M won the AIAW national championship in 1982, but that is not a recognized national championship title by the NCAA, as it was the last year of the AIAW Tournament. The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) used to be the governing body for women's collegiate sports before the NCAA began sponsoring them in 1982.
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Has Texas A&M been to WCWS before? Aggies history in NCAA Tournament
