May 29, 2008
The Big 12 Champion Texas A&M baseball team will begin its quest for Omaha this weekend when the Aggies host the NCAA College Station Regional at Olsen Field.
A&M will be the No. 1 seed in the four-team, double-elimination format that also features No. 2 seed Dallas Baptist, No. 3 seed Houston and No. 4 seed Illinois-Chicago.
DBU and Houston will meet in the tournament's first game on Friday at 12:30 p.m., while the Aggies will meet UIC at 6:30 p.m. There will be a pair of games on Saturday and Sunday. If a second championship game is necessary, it will be played Monday at 6:30 p.m.
The Aggies will be making their 24th all-time appearance in the championship, and will be hosting a regional at Olsen Field for the second straight year and the seventh time in school history.
Fans can listen to every pitch 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.
Texas A&M AGGIES (43-16) host NCAA College Station Regional
Friday, May 30 ?* 12:30 & 6:30 p.m. CDT
Saturday, May 31 ?* 12:30 & 6:30 p.m. CDT
Sunday, June 1 ?* 12:30 & 6:30 p.m. CDT
Monday, June 2 (if necessary) ?* 6:30 p.m. CDT
C.E. "Pat" Olsen Field (7,053) ?* College Station, Texas
FREE LIVE VIDEO ?* Aggies All-Access
RADIO ?* WTAW-AM 1620
GAMETRACKER ?* aggieathletics.com
friday, may 30
GAME 1: Dallas Baptist vs Houston 12:30 PM
GAME 2: Texas A&M vs Illinois-Chicago 6:30 PM
saturday, may 31
GAME 3: Loser Game 1 vs Loser Game 2 12:30 PM
GAME 4: Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2 6:30 PM
sunday, june 1
GAME 5: Winner Game 3 vs Loser Game 4 12:30 PM
GAME 6: Winner Game 4 vs Winner Game 5 6:30 PM
monday, june 2
GAME 7: Winner Game 4 vs Winner Game 5 6:30 PM
(if necessary)
ticket information
RESERVED ALL-SESSION $55
SINGLE-SESSION RESERVED $10
ADULT GEN. ADMISSION $7
YOUTH/STUDENT GEN. ADMISSION $4
TICKET OFFICE (888) 99-AGGIE or (979) 845-2311
TICKET WEBSITE www.aggieathletics.com
parking information
RESERVED PARKING 100g (Reed), 100j, 100k (Olsen)
ALL-SESSION PARKING $12
SINGLE-DAY PARKING $4
MEDIA PARKING (PASS REQUIRED) 100i (Olsen)
for more information visit transport.tamu.edu.
For media parking info contact A&M Media Relations.
SNAPSHOT OF THE FIELD
?* No. 1 Texas A&M (43-16): Big 12 regular-season champion...at-large selection...one of six conference teams selected to the field of 64...one of three Big 12 teams hosting a regional this weekend...making 24th NCAA appearance and second straight.
?* No. 2 Dallas Baptist (37-17): Only Division I independent selected to the field...first independent chosen to compete since 1992...making first-ever NCAA Tourney appearance...has won seven of its last nine games.
?* No. 3 Houston (39-22): Earned Conference USA's automatic bid by claiming the league's postseason championship last week in New Orleans...making 18th NCAA appearance and first since 2006...second trip to Olsen Field for NCAA play (2003 regional)...has won nine of its last 10 games.
?* No. 4 UIC (34-20): Horizon League regular-season and tournament champions...making second straight and fourth overall NCAA appearance...defeated regional top-seed Long Beach State on the road in '07 opener...has won 10 of its last 11 games.
LEADING OFF...
?* Texas A&M has won its third Big 12 championship and fourth Big 12 title overall?...along with ?â„¢08, A&M captured regular-season crowns in both 1998 and 1999, along with the postseason tournament championship in 2007.
?* The conference championship is the Aggies?â„¢ 21st overall and 18th of the regular-season variety?...A&M won 15 Southwest Conference crowns and two SWC tourney titles.
?* At 42-14, the Aggies posted their best regular-season record since 1999 (44-12)?...A&M was 41-15 at the end of the regular season in both 2003 and 2007.
?* The 19 Big 12 wins tied for the most ever by an A&M team since the league adopted the 27-game format in 2002?...the ?â„¢03 Aggies also finished the year at 19-8?...the 19 wins are also tied for third most in school history behind the 1999 (23-6) and 1998 (21-9) squads.
?* Texas A&M set a new school and league record with 16 consecutive Big 12 wins (March 28-May 9).
?* A&M swept five consecutive conference series (Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Baylor, Missouri) for the first time in school history.
?* A&M became the 17th team in school history to win 40 games in a season, and the fastest to do so in NCAA Division I baseball in ?â„¢08.
?* At 40-8, the 2008 Aggies became the fourth-fastest to reach 40 victories in school history (48 games), trailing the 1989 (41), 1993 (46) and 1988 (46) squads.
?* A&M is 12-8 away from home this year, which included the school's first 10-game road win streak since 1989.
?* The 2008 squad became just the 12th in school history to reach the 60-home run mark (currently 69)...the '08 Aggies also became the 16th in program history to score 400 or more runs in a campaign (currently 451).
?* A&M pitching has fanned eight or more batters in 35 of 59 games.
?* The Aggie bullpen is 20-6 on the year with 13 saves and a 3.61 ERA, and is holding opponents to a .251 average.
?* The Aggies have played in front of two stadium-record crowds in 2008?-April 29 at TCU's Lupton Stadium (4,294) and May 6 at Sam Houston's Don Sanders Stadium (1,812).
?* A&M has won 26 of its last 28 mid-week contests...an April 15 loss to Rice snapped a string of 23 consecutive mid-week victories dating back to April, 2006.
?* A&M is 6-4 against ranked opponents in 2008.
?* Of A&M's 18 losses on the season, 11 have been by three runs or less and six by two or fewer runs.
TEXAS A&M IN NCAA REGIONAL PLAY
The Aggies are making their 24th all-time appearance in NCAA play in 2008, and their 20th in an NCAA regional.
?* A&M sports an overall NCAA record of 51-49...the Aggies are 22-9 all-time in NCAA games played at Olsen Field.
?* In 19 regional apperances, A&M is 40-32 overall and has advanced to the championship game 13 times.
?* A&M has claimed four regional championships (1993, 1999, 2004, 2007).
?* Since the inception of the "Super Regional" round in 1999, the Aggies have advanced to it three times (1999, 2004, 2007).
?* For Texas A&M's NCAA Tournament history, including stats and boxscores from the 2007 postseason, please visit Section B of this guide.
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M, the Big 12 regular-season champion, enters the NCAA College Station Regional as the No. 1 seed. The Aggies feature an overall record of 43-16 and finished the conference race atop the standings at 19-8.
A&M is hitting .314 on the year and averages 7.6 runs per game. The offense has pounded out 202 extra-base hits (106 2B, 27 3B and 69 HR) while stealing 80 bases.
Junior shortstop Jos?© Duran (.394, 6 HR, 66 RBI), the Big 12 Player of the Year, has hit safely in 27 of his last 29 games and leads the squad in hits and runs batted in. Senior third baseman Dane Carter (.382, 8 HR, 59 RBI) ranks second nationally in triples (8). Junior first baseman Luke Anders (.335, 14 HR, 51 RBI) leads the team in home runs, while senior Darby Brown (.330, 9 HR, 55 RBI) is third on the squad in RBI. Two other starters (Kyle Colligan and Brian Ruggiano) are hitting over .310 for the year.
On the mound, the Aggies boast a 4.03 ERA, third-best in the Big 12. A&M pitching is averaging 7.89 strikeouts per nine innings and is holding opposing hitters to a .258 average. Junior Kyle Thebeau (5-4, 3 saves) leads the team and ranks second in the league with a 1.87 ERA, while sophomore Travis Starling (25 appearances, 8-0, 3.53 ERA) leads the squad in victories and has a team-best nine saves. Weekend starters Brooks Raley, Barret Loux and Clayton Ehlert have combined for a 17-6 record and 4.15 ERA. The Aggie bullpen has been strong on the season, posting a 20-6 record, 13 saves, 3.61 ERA and .251 opponent average.
TITLE TALK
?* Texas A&M's Big 12 regular-season championship was the third for the Aggie baseball program...only Texas (four) has won more regular-season titles than the Aggies...Nebraska has also claimed three.
?* Including the 2007 Big 12 postseason title, A&M has won four league crowns since the formation of the conference in 1997.
?* The Aggies finished the year at 19-8, one game ahead of second-place Oklahoma State. En route to the championship, A&M swept five straight opponents (Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Baylor, Missouri), while taking the series from Texas Tech. The Aggies dropped conference match-ups with OSU, Nebraska and Texas.
?* A&M's amazing 16-game conference win streak set a new league record, while besting the school's previous high streak (12, set in 1971 and 1974) by four games.
?* Texas A&M joined Nebraska (2001) and Texas (2002 and 2006) as the only schools to win both the baseball and softball Big 12 regular-season championships in the same year.
?* In total, Texas A&M has set a new school record by claiming eight Big 12 championships during the 2007-08 academic year...the previous high was seven during the 2006-07 season.
A&M's 2007-08 big 12 championships
Women's Soccer Softball
Women's Swimming & Diving Softball (postseason)
Women's Indoor T&F Women's Outdoor T&F
Women's Basketball (postseason) Baseball
?* The Aggies have claimed 15 trophies in the last two seasons...of the 38 overall trophies since the inception of the Big 12, 24 have come under the direction of Director of Athletics Bill Byrne (hired Dec. 2002).
A&M's big 12 championships, year-by-year
1996-97: none 2002-03: two
1997-98: six 2003-04: one
1998-99: three 2004-05: three
1999-00: one 2005-06: three
2000-01: three 2006-07: seven
2001-02: one 2007-08: eight
AGGIES RACK UP BIG 12 HONORS
The Big 12 Champion Texas A&M baseball team placed 12 on the annual All-Big 12 squads, while claiming the player, newcomer and coach of the year awards.
In just his third season, Aggie skipper Rob Childress was named Big 12 Coach of the Year. After engineering the biggest turnaround in NCAA Division I baseball and claiming the Big 12 postseason title last year, Childress led the 2008 A&M team to and its first regular-season crown in nine years.
Through a vote of the league?â„¢s head coaches, junior Jose Duran was named both the Big 12 Player of the Year and the conference?â„¢s Newcomer of the Year.
Duran, along with senior Dane Carter, juniors Luke Anders and Kyle Colligan, and sophomore Travis Starling, were named to the All-Big 12 First Team. Senior Darby Brown and junior Brian Ruggiano were tabbed second-team All-Big 12, while five more Aggies (Clayton Ehlert, Barret Loux, Brooks Raley, Blake Stouffer, Kyle Thebeau) were named honorable mention All-Big 12.
?* Jose Duran became the second Aggie to be honored as Big 12 Player of the Year?...Jason Tyner was named Big 12 Co-Player of the Year in 1998.
?* Rob Childress?â„¢ Big 12 Coach of the Year award was the third for Texas A&M baseball?...Mark Johnson was named the league?â„¢s Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999.
?* Jose Duran became the second player in league history to claim both the Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards in the same season, joining Tyler Mach of Oklahoma State (2006).
?* A&M?â„¢s seven combined selections on the first and second teams ties a school record?...the Aggies also totaled seven in 1998 (five first team, two second team).
?* A&M?â„¢s five first-team selections ties the 1998 squad for most by an Aggie team in Big 12 history.
?* Luke Anders became the first Aggie to be named to back-to-back first teams since Casey Fossum in 1998 and 1999?...Anders also became the 52nd player in school history to be a two-time honoree.
2008 all-big 12 honors
NAME AWARD
Rob Childress Coach of the Year
Jos?© Duran Player of the Year
Jos?© Duran Newcomer of the Year
Luke Anders First Team All-Big 12
Dane Carter First Team All-Big 12
Kyle Colligan First Team All-Big 12
Jos?© Duran First Team All-Big 12
Travis Starling First Team All-Big 12
Darby Brown Second Team All-Big 12
Brian Ruggiano Second Team All-Big 12
Clayton Ehlert Honorable Mention All-Big 12
Barret Loux Honorable Mention All-Big 12
Brooks Raley Honorable Mention All-Big 12
Blake Stouffer Honorable Mention All-Big 12
Kyle Thebeau Honorable Mention All-Big 12
HISTORIC BIG 12 WIN STREAK
Texas A&M won 16 consecutive conference games for the first time in school history. This season's string began with a 13-6 win over Kansas on March 28 and ended following a 6-3, 16-inning victory at Nebraska on May 9.
longest big 12 win streaks, A&M history
YEAR GAMES SPAN
1. 2008 16 Mar 28-May 9
2. 1997 9 Mar 29-Apr 18
3. 1999 7 Mar 28-Apr 11
1998 7 Apr 18-May 2
5. 2003 6 Apr 5-18
1999 6 Feb 26-Mar 7
16 STRAIGHT LEAGUE WINS SETS NEW SCHOOL, Big 12 RECORD
Texas A&M's 16-game Big 12 win streak, which stretched from March 28-May 9, set not only the program's all-time record for consecutive conference victories, but became the new Big 12 standard.
A&M's 15-0 shutout of Missouri on April 26 gave the Aggies 14 Big 12 wins in a row, eclipsing the previous league record of 13 straight victories set by the 2000 Nebraska squad.
Until an 11-inning win over Baylor on April 20, it had been 34 years since an Aggie baseball team and rattled off a dozen straight wins in league play...
longest conference win streaks, A&M history
GAMES YEAR
1. 16 2008
2. 12 1974
12 1971
Some notes on A&M's 16-game Big 12 win streak:
?* The Aggies hit .341 with 25 home runs and 145 RBI, averaging 9.7 runs per game and fielding at a .979 clip.
?* The pitching staff posted a 4.14 ERA and held opponents to 4.6 runs per game.
?* A&M scored 10 or more runs in nine of the 16 games.
?* Six of the 15 were decided by two runs or less, with four going into extra innings.
?* Ten of the games were been played at Olsen.
?* Nine of the wins were of the come-from-behind variety.
?* Included in the streak were the Aggies' first-ever sweep of Oklahoma, first Big 12 sweep of Baylor and first three-game Big 12 sweep of Missouri.
THE COMEBACK KIDS
Texas A&M has provided fans some memorable comebacks in the 2008 season. While the 13-12, 11-inning win at Baylor on April 20?-in which the Aggies scored six runs with one out in the ninth to tie the game?-will stand out, there have been several other clutch rallies...
memorable comebacks, 2008 season
OPPONENT (DATE) DEFICIT POINT IN GAME FINAL SCORE
N Colorado (Feb 22) 5-2 bot 4th W, 9-5
Ohio St (Feb 29) 5-1 bot 5th W, 8-5
at UTSA (Mar 25) 3-0 top 5th W, 5-4
at Kansas (Mar 29) 6-3 top 8th W, 9-6 (10)
at Kansas (Mar 30) 8-6 top 8th W, 10-8
K-State (Apr 5) 7-1 bot 6th W, 13-8
Baylor (Apr 20) 12-6 top 9th W, 13-12 (11)
Missouri (Apr 25) 8-1 bot 6th W, 9-8
Dallas Baptist (May 3) 4-1 bot 6th W, 5-4
Of Texas A&M's 43 victories this season, 22 are of the come-from-behind variety.
Texas A&M trailed at some point in 11 of its 19 Big 12 wins in '08.
DELIVERING WHEN IT COUNTS
The 2008 Aggie baseball team made a strong case as one of the best Big 12 hitting teams in school history...
most home runs, big 12 single season
HOME RUNS GAMES YEAR
1. 56 29 1999
2. 49 30 1998
3. 35 27 2008
35 30 1997
5. 33 26 2007
most runs batted in, big 12 single season
RBI GAMES YEAR
1. 210 29 1999
2. 206 30 1998
3. 201 27 2008
4. 200 30 1997
highest batting average, big 12 single season
AVG GAMES YEAR
1. .331 30 1997
2. .314 29 1999
3. .306 27 2008
4. .303 27 2003
most runs scored, big 12 single season
RUNS GAMES YEAR
1. 227 29 1999
2. 222 30 1998
3. 218 30 1997
4. 216 27 2008
runs per game, big 12 single season
RPG GAMES YEAR
1. 8.00 27 2008
2. 7.83 29 1999
3. 7.40 30 1998
4. 7.27 30 1997
24 IN A ROW
Shortstop Jose Duran compiled a team-high 24-game hit streak from April 5-May 16, which was the third-longest in school history...
longest hit streaks, school history
No. Gms Player Year
1. 28 R.J. Englert 1972
2. 26 Kirk Thompson 1989
3. 24 Jos?© Duran 2008
4. 22 Rich Petru 1996
22 Scott Livingstone 1988
6. 21 Ben Feltner 2007
Duran also hit safely in 15 straight Big 12 games, becoming only the fifth player in program history (seventh overall including SWC) to accomplish that feat.
longest hit streaks, school history(league games only)
No. Gms Player Year
1. 20 Steven Truitt 1997
2. 18 Cliff Pennington? 2003-04
3. 16 Eric Scheidt^ 2003-04
16 Robert Bonner 1976
16 R.J. Englert 1972
6. 15 Jos?© Duran 2008
15 Jason Tyner 1998
? final 16 Big 12 games of '03 and first two of '04
^ final 15 Big 12 games of '03 and first of '04
HOT BATS
The Texas A&M offense has produced seven hit streaks of 10 games or longer this season. Listed below are the streaks and the player's batting average, home run total and RBI count over the span of the streak...
longest hit streaks, 2008 season
NAME GAMES DATES AVG/HR/RBI
Jos?© Duran 24 Apr 5-May 16 .422/3/34
Blake Stouffer 19 Mar 28-Apr 26 .338/3/12
Darby Brown 17 Mar 14-Apr 8 .438/6/32
Dane Carter 16 Mar 18-Apr 12 .439/1/24
Dane Carter 16 Feb 23-Mar 15 .485/4/18
Jos?© Duran 11 Mar 14-Mar 30 .449/0/9
Kyle Colligan 10 Mar 25-Apr 8 .452/1/8
2008 FAN SUPPORT RANKS NEAR THE TOP
Over 150,000 fans have poured through the Olsen Field gates so far in 2008. Where the '08 fans rank in the Texas A&M all-time record book:
single-season total attendance records
TOTAL YEAR DATES AVG
1. 195,440 1999 42 4,653
2. 187,367 2004 36 5,205
3. 170,720 2003 35 4,878
4. 169,619 2002 33 5,140
5. 163,841 2007 42 3,900
6. 159,729 2008 38 4,203
6. 158,831 2005 27 5,882
7. 147,400 2001 33 4,467
8. 143,410 1989 45 3,187