March 31, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - After a 10-day hiatus from play, the No. 19 Texas A&M softball team steps back on the diamond Wednesday against in-state rival No. 22 Texas. First pitch for the first of two State Farm Lone Star Showdowns between the Aggies (23-11, 1-1 Big 12) and the Longhorns (26-11, 4-1 Big 12) is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Aggie Softball Complex.
A&M faces its fourth top 25 opponent in Texas and is coming off of a 10-day break from action after inclement weather postponed its conference games last week at both Baylor and Kansas. The last time the Aggies took to the field, they split their conference opener with Nebraska, 2-1 and 2-3 in nine innings.
Texas leads the Big 12 with a 4-1 record in league play is coming off of a series sweep of then-No. 6 Oklahoma. The Longhorns have won three straight, including a 7-0 shutout of Texas Tech.
The Aggies lead the all-time series against the Longhorns, 16-15, and have won the last four straight meetings between the two rivals.
Support the Aggies in person at the Aggie Softball Complex on Wednesday or follow all the action with free live video, audio and live stats on AggieAthletics.com. Locally, fans can also tune into Sports Radio 1150 The Zone.
General parking is free on days when there is not a baseball game and is available in lots 100g, 100j and 100k.
STATE FARM LONE STAR SHOWDOWN
The winner of Wednesday's contest will earn a half-point toward the State Farm Lone Star Showdown standings. The Longhorns currently lead, 8-4.
RECAP
Texas A&M split its Big 12 opening series against Nebraska last weekend winning the first game, 2-1, while dropping the second game in nine innings, 3-2.
On Saturday, Kliesing threw a one-hitter to shut down the Husker offense and snap their six-game winning streak. The Aggies came from behind to score the game-winning run on a two-out, bases-loaded walk by freshman Holly Ridley posts a .330 average with 34 hits, 24 runs, eight doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 24 RBIs and a .670 slugging percentage. Sophomore Rhi Kliesing leads the team in the circle with a 14-7 record, four shutouts and 137 strikeouts.
SCOUTING TEXAS
The Longhorns made their season debut in the polls this week ranked 22/25 after winning three straight, including a series sweep of then-No. 6 Oklahoma in the state capital last weekend. Texas has won five of its last six games before coming to College Station and is 4-1 in conference play. The team's only league loss came at then No. 13 Missouri, 11-6.
Brittany Barnhill is the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week after hitting .700 (7-for-10) with 10 RBIs. In the circle, the sophomore pitcher went 2-0 with a shutout of Texas Tech. Barnhill leads a bullpen of five with a 14-6 record and 85 K's in 113.2 innings pitched. Six Longhorns are hitting above .300. Loryn Johnson has a team-high .427 batting average, 50 hits, nine doubles and 32 RBIs. Courtney Craig (.356) and Desiree Williams (.327) have 10 and 12 stolen bases respectively, while Williams also has a team-best nine home runs.
Texas is led by head coach Connie Clark who is in her 13th year at Texas and who holds a 469-225-3 career record as a Longhorn.
VERSUS THE LONGHORNS
The Aggies lead the all-time series against Texas, 18-13, and have won the last four straight meetings between the two rivals. In its current four-game win streak, the Aggies have won by three runs or less in each contest. Villarreal is hitting .429 lifetime against the Longhorns with three hits and a double, while Kliesing holds a .333 lifetime average with a home run and two RBIs. Her homer was the game-winning hit against Texas in the Big 12 Tournament last year. Ridley also hit a two-run shot on April 9, 2008 for the game-winner in Austin. In the last 10 games A&M leads with a 6-4 record.
A&M IN THE POLLS
The Aggies jumped up one spot to 19th in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Poll and also moved up to 21st in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll. A&M's highest ranking was No. 5 the first two weeks of the season. The Ags' remaining 2009 opponents appearing in the polls are No. 22/25 Texas, No. 10/12 Oklahoma and No. 11 Missouri. Oklahoma State and Nebraska also received votes.