April 27, 2006
The Texas A&M baseball team will play a three-game split series against No. 7 Texas this weekend. The winner of the series will be awarded a point in the annual State Farm Lone Star Showdown.
The first of the three games will be played at Disch-Falk Field Friday in Austin at 6:15 p.m. Games two and three shift to Olsen Field in College Station on Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Saturday's game will be televised by FOX Sports Net.
| SERIES INFO |
| GAME 1: Friday, April 28, 6:15 p.m. (CDT) Disch-Falk Field (6,649), Austin, Texas GAME 2: Saturday, April 29, 3 p.m. (CDT) GAME 3: Sunday, April 30, 2 p.m. (CDT) Olsen Field (7,053), College Station, Texas Tickets: |
| RECORDS (entering series) |
| Texas A&M: 21-23, 4-14 Big 12 (10th) Texas: 29-15, 13-4 Big 12 (2nd) |
| RANKINGS |
| Texas is ranked No. 7 by Baseball America and No. 9 by Collegiate Baseball, the NCBWA and USA Today. |
| TELEVISION (Saturday only) |
| Greg Lucas, play-by-play Jack Lazorko, commentary |
| RADIO |
| (broadcast time 30 min before first pitch) Dave South, play-by-play Chuck Glenewinkel, commentary |
| INTERNET |
| Live Stats (Fri): (texassports.com) Live Stats (Sat): (aggieathletics.com) Live Stats (Sun): (aggieathletics.com) Live Audio (all games): (aggieathletics.com-subscription service) Live Video (Sun only): (Aggie Ultimate Access-subscription service) |
| SERIES |
| UT leads, 215-116-5 Since Big 12 (1997): UT leads, 20-14 Last Meeting: (5/22/05) |
| UP NEXT |
| A&M hosts Sam Houston State Tuesday, May 2, 7 p.m. (CDT) Olsen Field, College Station, Texas Tickets: |
The Aggies have won two of their last four games and are currently 21-23 overall and 4-14 in Big 12 play.
The Longhorns have lost three of their last five to drop to 29-15 overall. The Horns are currently second in the Big 12 standings with a record of 13-4.
Texas A&M has played Texas more than it has played any other school in baseball. In the series that dates back to 1904 and has seen 336 contests, the Longhorns have an advantage of 215-116-5.
TICKETS
Tickets to all Texas A&M home games can be purchased by calling the Texas A&M Athletic Ticket Office at (979) 845-2311 or (888) 99-AGGIE. Fans may also purchase tickets online at 12thmanfoundation.com. The gates at Olsen Field open 90 minutes prior to first pitch for non-conference games and two hours prior to first pitch for conference games.
TELEVISION
Saturday's game will be televised live by FOX Sports Net. Greg Lucas and Jack Lazorko will call the action. Check local listings to see if the game is being televised in your area.
RADIO
All Texas A&M baseball games will be broadcast live on WTAW AM-1620. Dave South, The Voice of the Aggies, will call the action and will be assisted throughout the season by Tom Turbiville, Chuck Glenewinkel and Gabe Bock. The pre-game show will begin 30 minutes prior to the start of each game.
AGGIE ULTIMATE ACCESS
Fans who are unable to attend Texas A&M's home games can watch them live on the internet. Aggie Ultimate Access will provide a live video and audio stream of all 32 of the Aggies' home games in 2006. Aggie Ultimate Access is an affordable membership site that can be accessed by logging onto www.AggieAthletics.com.
PROBABLE TEXAS A&M STARTING ROTATION
- GAME 1: Kyle Nicholson - Junior - RHP
Kyle Nicholson will be making his ninth start of the season and his first weekend start since March 24 against Texas Tech in the Aggies second Big 12 series. Nicholson last started against Texas State on April 11 and allowed three runs on four hits in four innings of work. Nicholson began the season by starting the first game of the weekend for the seven weeks in a row but has since seen action five time out of the bullpen. Nicholson earned the win in his first start against Northwestern State (2/10) by tossing 5 1/3 innings and allowing four runs - one earned - on seven hits. He lasted just four innings in his second start of the season against Northern Colorado (2/17), but rebounded with a solid outing (6 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 6 K) to earn his second win of the year against UNC Greensboro (2/24) and threw six shutout innings against Florida. Against Notre Dame, he left the game after 5 1/3 innings and allowed one run on four hits. In his last start against Missouri, Nicholson suffered his second loss of the season. He allowed three runs on seven hits. In his last Big 12 start against Texas Tech, he was roughed up for six run on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings. He enters the game with a record of 3-4 and an ERA of 5.04. Nicholson has 31 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 50 innings. He is averaging 4.83 innings per start.
- GAME 2: Jason Meyer - Junior - LHP
Jason Meyer will be making his sixth start of the season this weekend. Meyer was named the Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week last week for the second time in the last three weeks for his outing against Baylor. He dominated the bears, allowing two runs on six hits in eight-complete innings. He fanned a season-high 10 hitters and did not walk a man. Against Nebraska, Meyer lasted just 3 1/3 innings and allowed five runs on six hits. Meyer was named Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week after his Friday-night start against Oklahoma. He carried a no-hitter into the ninth, and allowed only one run on one hit in a complete game win. He struck out six and walked three. His first start came in a Tuesday game against Lamar. He allowed one run on six hits in six-complete innings on the mound. Meyer had his second straight good outing against Oklahoma State in the second game of the three-game series. Meyer logged 6 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits while striking out five and walking two. For the year, Meyer has appeared in 19 games, 14 out of the bullpen. In 51 innings on the mound, he has allowed 41 hits and has 45 strikeouts against only 12 walks. He also has a save this season. Meyer, a 2004 freshman all-American, has plenty of experience as a starter, starting 14 games in 2005 and 12 in 2004. He is currently seventh all-time in the A&M record books with 60 appearances, is 10th with 205 strikeouts and is 12th all-time with 234 innings pitched.
- GAME 3: TBD
PROBABLE TEXAS STARTING ROTATION
- Friday: Kyle McCulloch - RHP
(6-4, 2.87, 78.1 IP, 73 H, 65 K, 23 BB)
- Last Outing (Nebraska): Earned his sixth win of the season, tossing seven innings and allowing just one run on seven hits against the huskers last Friday ... He struck out four and walked two.
- Saturday: Adrian Alaniz - RHP
(5-2, 3.98, 72.1 IP, 62 H, 50 K, 35 BB)
- Last Outing (Nebraska): Allowed six runs on eight hits to shoulder the loss in Sunday's series-decider against Nebraska ... He did not record a strikeout and walked two in 5 1/3 innings of mound work.
- Sunday: Riley Boening - LHP
(2-1, 5.95, 42.1 IP, 44 H, 37 K, 29 BB)
- Last Outing (Nebraska): Did not earn the decision in Saturday's game against the huskers ... Allowed four runs on five hits 4 1/3 innings of work ... He struck out one and walked two.
SERIES INFORMATION
The Texas A&M/Texas series dates back to 1904 and the Aggies have played the Longhorns more times than they have played any other school in baseball. UT holds the all-time series advantage over A&M in the 336 games, 215-116-5.
Since the start of the Big 12 in 1997, Texas leads the series 20-14 and has won 16 of 27 regular-season games. The two teams have played seven times in the Big 12 Tournament, with the Horns holding a slight 4-3 edge. In the 2003 tournament, the Ags and Horns locked up three times.
The Aggies and Longhorns have played the split-series format since the league started in 1997. The team with the home-field advantage has won just four of the nine series, despite winning 19 of 27 games. Since 1997, the Aggies are 8-5 against the Longhorns at Olsen Field and the Horns hold the advantage at Disch-Falk, 11-3. Two of the three A&M wins at "The Disch" were in 1999 after the Horns won the Friday game at Olsen.
Texas has captured five series while A&M has won four. The only Big 12 series sweep was by the Longhorns in 2002, and that season, the Aggies went on to take a game from Texas in the Big 12 Tournament.