April 17, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M softball team takes a three-game winning streak on the road to face No. 15 Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., this weekend. The first pitch on Saturday is thrown at 2 p.m., while Sunday's game begins at noon and is broadcast nationally on ESPN.
The Aggies (27-15, 5-5 Big 12) have won four of their last five games and look to continue their run against the Sooners (32-13, 9-4 Big 12). Game-winning, two-run home runs from sophomore Erin Glasco have helped propel A&M to a pair of recent, 5-4 Big 12 victories. Sophomore Rhi Kliesing has been solid in the circle, picking up each of the five conference wins.
OU sits in second place in the league after defeating Oklahoma State, 8-1, on Wednesday. A&M's victory over Baylor helped increase the Sooners' rank in the standings. Junior Amber Flores leads the team with a .407 batting average, 12 doubles, 13 home runs and 49 RBIs.
Oklahoma holds the advantage in the all-time series, 35-28, but the Aggies have come out on top in the past three meetings. Since 2004, A&M leads the Sooners 8-5, with six of those games being determined by two runs or less.
Live stats and free live audio are available for this weekend's games worldwide on AggieAthletics.com. Fans can also listen to all the action locally on Sports Radio 1150 The Zone.
AGGIES TELEVISED ALL WEEKEND
Saturday's 2 p.m. game is aired throughout Oklahoma, in the Kansas City area and in parts of Texas. Aggies in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City area can watch on Cox Channels 7 and 3. Other broadcasting stations include KOMI (Woodward, Okla.), KTEW (Ponca City, Okla.), PTSI (Guymon, Okla.), KSWO (Lawton, Okla.), KSOK (Enid, Okla.), KYTX (Tyler, Longview, Lufkin and Nacogdoches, Texas) and Metro Sports (Kansas City).
On Sunday A&M fans nationwide can watch the team on ESPN at noon. Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and Michele Smith (analyst) will call the action.
SWING FOR LIFE
In its effort to help strike out breast cancer, the Texas A&M softball team hosts its inaugural “Swing for Life” game on Wednesday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m. against Sam Houston State. The Aggies will wear pink uniforms and the Aggie Softball Complex will be decorated in pink. Fans are encouraged to wear pink and will have the opportunity to bid on the pink game jerseys worn by the Aggies through a silent auction.
As part of the event, breast cancer survivors are invited to come together and be acknowledged collectively on the field prior to the start of the game. Survivors will be treated to free admission for themselves and a guest, a pink T-shirt printed by the College Station Medical Center to the first 150 registered and a meet and greet with the A&M players and coaches at the conclusion of the game. Any additional family members of breast cancer survivors can purchase tickets for a reduced group rate of $3.
For further information or if you are a breast cancer survivor who would like to be recognized on the field prior to first pitch, please contact Amy Norris at anorris@athletics.tamu.edu.
RECAP
Villarreal hit the game-winning, two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to push the Aggies past Baylor, 5-4, on Wednesday. The Frisco, Texas, native drove in two runs in the second and with A&M down 4-3 in the sixth she capped off a 2-for-4 performance by scoring a pair of runs on a two-out long ball over the right field wall. The homer was her second of the season and four RBIs matches her career high.
To top her success at the plate, Villarreal ended the game with a double play by making a diving catch in the infield and firing to second from her knees.
The Aggies got on the board in the second after junior Alex Reynolds scored on a passed ball before Villarreal's two-run single up the middle.
WHAT'S UP NEXT
The Aggies return home and step out of conference play hosting Sam Houston State in their “Swing for Life” game on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. A&M then welcomes Iowa State to the Aggie Softball Complex for a pair of games April 25-26.
LEADING THE WAY
Villarreal leads the A&M offense with a .353 batting average, 42 hits and 10 doubles. Glasco (.286) boasts a team-best .486 on base percentage and is hitting .348 in Big 12 action with a team-best .531 on base percentage. Ridley (.292) has a team-high .608 slugging percentage, three triples and eight home runs. Kliesing (18-10) has recorded 153 strikeouts in 193.0 innings pitched and leads the A&M pitching staff with a 2.25 ERA.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
OU sits in second place in the league after defeating Oklahoma State, 8-1, on Wednesday. A&M's victory over Baylor helped increase the Sooners' rank in the standings. Oklahoma started Big 12 play with two wins from Iowa State before it dropped two at Texas. The Sooners followed with a split at Baylor and took a pair of one-run games from Nebraska at home, but Kansas nipped OU in the second game to split its second conference series for a 9-4 league record.
Junior Amber Flores leads the team with a .407 batting average, 12 doubles, 13 home runs, 47 runs scored, 49 RBIs and 37 walks. She also boasts a .839 slugging percentage and .581 on base percentage which ranks third in the nation. She is one of six Sooners hitting above .300. Samantha Ricketts is right behind Flores with 47 hits, 15 doubles and 42 RBIs. Lindsey Vandever adds 40 hits seven, home runs and 41 RBIs.
Three OU pitchers share time in the circle with a staff ERA of 2.84. D.J. Mathis (11-4) leads the squad in strikeouts with 96 in 88.2 innings pitched. Allee Allen has the best record (14-3) and ERA (2.67), while Kirsten Allen (7-6) adds two saves and 62 K's in 89.0 innings pitched.
VERSUS THE SOONERS
Oklahoma holds the advantage in the all-time series, 35-28, but the Aggies have come out on top in the past three meetings. Since 2004, A&M leads the Sooners 8-5, with six of those games being determined by two runs or less. Last year, the Aggies scored four runs in the first for a 4-2 win before plating a run in the bottom of the sixth for a 1-0 victory. Macie Morrow went 4-for-6 in the series and Macie Morrow hit a foul ball that struck her in the face directly off the bat fracturing her orbital. The shortstop from Sugar Land, Texas, returned to the starting lineup to open Big 12 play against Nebraska and made an impact hitting .400 with two hits, two walks, two runs and an RBI marking the seventh straight game she recorded a hit. Morrow underwent surgery on March 27 and has been cleared to play with a mask. Her return this weekend is questionable.