February 08, 2007
The 13th-ranked Texas A&M softball team will kick off the 2007 season on the road this weekend at the Kajiwaka Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
| GAME INFO |
| vs. Northwestern/Fresno State Friday, February 9, 10 a.m./12:30 p.m. (CST) vs. UCLA/Utah Saturday, February 10, 4:30/6:30 p.m. (CST) vs. Arizona Sunday, February 11, 12 p.m. (CST) Tempe Sports Complex, Tempe, Ariz. |
| RECORDS (ENTERING TOURNEY) |
| first games of 2007 for all teams |
| RANKINGS |
| A&M is ranked 13th, while Arizona is ranked No. 1, UCLA No. 3, Northwestern No. 4 and Fresno State No. 20. |
| LIVE VIDEO |
| None |
| RADIO |
| KZNE-AM 1150 (Local) (Saturday and Sunday games; all games on aggieathletics.com) Matt Simon, play-by-play Stephen Grove, commentary (broadcast time 15 min prior) available 89.9 FM inside Tempe Sports Complex |
| INTERNET |
| Live Video: None Live Audio (Fri): (Aggies All-Access) Live Audio (Sat): (Aggies All-Access) Live Audio (Sun): (Aggies All-Access) Live Stats (NW): (aggieathletics.com) Live Stats (Fresno): (aggieathletics.com) Live Stats (UCLA): (aggieathletics.com) Live Stats (Utah): (aggieathletics.com) Live Stats (Ariz): (aggieathletics.com) |
| UP NEXT |
| A&M hosts Aggie Classic Friday, Feb. 16-Sunday, Feb. 18 Aggie Softball Stadium, College Station |
"We are excited to get the season started," commented A&M head coach Jo Evans. "We will be competing against some of the finest teams in the nation, so it will be a good test of where we are and what adjustments we may need to make. Our preseason tournaments are important in establishing a strong RPI and in comparing ourselves against top ranked teams."
The Aggies will open tournament play on Friday against No. 4 Northwestern at 10 a.m. The Wildcats posted an overall record of 50-15 and 16-3 in conference to capture the Big 10 title in 2006. Northwestern went on to become the second place finisher in Oklahoma City at the Women's College World Series, falling 5-0 to Arizona in the final game.
A&M will turn around to play again at 12:30 p.m. against No. 20 Fresno State. The Bulldogs finished out the 2006 season 37-19 overall and 12-3 in league play for a first place finish in the Western Athletic Conference. The '06 season marked the Bulldogs 25th NCAA Regional appearance.
On Saturday, the Aggies will take the field at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. for games against No. 3 UCLA and Utah respectively.
UCLA ended last season at 50-9 overall and 15-5 in the PAC-10 to claim their 13th conference title. The Bruins dropped a 3-1 decision against Northwestern in the WCWS to bring their 2006 season to a close.
Utah captured the 2006 Mountain West title after finishing 40-21 overall and 15-2 in conference. The Utes made their 13th NCAA Regional Appearance, falling 3-0 in the final game against Texas in Austin.
A&M will close out the tournament at noon on Sunday against top-ranked Arizona. The Wildcats enter the tournament tabbed as the No. 1 pick in both preseason polls. The Wildcats finished 54-11 overall and 15-6 in the PAC-10. Arizona posted back-to-back shutouts of Northwestern, 8-0 and 5-0, in a best-of-three series at the Women's College World Series to capture their seventh national championship.
Fans can listen to all games this weekend live and free of charge on aggieathletics.com through the new Aggies All-Access. The Aggies' final three games at the Kajikawa Classic will also be aired locally in Bryan/College Station on Sports Radio 1150 The Zone. Those attending the tournament can listen to the action inside the Tempe Sports Complex on or around 89.9 FM.
Fans wanting to purchase season and individual game tickets can do so by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE or logging on to www.AggieAthletics.com.