Campus is often bustling with students and faculty rushing between buildings over the course of packed semesters; however, tucked away in a corner of Texas A&M’s grounds, a quieter kind of growth unfolds on seven acres of sun-kissed land. Passing through The Gardens at A&M, also known as the Leach Teaching Gardens, one can hear a range of sounds: Shovels plowing through soil and laughter echoing between beds as bees fly past hardworking students and Bryan-College Station residents kneeling among flowery paths.
The Gardens brings together students and locals as they immerse themselves in planting, volunteering and learning alongside one another. Participating in youth programs such as “Little Sprouts,” workshops or simply spending afternoons in the sun offers a more rooted connection, according to community members and students alike.
For The Gardens Education and Outreach Coordinator Kathryn Grier, this space was implemented to serve as more than just a botanical display.
“It was intentional … keeping it open to not just the A&M community, but also the greater Bryan-College Station community,” Grier said. “[The Gardens is] serving as kind of inspiration for folks that they can take back to their own homes.”
Gardens Manager Joseph Johnson echoed this notion.
“We designed The Gardens to be an outdoor classroom and a peaceful haven,” Johnson said. “It’s open to everyone, and we want students to have a space where they can relax, learn and just enjoy being in nature.”
The organization’s inclusivity extends beyond who is welcomed as a gardener, however, offering more than just hands-on fieldwork as opportunities for learning and growth.
“Service learning is a big piece for us when it comes to volunteering,” Grier said. “So every volunteer project we have, whether that’s pulling weeds or planting or doing some seeding in the greenhouse, we always try to incorporate some sort of educational component, too.”
Since he started interning at The Gardens, horticulture senior Bobby Tyler said he has spent his time digging, planting and exploring life.
“I’ve been interning here since October, and I mean, I can’t speak enough about that impact,” Tyler said. “I just feel like I literally go touch grass and it really does have an effect on you. It’s a very soothing experience.”
Several days a week, Tyler helps plant flowers, seasonal shrubs and other types of vegetation, sprinkling color onto the grounds. Occasionally, some visitors will pause to thank the interns for their efforts, and Tyler said finds it gratifying to know that his work contributes to a space he himself has enjoyed during his own time as a student.
Tyler even mentioned one moment when a young lady approached him to express her gratitude and share that, though she had never been a garden person, she now found herself spending more and more time at The Gardens.
“To me, the cool part about it is the effect that a space like this has on others … because a plant nerd is a plant nerd … he’s going to love it no matter what,” Tyler said. “But to be able to show someone else how to develop an appreciation of a space like this has been very gratifying.”
The Gardens also includes heritage sections with displays of plants and garden designs representing different cultures.
SPORTS Aggies look to avoid deja vu as they welcome Penn Quakers to Olsen Field, continue undefeated season start A6
Faith-based chiropractic care
to our toes and everywhere in between and controls everything.”
By Kennedy Long
Writer
After five years away, Brooks Hill ‘20 was called back to College Station. Between the vivid visions of her move and the spiritual support found in prayer with her husband’s grandfather and pastor, everything fell into place.
Securing both a home and office space in mere weeks, Hill didn’t see a lucky streak — she saw the hand of faith guiding her back home.
Following her graduation from Texas A&M, Hill and her husband moved to Dallas in pursuit of furthering their chiropractic education; later, the couple moved to Austin with the intention of planting roots and settling down. But when the newlyweds began to see signs — or “godwinks” — to look toward Aggieland, they decided to upend all their plans and head back home.
Now, Hill spends her days at Heritage Row Chiropractic — her College Station practice, established in October 2025 — working to educate patients from all walks of life about the impact nervous system care has on their long-term well-being.
“What we do here is we focus on the way God designed our bodies,” Hill said. “God designed our bodies fully connected in many ways, but particularly through the nervous system — it runs from our head to our hands
As a practicing chiropractor, Hill said she relies on tools that are more intentional rather than simply popping and cracking to relieve pain. Her process of learning about patients’ histories, stressors and lifestyles helps her gather a full picture before going to the table.
“We want this to be kind of like a continuation of where you feel comfortable,” Hill said. “And yes, I’m Dr. Brooks, but overall, we want this to not necessarily feel like your typical doctor’s office — we want you to feel loved while you’re here.”
For the first 20 minutes of an appointment, Hill sits down with her patients to get a feel
promise that you’re not always gonna have to hear it this much — but I want you to understand everything that’s happening to you before it’s done,’” Hill said.
Taking their preferences into consideration, Hill recommends realignment options to her patients before beginning treatment. Once the proposed adjustments have been approved, Hill begins the adjustment process, talking patients through the entire appointment and detailing her expectations.
“I am never gonna promise anything in care because health is so unique to each person,” Hill said. “I’m also never going to tell you that this will heal you — God does the healing, you do the healing — I’m just here to remove stressors on the body and the nervous system and let the body do what it knows how to do.”
for where their health currently stands and their goals for the future. Whether patients are visiting Heritage Row Chiropractic for help with anxiety, digestive issues, fertility or simply optimization of health, she said most are surprised to be asked questions about brain fog, childhood experiences and even their own births.
A nervous system scan comes next, allowing Hill to get an idea of the patient’s baseline health. Then, the patient enters the adjustment room to test their range of motion and receive a palpation exam before Hill creates an adjustment plan.
“I usually tell patients towards the end, ‘I know you’re tired of hearing my voice — I
As the appointment comes to a close, Hill said she creates a plan with her patients that spans over 12 visits, gradually healing their nervous system until they reach the maintenance stage — or what Hill calls the “Legacy Club.”
To ensure these personalized plans are motivated by clinical and personal needs rather than administrative restrictions, Heritage Row Chiropractic is a cash-based practice. Collecting payment up front, Hill’s transparency allows her and her patients to focus entirely on the healing process without the dictations of insurance coverage.
Brooks Hill ‘20 performs adjustments on kinesiology senior Ellie Patrick at Heritage Row Chiropractic on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026.
Photos by Kennedy Long — THE BATTALION
Immersed in night of Indian dance
and psychology senior Samhitha Mada.
By Tejas Murali Life & Arts Writer
Valentine’s Day evening was marked by movement, color and storytelling this year with TAMU Iktara Dance Competition hosting its third-annual intercollegiate Indian showcase, themed “Iktara in Wonderland” The event, hosted at Rudder Auditorium on Feb. 14, saw 12 teams from universities across the nation highlight the nuances of Indian classical dance and the appeal of Bollywood fusion in their performances featuring elaborate sets and song mixes.
Six teams performed Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and other ancient Indian dance styles to represent themes such as immigration and privilege, environmental protection and farmers’ rights. Meanwhile, the Bollywood fusion teams blended Bollywood with hip-hop and other styles to present skits ranging from popular movie storylines to fairytales. The event culminated in an exhibition of talent with performances from Indian classical dance team TAMU Sahithya and K-pop Dance Association dance crew Royal Aces.
In its first year, Iktara focused mainly on the fusion dance circuit; today, it aims to bring awareness to the diversity of Indian dance, according to Iktara Head Director
“We started with just a Bollywood fusion competition because we didn’t know if we had the scope for multiple circuits, but we saw that there were a lot of people who liked it,” Mada said. “So in our second year, we also decided to involve the classical circuit. … The hope is that in the future we continue to have multiple dance styles participate in Iktara, because I think a lot of people assume that Indian dance is just
judging looks like,” Mada said. “And so we took that as a template and also put in what we’ve noticed when we go to competitions. Some of the things that we judge are technicality and the theme of the dance, as well as the overall vision that it is able to bring to life.”
The competition has been in the works since last spring, with Iktara’s seven committees each attending to various areas of the event. One notable committee is
A lot of these people don’t have family in Texas or have family based in India. And so it’s like a piece of home, getting to watch things that they probably grew up watching.
Anoushka Prabhu Biomedical engineering senior
Bollywood fusion dance, because that’s what they see in mainstream media.”
Iktara participated in Origins, the classical dance circuit and Desi Dance Network’s Legends competition for Bollywood fusion, inviting four skilled dancers as judges for each category. Rice University’s Rasikas team took first place in the classical category while Penn State University’s JaDhoom won the fusion competition.
“These parent organizations have done a lot of work in terms of defining what
head liaison, which helps competitors from other universities feel comfortable and walks them through the procedures of the competition. According to Iktara Assistant Director and business junior Maya Bindal, getting to know people has been one of the most enjoyable parts of organizing the competition.
“I feel like I’ve made really strong connections as a part of this organization,” Bindal said. “But it’s also so nice to see that
the people who come and watch the show enjoy the sets that the teams have worked on for the whole year and feel that energy from the stage. I think it’s a really nice thing to hear about as well.”
Furthermore, while the Indian dances presented at Iktara build awareness among those unfamiliar with the art, they resonate deeply with many of A&M’s South Asian students who identify with the music, themes and dancing styles.
“I think a large part of it comes from the nostalgia of seeing things that you see while growing up,” Iktara Director and biomedical engineering senior Anoushka Prabhu said. “A lot of these people don’t have family in Texas or have family based in India. And so it’s like a piece of home, getting to watch things that they probably grew up watching.”
Many Indians have watched and learnt these dances in childhood, according to Mada. Organizing Iktara has thus been a way for the leadership, who have backgrounds in dance, to connect with their passions and encourage others to do the same.
“I remember one of the intermissions of the show when I was just walking around, and I heard somebody say that they really have missed dancing and wanted to go back into it,” Mada said. “And I think they ended up auditioning for one of the teams, which was really nice, because being able to connect our community together here at A&M was something that was really important to me starting this organization, and so to see that coming to life has been nice.”
Photos by Tilly Hillje — THE BATTALION Clockwise from top: Nrityamala, Pittsburgh’s premier competitive Indian classical dance team, performs during the “Iktara in Wonderland” competition in Rudder Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. UMD Moksha, University of Maryland’s competitive premier Indian classical dance team, performs during the “Iktara in Wonderland” competition in Rudder Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. UMD Moksha, University of Maryland’s competitive premier Indian classical dance team, performs during the “Iktara in Wonderland” competition in Rudder Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Rice Rasikas, Rice University’s remier Indian classical dance team, performs during the “Iktara in Wonderland” competition in Rudder Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026.
The pictures that have bubbled up on my Pinterest feed include a girl holding a Mai Tai on the beach, wearing platform flip flops, framed through beaded seashell cur tains fit with a matching ocean view. Maybe this goes to show I gravitate toward a care free life concerned more with young travel experiences than first jobs.
Put that against my friends’ boards, and there’s an array of various dream lives, in cluding pictures of coffee in New York City and a quiet, rustic farmhouse. One chas es the corporate ladder as a domineering young woman, while the other is sweet and modest focused on family. Each of us has a niche set of words smashed together to make us seem cool in a stand-out way — a part of the crowd, but only as a trailblazer who did it first.
Free of the pressures to post yourself to keep up the facade of your life, Pinterest offers an escape through which we get to craft perfect worlds with strangers’ grandi ose pictures.
Launched in 2008, Pinterest has stood the test of time; as it turns out, people never get tired of dream boards and pretty pictures. If we were sick of curating better fashion styles or interior designs, the app may have hit the hay, but still stands strong in 2026. And like any other company that wants to stay relevant, Pinterest has turned to AI to increase user satisfaction. As a result, their app has been overtaken by more adver tisements than ever before as brands have the opportunity to craft collages that are more personalized to users, causing the sheer number of promotions to rise. AI has seeped further into the marketing side of the app; even the classic pictures posted by people for inspiration are analyzed by Pin terest to create a list of similar items that are readily available for purchase by the user.
An app meant to help with inspira tion, it is no longer there as a service for creative minds. Pinterest is now a battle ground for hungry brands attempting to breed the consumeristic lifestyle Ameri cans cannot seem to leave in the past.
I take this influx of inescapable adver
tisements and push for AI as an opportunity to denounce the absolute inability for us to ever use this app in a thoughtful manner, with the intention of viewing the images as building blocks to construct a better version of ourselves. As if we don’t already hear enough about
cate the “oh-so-perfect moment” captured by camera; now there’s a newly added pressure to achieve the aesthetic lifestyle of our choosing that’s so readily available at our fingertips through advertisements offering products to match our desired life and aesthetic.
on the big, overarching connections made between these brands and the lifestyles they sell us to the point of no return. Who would we be without brands telling us who we should be?
With the ease of sorting images on our Pinterest boards fueling our obsession with envisioning an absolute peak of existence, for ourselves, the need for everything to match and blend nicely together has ruined our ability to be human.
Advertisements push the notion that only certain kinds of people who participate in select activities and have specific traits buy their products.
Individuality isn’t the goal. You don’t need to be the first person to dye their hair cherry cola or be a straight-A student who wants to buy a skateboard. Stereotypes have plagued humanity over and over again, and with the introduction of this lifestyle marketing, the boxed-in mentality of Gen-Z’s aesthetics doesn’t seem to be disappearing anytime soon — it is a painful reminder to stay in the line of societal expectations and keep spending money to better fit our im-
A love of aesthetics and cohesion is not a chance to bash a woman’s love of fashion, nor is it something to be written off for the psyche that feels at ease in its safe box. Instead, this is a very specific tactic of marketing that companies may use against us as we fall in line with consumerism that blurs the fine line separating products and personality.
Fashion, decorations and even where and how we choose to vacation might be candid reflections of the people we are, but the constant push that they should always be a reflection of our souls is a poor result of an endless exposure to shopping features and flawless photos. Who you are does not come from Pinterest or any brand that sells you something. You are human, composite of a spectrum of emotions and interests that cannot be boxed in by the lifestyle marketers who take everyday items and transform them into words synonymous with personality for the purpose of money alone. An aesthetic can be so much more vast if you release yourself from the simplicity of AI driven marketing schemes.
Thea Findlay is a communication junior and opinion writer for The Battalion.
Opinion: Social media ruins relationships
Time to stop listening to every little thing TikTok tells you
By Abby Morris Opinion Writer
I’d bet most of you have seen an Instagram Reel or TikTok along the lines of one of these phrases: “10 signs you’re not a good partner,” “Five goals every couple should have” or “Things that are not normal in a relationship,” followed by the worst sugges tions you’ve ever heard.
It feels like social media has been flooded with relationship content full of unsolicited advice and absurd claims in the past few years. Unfor tunately, this content tends to do more harm than good.
While I have received good date and gift ideas through social media, the amount of negative content I’ve seen far outweighs the positive. The dark side of this content can make you question everything about your relation ship and plant seeds of doubt in your mind.
The truth is, social media isn’t helping rela tionships — it’s only hurt ing them and creating un realistic expectations.
As humans, we tend to have a negativity bias, mean we register negative stimuli more readily than positive ones. Social media capitaliz es on this by pumping out negative con tent, which in return gets more likes and shares. Algorithms consider signals such as engagement and relevance to rank posts on your feed, providing suggestions based on your activity. This means that interacting with one negative reel longer than usual can cause your feed to continue showing you content that triggers feelings of anger, sadness or doubt.
This impacts relationships by throwing us through a whirlwind of emotions. In presenting content that promotes dissatis faction with our partner’s actions, jealousy of other couples who seem happier and doubt about the strength of our relation ship, we tend to ruminate on these negative feelings; over time, resentment can build up and cause significant problems for couples.
curity onto themselves.
This is especially common in relationship content, as couples’ posts tend to be highlight reels. Our feeds show us lavish proposals, extravagant gifts and expensive date nights, making us think this is the norm. We compare ourselves to these online couples and think we’re not doing enough, or we’re not in love enough. This just feeds our insecurity and doubt, causing unnecessary problems.
post is going to look perfect. They get money from interactions; the more extreme they can make something — whether positive or negative — the better they do financially. Posts like these are made to push people to engage with them. They want you to scroll through the comments and read other people’s takes or experiences. All that time you spend on their reel is money in their pocket. These influencers are just chasing en-
perfect dates or high quality gifts — they’re about the effort.
This isn’t the only way social media harms relationships: When we use, we are constantly observing others’ lives, driving us to compare ourselves, whether unconsciously or subconsciously. People are more likely to engage with upward comparison, propelling feelings of inferiority and inse-
tions for any average relationship. More often than not, we don’t have the time or money to do these kinds of things for our partners on a regular basis, especially as busy college students.We have classes, organizations, jobs and other responsibilities. Our days don’t revolve around curating the perfect social media post. These influencer couples post their lives for a living, so, of course, everything they
love for you keeps you on their post longer; It’s a win for them and a loss for you. You shouldn’t let their extreme content get in your head. Just because a post tells you that “If your boyfriend doesn’t get you flowers every week, he doesn’t love you” doesn’t make it true. Let’s be real, what college student has the money to buy flowers that often? Flowers are expensive nowadays. In reality, relationships aren’t about the
Life isn’t perfect. People are busy with their careers, families and other responsibilities. Sometimes we don’t have the time to go on a date every week, lay rose petals down the hallway, blow up 100 balloons or light 100 candles to ask our partner to be our Valentine. This doesn’t mean we have a bad relationship — it just makes us human. We don’t have to be like influencer couples I know it can be hard to not compare yourself to people online. I’ll see a video of a guy going above and beyond for his partner — making her a bouquet the size of her head, learning how to do her nails or planning her dream vacation — and it makes me wonder if my boyfriend isn’t doing enough. This is how I know I’m way too deep into social media, because these are totally unrealistic expectations for the average person. My boyfriend is an engineer, so he’s constantly stressed and swamped with work. Yet he still manages to make me feel loved and special with little “I’m thinking of you” gifts and constant compliments. This is what should matter — a random hug, compliment, doing something nice for your partner or cooking dinner together — the little things. You don’t have to buy your partner a ton of gifts to prove you love them. You can prove this by listening to them, working together to fix problems and helping each other become the best versions of yourselves. These faux-societal expectations are ridiculous and unrelatable for most. It makes for interesting content, but it doesn’t resemble reality. Do yourself a favor and get off your phone. Better yet, delete Instagram or TikTok for a day — or forever. Stop letting some words from a video get to you.These posts are designed to get interaction; they aren’t a template for how your relationship should look. You are in charge of your life, your decisions and your relationship. Don’t give these influencers power over you. As long as you’re satisfied with what your partner is doing and you’re happy, that’s all that matters. Don’t let social media ruin everything you’ve built together — it’s not worth it.
Abby Morris is an English and political
and
Illustration by Daniela Vicente — THE BATTALION
Illustration by Daniela Vicente — THE BATTALION
balls quake
A&M seeks revenge on Penn
Apples to Appels: Aggies square off against Quakers in three-game home stand, look to extend undefeated start
By Noah Ruiz
Associate Sports Editor
After tearing through Tennessee Tech with a combined score of 45-14 on Feb.
13-15, No. 24 Texas A&M baseball remains at home to face the Penn Quakers, an old friend of sorts, who produced former AllIvy League catcher Jackson Appel — whose 26 multi-hit games were a critical cog in a Maroon and White machine that reached the 2024 national championship.
But amid a prospective rebound year for head coach Michael Earley, friendships will be few and far between as the Aggies search for a spot in the NCAA Tournament after falling far below expectations in 2025. Luckily for A&M and its fans alike, there’s hope for a bounce-back into the national spotlight.
This starts with junior center fielder Caden Sorrell, a young slugger who is quickly becoming the fear of pitching staffs everywhere. The Highland Village native dissected Tennessee Tech’s best, belting nine hits in 15 at-bats, including 10 RBIs and three home runs — two of which in the same game.
However, his production is not limited to just his bat, as his fielding percentage was unblemished in three games against the Golden Eagles, even when a diving effort was required to snag a fly ball that would have scored two runs in last Sunday’s contest. No one can deny the five-tool skill of this top MLB prospect, but one slugger is batting with even more efficiency than Sorrell: Baylor transfer and senior designated hitter Wesley Jordan. Crossing over to the other
side of the Brazos River has paid off early for Jordan, as his debut weekend with the Aggies ended with a team-best .778 batting average, putting the ball in play 7 out of his 9 times at bat.
Opening up its season on the road, Penn does not currently have a clear-cut difference maker, but that’s not for a lack of options; there are plenty of All-Ivy League selections to choose from.
Senior utility player Jarrett Pokrovsky was a unanimous selection in 2025, leading the Quakers in doubles, hits, RBIs and an outstanding .927 OPS. Not only did he lead Penn in doubles, but he dominated the entire league, setting the record for both with 24.
It’s safe to say Sorrell and Jordan will have their hands full trying to stay on pace with Pokrovsky, especially if junior left-handed pitcher Marty Coyne is called to the mound. Another unanimous selection as the Ivy League’s top relief pitcher, Coyne made 16 appearances in 2025 and struck out 49 batters in 44 innings. His 3.89 ERA was the best on the Quakers’ staff and will be a necessary piece if his squad wants to pull off an upset.
It won’t be so simple for the Quakers, however, especially whenever sophomore right-handed pitcher Aiden Sims takes the mound on Sunday, Feb. 22. In his first weekend start against Tennessee Tech, Sims put together a career performance, striking out seven batters and allowing just a single earned run off one hit.
He will need another stellar performance when he faces Pokrovsky and the Quakers, who also have junior left fielder Gavin Collins waiting to build off his 52-hit sophomore campaign.
Collins, Penn’s third all-conference choice, posted a .335 average, good for fifth-best in the Ivy League, while adding four home runs and 29 RBIs. The Aggies, too, have another junior bat itching to get back to its old glory: none other than junior first baseman Gavin Grahovac.
After posting a legendary 23-home run and 66-RBI rookie campaign, Grahovac’s sophomore season was lost to injury just six games in after belting another pair of home runs. Now in 2026, the Orange, California native is back on the diamond, batting .417 with two doubles and a homer off the Olsen Field scoreboard.
In its first weekend of action, A&M had 22 RBIs off freshmen and transfer bats, a testament to the early synergy Earley has put together in his second year at the helm of the Aggies’ program. Additionally, the Maroon and White had just two errors through their first three games, a significant improvement from the five in last season’s opening weekend.
Newcomers such as junior second baseman Chris Hacopian and freshman shortstop Boston Kellner have put their names at the forefront of A&M fans’ radar, accounting for eight RBIs and nine hits. The latter, despite his young age, has played like a veteran in his short time as an Aggie, knocking down four doubles and RBIs.
As for Hacopian, the former All-Big Ten slugger came out of his Terrapin shell to display a maroon-and-white offensive explosion, slashing a .444 average and four RBIs in two games before an illness kept him in the dugout for Sunday’s contest.
The matchup between the Aggies and Quakers will be the second series at Blue Bell Park in four years, and A&M will be hungry for revenge, as will assistant coach and former 12th Man Troy Claunch. Nicknamed “Clutch Claunch” for his efforts in the Aggies’ 2022 season — during which they reached the College World Series — Claunch’s squad lost its three-game home series to Penn.
Ironically enough, this
SPORTS
A&M heads out west for third tournament
Aggies manifesting destiny: panning for gold at 5-game Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
By Brody Vaughn Sports Writer
Entering the middle of tournament season, No. 13 Texas A&M softball will head to the West Coast to take part in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, California, at the Field of Dreams Sports Park. The Aggies look to add a quartet of ranked wins to their victory repertoire from a difficult weekend schedule, taking on four top-25 opponents.
“Being on the road two weekends in a row, going coast to coast,” head coach Trisha Ford said. “And now we’re going to test the waters a little bit and what that’s going to feel like.”
A&M will head to California with a 7-3
record after falling to two ranked foes at the Shriner Children’s Clearwater Invitational. Then-No. 23 Oklahoma State and thenNo. 19 Duke both got the best of A&M in a high-scoring doubleheader, 9-8 and 8-6, respectively.
The back half of the Maroon and White’s trip to the Sunshine State saw much better results, going 3-0 against unranked opponents to bolster their record. The Aggies had no issues putting runs on the board in the tournament, plating 41 over their five contests, including eight home runs.
A&M will need to finetune its arms heading to the West Coast if it wants to best its weekend schedule. The Aggies gave up six long balls at the Clearwater Invitational, double what they gave up in their opening tournament. The 17 combined runs given up were uncharacteristic of their 2.00 ERA posted at the Aggie Classic.
A&M will open with two ranked opponents on Thursday, Feb. 19, against No. 14 Oregon and Duke. Wins in these matchups
would provide a necessary boost to its climb back into the national spotlight. Oregon enters its contest with A&M holding a 5-4 record. Similar to the Aggies, the Ducks have held their own against teams outside the top-25 but have struggled in ranked matchups, dropping close games to then-No. 4 Tennessee and then-No. 13 Stanford. Duke will be a familiar matchup for A&M, with the Blue Devils having snatched a 8-6 win over the Aggies earlier this season.
The schedule will remain tough for A&M through Friday, Feb. 20, when it takes on UC San Diego. Although unranked, the Tritons bring a 9-1 record into California, outscoring opponents 87-36 in their opening 10 games.
Saturday, Feb. 21, will see A&M take on both No. 6 Nebraska and Loyola Marymount. The Cornhuskers hold a 6-4 record, with a notable win over then-No. 1 Texas Tech, a team that beat the Aggies in opening weekend. Much like UC San Diego,
LMU is unranked but boasts a strong 10-1 record. A&M will face ITS biggest test of the weekend on Sunday, Feb. 22, when it takes on No. 11 UCLA. The Bruins have the same 7-3 record as the Aggies, but notably have losses to then-No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers and No. 7 Florida State Seminoles.
“We played one of the hardest schedules you could have played last year, and they won,” Ford said. “On the road, at home and in neutral sights. So that’s something that I’m hoping that, as we move forward, it really is a thing.”
For the Aggies, this weekend will be about continuing their offensive impact while getting the arms back on track. The Fightin’ Farmers have yet to earn a ranked win, and with many opportunities to do so this weekend, A&M will need to capitalize. The Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will kick off for A&M on Thursday, Feb. 19, when it takes on Oregon at 2:30 p.m. and continue with matchups through Sunday.
Aggies assemble veteran troops for SEC slate
A&M travels to No. 21 Tennessee, will honor seniors versus Arkansas on Sunday, Feb. 22
By Trey Bohne Sports Writer
Texas A&M women’s basketball secured a win over Auburn on Feb. 15, instilling hope after its lackluster performance in Southeastern Conference play. With four games left until the SEC Tournament, the Aggies’ season has been a rollercoaster of emotions, starting 7-2 in nonconference play followed by a disappointing 3-9 record in the SEC. Nevertheless, the Maroon and White must turn their attention to their next pair of opponents, buckling up for what may be a bumpy ride.
A&M will travel to Knoxville, Tennessee, on Thursday, Feb. 19, to face the No. 21 Tennessee Volunteers. Following their road trip, the Aggies will honor their seniors at their final Sunday home game against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sunday, Feb. 22, at Reed Arena. The Volunteers and Razorbacks present a wide range of competition for head coach Joni Taylor’s battered and bruised squad as it finishes off a tough season. The Aggies will step onto the hardwood at the Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center with a 3.5% chance of beating the Volunteers, according to ESPN Analytics. As massive underdogs, the Aggies will rely on offensive leader senior guard Ny’Ceara Pryor to lead them to victory with 15.6 points per game. After a loss to No. 4 Texas on Feb. 15, Tennessee will look for redemption against A&M in front of its heavy-hearted fanbase.
Nothing short of a tall task, the Maroon and White will square up against redshirt junior G Talaysia Cooper, who was named to the 2026 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List in January. Cooper leads the Volunteers in points per game, assists per game, steals per game and field-goal percentage.
Two and a half games back from first
place, Tennessee is ranked fourth in the SEC, with a record of 16-7 overall and 8-3 in conference play.
“We’ve got to get to shooters,” Taylor said. “We’ve got to box out. We’ve got to put pressure on them. Teams that like pressing don’t always like to be pressed, and so we’ve got to just continue to apply pressure to them.You know you’re walking into a really, really hostile environment, and they’ve lost 2 out of 3 last three. They lost to South Carolina, they beat Missouri and they lost to Texas, so you know this is the end of the season where standings come into play. Seeding comes into play, and so everybody’s fighting for something, so we’re going to have our work cut out for us. It’s a really good team.”
After facing Tennessee, A&M will head home for its final Sunday game of the season against Arkansas. The Razorbacks present a palatable competitor for the Aggies as Arkansas ranks last in the SEC, having dropped 12 games in a row in conference play. However, with an overall record of 1116, 0-12 in the SEC, Arkansas has nothing to lose, serving as a dangerous opponent for A&M if overlooked.
The Fightin’ Farmers will host Senior Day before their game against the Razorbacks. With tipoff set for 2 p.m., Aggie faithfuls are advised to arrive early for the senior festivities. A&M honors four seniors on Sunday: graduate student forward Lauren Ware, senior G Lemyah Hylton, graduate student G Jordan Webster and Pryor. Hoping to send off their seniors with a victory, the Maroon and White have a projected 73.9% chance of winning, according to ESPN Analytics.
Arkansas offensive leader senior G Taleyah Jones and defensive leader freshman G Bonnie Deas will head to College Station hoping to spoil A&M’s afternoon honors. Jones leads her team in points per game with 17.2 and a field-goal percentage of 45%, while Deas carries the weight of the defense with 9.1 rebounds per game and 1.5 steals per game. The Maroon and White will rely on junior F Fatmata
to slow the Razorbacks’ attack in their
and her team-leading 9.9 rebounds per
all-time meeting.
Janneh
game
42nd
Clockwise from top: Second baseman Tallen Edwards (44) reacts after a catch during Texas A&M softball’s game against Texas Tech at Davis Diamond on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. Catcher Maddie Sauni (92) prepares to throw the ball during Texas A&M softball’s game against Texas Tech at Davis Diamond on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. Third baseman Kennedy Powell (1) prepares for an at-bat during Texas A&M softball’s game against Abilene Christian at Davis Diamond on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.
