With the NCAA Softball Tournament in full swing, Texas and Texas A&M wanted to dominate the best parts of the bracket, as the No. 6 and No. 1 seeds, respectively. The path to these top spots is a culmination of the season’s hard work, and is spearheaded in large part by the seniors and graduates from each team, just after walking the stage in their caps and gowns.

Down in Austin, Joley Mitchell, Ashton Maloney, and Mia Scott are part of a group of six seniors leaving the program, and key members of the Texas rotation, on and off the field. Mitchell has a hitting percentage of .393 and is on base at a 50% average, previously leading Notre Dame in hits and walks during her first three years with the Fighting Irish. Mitchell’s hitting prowess was unmistakable during Texas’s first win in the NCAA Tournament against UNC on Sunday.

“She’s just a kid who could motivate her teammates through how she played the game,” Notre Dame’s head softball coach, Kris Ganeff, said. “She would step on the field and she’d get her job done, and she would set the standard for her teammates to get the job done.”

Maloney, an outfielder and SEC All Softball All-Tournament Team member, hits at .430 and is on base for a .471 percentage. Defensively, her talent in the outfield is remarkable, with a career fielding percentage of .964.

Scott, however, is a utility player if there ever was one. She’s played every single position around the diamond, and is the first Texas player to ever do so as of the Longhorns’ Senior Day win against Kentucky.

The milestone was celebrated in the locker room, exhibiting the camaraderie and chemistry among the team, especially the seniors.

“I'm extremely proud of Mia this year," Mitchell said after the game. "She's worked super hard, and she really is a huge asset to this team."

Texas moved on to the Super Regionals and will take on No. 11 Clemson.

Less than two hours northeast in College Station, the women at Texas A&M saw their season end in an unprecedented manner on Sunday, failing to move on after losing to unranked Liberty. The Aggies are the first one-seed to not advance to the Super Regionals. Koko Wooley, Olivia Johnson and Allie Enright all saw their college careers come to an end.

The three depart from college softball alongside four other seniors. This class helped Texas A&M win the most games in a single season in program history, with 48.

A Swiss Army Knife across the infield, Wooley ended her career with a batting average of .404 and 65 hits this season. Her presence on base was undeniable, with the ability to turn one-base hits into multiple-base runs.

“I think Koko is dynamic - that she can just find a plethora of ways to get on base,” Texas A&M softball head coach Trisha Ford said.

After leaving the program as a player, Wooley plans to continue as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M, with the goal of becoming a coach.

Johnson joined the program for one season after catching for three years at Washington.

Enright, an outfielder, is another senior who led the Aggies through a successful regular season to become co-SEC champions.

“That’s a kid that puts in a lot of work and somebody that I feel like the game knows,” Ford said afterward.

In Texas, women’s sports rule with homegrown talent competing at the highest levels. Despite upsets and uncertainty, there is no doubt that the Texas and Texas A&M’s senior classes are leaving the sport better than they found it.