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Texas A&M Aggies Land SEC Pitcher From Transfer Portal

The Texas A&M Aggies softball team has added a commitment from the transfer portal.

Olivia Sims

May 6, 2025; Athens, GA, USA; Missouri starting pitcher/relief pitcher Taylor Pannell (78) pitches during a game against Ole Miss at Jack Turner Softball Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images
May 6, 2025; Athens, GA, USA; Missouri starting pitcher/relief pitcher Taylor Pannell (78) pitches during a game against Ole Miss at Jack Turner Softball Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images / Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

After losing star pitcher Emiley Kennedy to the inaugural season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), the Aggies needed to add some strength to the bullpen.

Head coach Trisha Ford did just this by going into the transfer portal and picking up left-handed pitcher Taylor Pannell out of the transfer portal, she announced on social media.

Pannell, entering her fourth year of college softball, has pitched the last three seasons at Missouri, compiling an overall 2.75 ERA over 129.2 innings pitched, Although Mizzou had a less than ideal season going 25-31, Pannell ended the year with a career-high 69 strikeouts.

exas A&M head coach Trisha Ford talks to officials ahead of the NCAA D1 Softball Tournament Regional.
Texas A&M head coach Trisha Ford talks to officials ahead of the NCAA D1 Softball Tournament Regional against Saint Francis University at Davis Diamond at Texas A&M University on Friday, May 16, 2025 in College Station, Texas. / Aaron E. Martinez / American Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During her freshman and sophomore year, Pannell served as Missouri's primary closer, earning 6 saves as a freshman and matching the NCAA DI record in 2024 with 15. Her junior season, she had seven starts in 33 appearances, picked up three saves and three complete games.

This pick up out of the transfer portal should do wonders for the Aggies, as they relied on Kennedy for the majority of the season as she finished the 2025 season with a 21-6 record. A&M's bullpen as of now consists of some very talented young arms, but it's always good to have a veteran in the mix.

Alongside Kennedy, the Aggies lost senior Emily Leavitt who had 17 apperances this previous season with a 2.54 ERA. With the departure of two seniors, the Aggies are left with incoming senior Grace Sparks, incoming junior Sidne Peters and two incoming sophomores Sydney Lessentine and Kate Munnerlyn.

With the addition of an experienced pitcher, Ford will most likely look to get her in as many games as possible whether that be primarily as a closer or just get as many innings as possible out of the bullpen.

This will be Pannell's fourth season of college softball, which could be her last, hoping to help carry the Aggies to the postseason behind her powerful and experienced arm.

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Olivia Sims
OLIVIA SIMS

Olivia Sims is an ambitious writer covering for Texas A&M Aggies on SI. Olivia is a junior communications student at Texas A&M, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree and a certificate in social media. Olivia was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, into a diehard sports family where she grew up going to Spring Training for baseball each year and spending endless Saturdays on the couch watching college football. Her love for covering A&M athletics comes from the dedicated sports fan she is, as well as the love and respect she has for A&M as a whole.

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