Senior pitcher Emily Kennedy went 21-4 this season, with an ERA of 2.68. She was incredibly reliable for the Aggies, pitching in 148.2 innings and allowing just 44 earned runs. Opposing batters struggled, hitting for an average of just 1.91.

“When you look at South Carolina, they have 17 top 25 wins and that was key in that area,” NCAA softball committee chair Kurt McGuffin told ESPN. “They went and challenged themselves all year. Six of those top 25 wins were out of conference, so we like to see teams where the nonconference and conference schedule is really challenging.”