April 27, 2009
Colligan Earns Big 12 Weekly Honors
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The 15th-ranked Texas A&M baseball team (28-15) continues its season long homestand on Tuesday when the Aggies host No. 15 TCU (27-12) in a matchup of conference leaders at Olsen Field. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.
A&M has won seven of its last eight games and took over sole possession of first place in the Big 12 with a series win over Oklahoma State this past weekend. The Aggies are hitting .296 with 55 home runs, 270 RBIs and 58 stolen bases, and average seven runs per outing. The pitching staff ranks fourth in the league with a 4.20 ERA, has punched out a league-best 429 batters and holds opponents to 4.7 runs per game and a .250 average.
The Horned Frogs, meanwhile, sit atop the Mountain West at 8-4 after rallying to win a weekend series at San Diego State. TCU, which has won eight of its last 10 games, is hitting .314 as a team with 42 home runs, 253 RBIs and averages 7.3 runs per game. The pitching staff sports a 4.05 ERA while holding opponents to 4.7 runs per game and a .258 average.
Junior Clayton Ehlert (3-0, 6.41 ERA) will get the starting nod for the Aggies and will match up against TCU freshman Kyle Winkler (3-0, 5.20).
A&M leads the all-time series with TCU, 158-85-4, and has won the last eight meetings. The teams were Southwest Conference foes until 1996, and did not renew the rivalry until 2007. The Aggies won that meeting at Olsen Field, 13-2, then pulled out a hard-fought 3-2 win last season at Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth.
Tickets are available at the gate or online at aggieathletics.com. Children 12 and under will be admitted free with a paid adult (limit four kids per adult) for both games as part of the Take Me Out to the Ballgame ticket promotion. Gates open 90 minutes prior to first pitch for all home games. Fans can listen to all the action on WTAW-AM 1620. Free live video will be available on aggieathletics.com, and fans around the world can also listen free of charge at radioaggieland.com.
The Aggies will return to action on Thursday when they open a three-game series with Dallas Baptist at Olsen Field.