(#11) Texas A&M 3, Kansas 0

Friday, March 27

College Station

6:35 PM

Texas A&M

16-9, 4-3

Kansas

15-8, 3-1

Kansas

Texas A&M

Mar 27, 2009 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

March 27, 2009

Final Stats

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Brooks Raley struck out a career-high 12 batters over seven shutout innings to lead No. 11 Texas A&M to a 3-0 win over Kansas on a windy Friday evening before 3,409 fans at Olsen Field.

Raley (5-0) scattered three hits on the evening and walked two. Of the 27 batters he faced, just three reached second base.

The Aggies won their third in a row and improved to 16-9 and 4-3 in Big 12 play, while KU saw a five-game win streak snapped and fell to 15-8 and 3-1.

With a 2-for-3 effort at the plate, Raley was also one of three A&M hitters to tally at least two hits on the night. Kyle Colligan went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

A&M struck first with an unearned run off Kansas starter Shaeffer Hall in the third. After Randall Thorpe began the inning with a single. One out later, Raley poked a base hit through the left side. As Thorpe went to third, Raley took a wide turn at second and drew a throw to first from KU left fielder Nick Faunce, which sailed wide of the bag and up against the camera well. Thorpe trotted home easily on the error to give the Aggies a 1-0 lead.

A sixth-inning Jayhawk miscue would give A&M a 2-0 lead. Raley led off the inning with a line drive into left center field and, as center fielder Jason Brunansky moved over to pick up the ball, it rolled underneath him and back towards the warning track. Raley would race around the bases and score easily on the double and two-base error.

Randall Thorpe. Following a pitching change, Colligan hit a high chopper at third baseman Tony Thompson, who tried to make a bare-hand pick but was unable to hold on to the ball. The infield single scored Anders to bump the lead to 3-0.

Ross Hales retired the first batter of the Kansas eighth to pick up his first hold of the year. Nick Fleece then finished the night with 1 2/3 innings of no-hit ball, striking out three, to earn his second save of the season.

Hall (2-2) lasted 6 1/3 innings and allowed eight hits, three runs (two earned) and no walks while striking out two.

The series continues on Saturday with first pitch set for 2:05 p.m. at Olsen Field. A&M junior Alex Wilson (2-3, 3.41 ERA) will face off against Kansas sophomore T.J. Walz (2-0, 3.28). The game will air locally on WTAW-AM 1620 and can be heard worldwide on radioaggieland.com. Free live video will also be available on aggieathletics.com.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Brooks Raley set a new career high with 12 strikeouts on the night...his previous high was 10 in his first-ever start, which came last season (March 8) against Rutgers.

• With a first-inning single, Kyle Colligan extended his hit streak in Big 12 games to 14, dating back to last season...Colligan has also hit safely in a season-high five straight contests.

• Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, were in attendance at Friday night's game.

• Game-time temperature was 72 degrees with clear skies and winds blowing in from left center at 24 miles per hour (gusting to 37)...by the end of the game, the temperature had dipped to 54 degrees.

POSTGAME QUOTES

HEAD COACH Rob Childress: "It was an outstanding game with two outstanding pitchers going at it. Brooks was magnificent, not only on the mound but at the plate as well. He created havoc on the bases. Nick Fleece came in and slammed the door for us. I was proud of everything we did tonight."

(on the offensive approach) "We're putting pressure on the defense by not striking out, and that's what I want to see us do. I'm really proud of the way we've grabbed on to that and making a commitment to it. I said on Tuesday our offensive approach was the best I've seen in a long time. Tonight was even better, with our commitment one through nine to putting the ball in play and putting pressure on people. We had 10 hits tonight and had several outs that were really loud ones."

(on Raley's strikeouts increasing) "I think it's him learning how to pitch. His velocity is the same and is still throwing the same four pitches, but he's learned how to get people out."

SOPHOMORE Brooks Raley: "It was a good one tonight, we needed that one bad. This week has been a big bounce back for us. We had some big plays and big hits tonight. All the little things we did right today.