March 24, 2008
No. 20 Texas A&M (17-6) plays its first non-conference road game of the season when the Aggies head to San Antonio Tuesday to face UTSA (15-8). First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium.
A&M has lost two straight for just the second time this year and is coming off a series defeat at Oklahoma State this past weekend in Stillwater. The Aggies are in a tie for fourth in the Big 12 standings at 3-3.
The Roadrunners have won three of their last five and are in a three-way tie for first place in the Southland Conference's western division with a 4-2 mark. UTSA lost two of three games this past weekend in a league series at Central Arkansas.
Texas A&M, which is 3-6 all time at Wolff Stadium, will be making its fifth trip to San Antonio in the last seven years.
Wolff Stadium is located in western San Antonio, at the intersection of US 90 and Callaghan Rd. Tickets are available prior to the game at the stadium box office or at the gate.
Fans can listen to the games locally on the flagship home of Texas A&M Athletics, News/Talk 1620 WTAW. Dave South, Scott Clendenin and Chuck Glenewinkel call the action all season long. All broadcasts begin 15 minutes prior to first pitch.
#20 Texas A&M AGGIES (17-6) at Texas-San Antonio ROADRUNNERS (15-8)
Tuesday, March 25, 6 p.m. CDT
Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium (9,700) o San Antonio, Texas
RADIO: WTAW-AM 1620
GAMETRACKER: aggieathletics.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
Texas A&M - #34 Scott Migl (So., RHP, 1-1, 5.19 ERA)
UTSA - #2 Kris Ruepke (Jr., LHP, 1-2, 9.64 ERA)
TICKET INFORMATION
ADULT GEN. ADMISSION $7
JUNIOR GEN. ADMISSION (AGES 3-18) $5
MISSIONS TICKET OFFICE (210) 675-7275
Tickets available through the Wolff Stadium box office (located on first-base side of stadium), which is open Monday-Fridayfrom 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. All seats are general admission.
LEADING OFF...
o Texas A&M has won 19 consecutive mid-week games dating back to April 2006.
o Senior 2B Blake Stouffer is the lone San Antonio native on the A&M roster...He is a graduate of Alamo Heights High School...Freshman OF/P Brooks Raley hails from Uvalde, about 80 miles west of San Antonio.
o Senior 3B Dane Carter has hit safely in 21 of the Aggies' 23 games, and has reached base safely (hit or walk) in all 23.
o Junior SS Jos? Duran has hit safely in seven straight games, 12 of the last 13 and 18 of 23 overall.
o Texas A&M has homered in five consecutive games for the first time this year.
o UTSA is one of seven Southland schools that A&M has faced or will face in 2008.
o Of A&M's six losses on the season, five have been by two or fewer runs.
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M is 17-6 overall and tied for fourth in the Big 12 with a 3-3 record.
The Aggies have lost three of their last five games and six overall in 2008. Of the six defeats, five have been by two runs or less.
A&M is hitting .304 and averaging 7.1 runs per game. The offense has pounded out 72 extra-base hits (35 doubles, 15 triples and 22 home runs), including homers in five straight games, while stealing 38 bases.
Senior third baseman Dane Carter (.466, 5 HR, 22 RBI) leads the team and the Big 12 in numerous offensive categories and has hit safely in 21 of the team's 23 games in 2008. Junior shortstop Jos? Duran (.398, 2 HR, 21 RBI) ranks second on the team almost every column. Two other starters (Luke Anders and Brian Ruggiano) are hitting over .300 for the year.
On the mound, the Aggies boast a 2.97 ERA, third-best in the Big 12. A&M pitching is averaging 8.7 strikeouts per game and is holding opposing hitters to a league-low .224 average. Sophomore Shane Minks (4-0, 2.53 ERA) leads the team and the league in victories, while sophomore Travis Starling (10 appearances, 1-0, 0.71 ERA) has a team-best five saves. The Aggie bullpen has been strong on the young season, posting a 6-2 record, five saves, 2.23 ERA and .216 opponent average.
A QUICK GLANCE: UTSA
UTSA dropped two of three Southland Conference games at Central Arkansas this past weekend, and enters Tuesday night's game at 15-8 overall and 4-2 in league action.
The Roadrunners return seven starters and 20 letterwinners from a 2007 team that went 36-22 overall and won the SLC championship with a 24-6 mark. UTSA did not receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament, however, after failing to win the league tourney. This year's squad was a consensus pick to repeat as Western Division champions.
UTSA is hitting .321 as a team with 16 home runs and 168 RBI, and averages 8.35 runs per game. The pitching staff sports a 5.14 ERA and has a 1.88 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Sophomore OF/DH Tim Palinscar (.407, 4 HR, 28 RBI), junior IF/OF James Keithley (.413, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 7 SB) and junior OF Michael Rockett (.352, 3 HR, 28 RBI) pace the Roadrunner offense, while sophomores Ryan Proudfoot (4-0, 3.68 ERA) and Zach Calhoon (1-0, 0.75 ERA) are the squad's top pitchers.
Sherman Corbett, Texas A&M Class of '91, is in his eighth season as the head coach of the Roadrunners. He is the winningest coach in school history with 225 victories.
A&M/UTSA CONNECTIONS
o UTSA head coach Sherman Corbett played three seasons (1982-84) for legendary coach Tom Chandler at Texas A&M.
o UTSA associate head coach Jason Marshall played four seasons for the Aggies (1989-92) and was named the team's MVP as a senior.
SERIES HISTORY
Texas A&M leads the all-time series with the Roadrunners, 16-8, and has won four of the last six meetings.
All six games away from Olsen Field have been played at Wolff Stadium, the home of the AA San Antonio Missions. The Aggies have lost four of those six, including the last meeting in San Antonio between the schools (4-2 on March 12, 2006).
A&M won the last meeting with UTSA on April 10 of last season. Luke Anders and Ben Feltner were among four Aggies with two hits apiece in a 6-2 victory at Olsen Field.
OKLAHOMA STATE REVIEW
After taking the series opener at Oklahoma State Friday, Texas A&M dropped two close contests to lose the series with the Cowboys at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater.
The Aggies began the weekend with a 5-run first off OSU ace Andrew Oliver and battled their way to a 9-5 victory. Senior Darby Brown and freshman Nick Fleece each drove in three on the night, with Fleece hitting his first career home run. Freshman Brooks Raley was strong in his second career Big 12 start, and he improved to 3-0 with the victory.
A&M took an early 2-0 lead on Saturday courtesy a Brian Ruggiano home run, but the Cowboys came from behind and defeated the Aggies, 3-2. The final run of the game came in the fourth on a two-out RBI single off the bat of OSU's Rebel Ridling. A&M loaded the bases with one out in the ninth but could not push home the tying run. Freshman Barret Loux suffered the loss, allowing five hits and three runs in nearly eight innings of work.
For the third straight game in the series, the Aggies took the initial lead against OSU--this time with a two-run first inning. The Cowboys, however, hit two home runs to take the lead in the middle innings and were able to hold off a late Texas A&M run to take the series with a 6-4 victory. Dane Carter went 2-for-4 with his fifth home run of the year, while sophomore Clayton Ehlert suffered the loss.
MID-WEEK MAGIC
The Aggie baseball team has won 19 straight mid-week non-conference contests, including the first seven on the slate in 2008.
A&M won all 10 mid-week games last season and the final two of the 2006 campaign. The Aggies' last loss in mid-week action was on April 18, 2006, a 9-6 setback to No. 19 Houston at Olsen Field.
THE ROAD AWAITS
Texas A&M is in the midst of a seven-game road trip-the Aggies' first, and longest, of the season.
A&M played its first road contests of the year this past weekend at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater against Oklahoma State. After Tuesday's game against UTSA, A&M will battle Kansas three days later in a Big 12 series at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
CARTER ON A TEAR
Senior third baseman Dane Carter has started the 2008 season on a hot streak at the plate.
While his career-best 16-game hit streak was snapped on March 16 against Texas Tech, Carter has hit safely in 21 of the Aggies' 23 contests overall.
Despite not recording a hit in the game against the Raiders, Carter did draw a walk and has now reached base safely (hit or walk) in all 23 games of the year.
In addition, he leads the team in 10 offensive categories: average (.466), runs (27), hits (41), triples (5), home runs (5), RBI (22), total bases (70), slugging percentage (.795), on-base percentage (.543) and stolen bases (10).
The Graham, Texas native also leads the Big 12 in six of those categories (average, hits, triples, total bases, on-base percentage and slugging percentage).
The only other game in which Carter did not record a hit was the first game of the doubleheader against Northern Colorado on Feb. 23, although he did walk and score a run.
CARTER, CONTINUED
After struggling with injury during 2007, Dane Carter has already bested his totals from last season through the first few weeks of 2008.
dane carter: 2007 vs 2008
CATEGORY 2007 TOTALS 2008 NUMBERS
games played 37 23
games started 19 23
batting average .203 .466
hits 15 41
runs scored 14 27
doubles 2 4
triples 0 5
home runs 1 5
RBI 11 22
slugging pct. .270 .795
TURNING THE CORNER
Senior DH/1B Darby Brown had a tough start to the 2008 campaign, beginning the year 2-for-23 at the plate (.087 average).
With a mammoth home run off the top of the batter's eye in center field against Nicholls State on March 5, Brown has turned the corner in a big way, hitting .347 over the last 13 contests...
brown's turnaround
CATEGORY FIRST 10 GAMES LAST 13 GAMES
batting average .087 .347
hits-at bats 2-for-23 17-for-49
home runs 0 4
RBI 3 14
slugging pct. .174 .653
runs scored 5 10
DURAN STEPS UP
The Aggies knew entering 2008 that they would have to replace all-conference selection and third-round draft pick Brandon Hicks (.338, 10 HR, 59 RBI) at shortstop.
After a strong battle in the offseason, junior transfer Jos? Duran won the opening-day nod, and has not disappointed. The Fort Worth native is near the top of the A&M offensive charts in nearly every category.
A comparison between Hicks and Duran, through the first 19 games of their respective seasons:
duran vs. hicks (through 23 games)
CATEGORY HICKS-2007 DURAN-2008
batting average .356 .398
hits 31 37
runs scored 31 19
doubles 10 4
triples 1 4
home runs 1 2
RBI 20 21
slugging pct. .459 .591
walks 17 11
stolen bases 15 6
LEGGING IT OUT
Texas A&M has hit 15 triples over the first 23 games of the season. A closer look at this accomplishment:
o Last season's team hit 20 triples in 67 games. If the '08 Aggies were to keep up their current pace they would finish the regular season with 37.
o The Aggies set a school record in late February with three triples in each of three consecutive games (McNeese State, Ohio State, Arkansas). What makes this feat even more impressive is that the last time a Texas A&M team had three triples in ANY game before last week was on April 11, 1999, when the Aggies defeated Kansas State 7-2 in St. Joseph, Mo.-a stretch of 519 games.
o Senior third baseman Dane Carter had two triples in the Feb. 26 win over McNeese State, the first time an Aggie had two triples in one game since Chad Hudson on May 21, 1999 in a 10-3 win over Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City.
o Carter has five triples on the season, just four shy of the single-season school record (9, Brian Thomas, 1993).
FLIPPING THE POWER SWITCH
The Aggies have hit 23 home runs on the young season, and most of that power punch has come recently.
Over the first 10 games, Texas A&M hit a total of seven home runs, or an average of 0.7 per game. In the last 13, the Aggies have totaled 16-1.2 per contest.
Ten different players have hit home runs in 2008, led by Dane Carter (5) and Darby Brown (4).
TURN, TURN, TURN...TURN
Texas A&M tied a school record with four double plays in the Feb. 27 win over Nicholls State.
While the feat has been accomplished often, the last time the Aggies did turn four double plays in one game was against Clemson in the NCAA Super Regional championship on June 6, 1999 (499 games ago).
A STRONG PEN
The Texas A&M bullpen has been very impressive in the first part of the season.
A total of 13 Aggies have seen action in relief, posting a combined 2.23 ERA and picking up six wins and five saves. In 84 innings of work, opposing teams have managed just 66 hits (.216 average) and 21 earned runs while striking out 90 times.
Rutgers put five earned runs up against the Aggie pen in the 7th inning on March 8. Removing that inning from the numbers, A&M's relief corps would sport a 1.72 ERA.
Of the players that have made more than one appearance out of the pen this year, eight are holding opponents to an average of .200 or less in those outings.
POUNDING THE ZONE
Texas A&M pitchers have struck out 199 batters while walking 80 in their 206 innings of work thus far, or a 2.5 K/BB ratio. In 2007, A&M's pitching corps posted a 2.1 K/BB mark for the full season.
The Aggie staff, which has fanned eight or more batters in 18 of the 23 games in 2008, is averaging 8.69 strikeouts per nine innings-second-best in the Big 12.
It's not just one or two arms that are carrying the strikeout load, however. Six players have posted 18 or more Ks this spring, led by freshmen Brooks Raley (27) and Barret Loux (26).
PLAYIN' LATE TO OPEN BIG 12
Texas A&M's 6-5, 12-inning win over Texas Tech on March 14 (the Aggies' Big 12 opener) was the longest in quite some time for the Aggie baseball team. The game lasted four hours, 32 minutes and ended at 11:07 p.m. local time.
Some notes on the victory...
o The game was the longest Big 12 game (by time) in school history.
o Overall, it was the longest game Texas A&M has played since a 19-14, 11-inning victory at Houston on March 27, 1993 (4 hours, 34 minutes).
o The 12-inning victory matched a 7-5 loss to Kansas on April 1, 2005, as the longest conference game (by innings) in school history.
o The longest game played by A&M in 2007 was a 10-9, 10-inning win over Rice on March 20 (4 hours, 31 minutes).
o The game was the longest between the Aggies and Red Raiders since Big 12 play began in 1997, and the third to go extra innings. The teams went 10 innings on Feb. 28, 1998 and again on March 1, 2002-both in College Station.
o Dane Carter's walk-off home run was the first by an Aggie since Erik Scheidt's 10th-inning solo shot against Kansas on May 9, 2003.
A LONG TIME COMING
A pair of Aggie pitchers completed the long road back from shoulder injuries this spring to step back on the mound at Olsen Field.
Senior right-hander Blake Rampy tossed 2 innings on Feb. 26 against McNeese State, allowing three hits and one earned run.
While that might not sound like a big deal, it is for Rampy-his last outing prior to then was on April 26, 2005, a span of 1,037 days.
Junior Jordan Chambless struck out the only batter he faced in the eighth inning of the March 4 win over Nicholls State--three days before his 23rd birthday. It was his first action since Feb. 27, 2007.
AGGIES ON THE TUBE
No stranger to national exposure, the Texas A&M baseball team will appear on television at least seven times in 2008.
The Aggies have won their first three televised games of the year, all on COX Sports Television.
FOX College Sports, available on digital cable outlets across the country, will broadcast the April 13 series finale with Oklahoma and the May 16 series opener at Texas.
In addition, FOX Sports Net will broadcast the April 27 series finale against Missouri live from Olsen Field and CBS College Sports (formerly CSTV) will air the May 10 game between A&M and Nebraska in Lincoln.
As always, fans can get complete and up-to-date television broadcast information on aggieathletics.com.
AGGIES ON THE 'NET
For the sixth straight year, AggieAthletics.com will bring fans around the globe live video of Texas A&M baseball.
Fans will be able to watch, free of charge, all non-televised Aggie home games, along with selected road games, through the new Aggies All-Access.
If live video of an A&M game is not available, free live audio will be provided through All-Access.
The highly-popular Aggies All-Access is in its second season of bringing live game action, television shows, highlights and much more to A&M fans around the world. Aggies All-Access is the most-watched channel on the CSTV.com network.