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Jami Lobpries celebrated with her teammates after the Texas A&M softball team clinched its second consecutive trip to the College World Series on Sunday with a 9-4 Super Regional tournament win over Stanford.
But Lobpries couldn’t help but linger at the Aggie Softball Complex to soak in the atmosphere one final time.
“It went by way too fast,” Lobpries said of her four years at Texas A&M. “It’s crazy. I knew Sunday would be the last game I would play on our field. I was happy to win, but it was kind of emotional. It was the last time for me to play in front of our fans and I’m going to miss that.”
Lobpries has already earned her degree in sports management from Texas A&M and will be back in College Station in the fall to begin graduate studies.
Lobpries isn’t quite ready to return to her Wharton home and spend a summer without playing softball while “being a normal person for the first time in forever.”
She’s anxious to help the Aggies improve on last year’s performance at the College World Series when they open play today at 2 p.m. against Virginia Tech at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
“Last year was our first trip to the World Series in like 20 years,” Lobpries said of the Aggies, who were eliminated last season after losing their first two games. “I think we were so happy just to get there. This year, we have something to prove.”
BIG ROLE IN AGGIES’ SUCCESS
The Aggies compiled a 54-7 record during Lobpries’ senior season, which has been her most productive.
She started 56 games, mostly in the outfield, and hit .250 with two home runs, two triples, eight doubles and 29 RBIs, while stealing 13 bases in 14 attempts. She committed only one error for the second consecutive season and had a fielding percentage of .973.
“This year has been a lot of fun. It’s been the most fun since I’ve been here,” Lobpries said. “I’ve been in the lineup more than I ever had, I’ve been healthy and, numbers-wise, this year has been the best.”
Texas A&M coach Jo Evans credits Lobpries with playing a big role in the Aggies’ success.
“Jami has had a great year,” Evans said. “Every athlete dreams of going out on top and having their best season as a senior. She has shown great leadership and has been willing to play wherever we need her. She definitely made a positive impact on the program over the past four years.”
Lobpries was thankful for the opportunity to play at Texas A&M after helping to lead Wharton to the state softball tournament her junior and senior years. Her mother, father, older sister and aunt attended Texas A&M.
“It’s been a dream come true for me,” Lobpries said. “I’ve been able to get my degree and become part of the Aggie family. My parents have been so supportive. They haven’t missed a game this year. I’ve had a lot of fun with my classmates. We not only play together, we’ve also become good friends.”
Lobpries realizes the Aggies will face a challenge against Virginia Tech pitcher Angela Tincher, who has become the third pitcher in NCAA history to record 2,000 career strikeouts.
“We know she’s a great pitcher, but we’ve faced some of the best pitchers,” Lobpries said. “Basically, the thing we need to do is don’t change what we’ve been doing all year. We just have to continue to be ourselves. The whole season our ultimate goal has been to win a national championship. To do that, we’re going to have to get past them.”
LEAVING A LEGACY
Lobpries would love to leave Oklahoma City with a medal. But regardless of how the Aggies fare at the World Series, she’s already done her part toward building a tradition of success.
“We always had great support, but the last couple of years our fan following has been huge,” Lobpries said. “Whenever you go out to eat in College Station, people recognize you and congratulate you. Our coach always said we seniors are leaving our legacy. We’re leaving the program better. It’s been nice to be a part of that.”
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.