March 10, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -
The No. 22 Texas A&M softball team continues its six-game homestand this weekend, hosting the Texas A&M Invitational. A&M (15-6) takes on Mississippi Valley State (5-9), Louisiana Tech (5-16) and San Diego State (8-11).
The Aggies play their first game of the tournament against San Diego State at 3 p.m. on Friday and will follow with a 5:15 p.m. game against Louisiana Tech. A&M will play two games on Saturday, starting with a 3 p.m. matchup with Mississippi Valley State and following with a 5:15 p.m. contest against San Diego State. The tournament ends Sunday with a 12:15 p.m. game vs. Louisiana Tech.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live stats and live audio will be provided for every game this season on AggieAthletics.com. Fans can listen to all of A&M's games live this weekend on 95.1-3 The Zone HD. Log on to RadioAggieland.com for more information. In addition, live streaming video will be broadcast on AggieAthletics.com for Friday and Sunday's games.
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies hosted UTSA Wednesday at the Aggie Softball Complex, shutting out the Roadrunners 4-0. Sophomore Rhi Kliesing also went yard for her eighth long ball of the season. In the circle, redshirt junior Lindsey Sisk threw four strikeouts and allowed no runs on four hits for the shutout. Kliesing leads the team's offense with a .404 batting average and has 14 runs on 21 hits. She tallies four doubles and 26 RBI on the season. Junior Natalie Villarreal follows closely with a .354 average and leads the team with 16 runs on 23 hits. She has hit three doubles and a home run this season. Sisk (7-2) posts a 2.37 cumulative ERA in 11 appearances, including three shutouts. She has fanned 52 batters in 68.1 innings of work, giving up only 18 earned runs.
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE
Mississippi Valley State is 5-9 on the season. The team was 27-23 overall and a conference-leading 13-3 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2010. Leading the Devilettes in 2011 is junior Rachelle Harris. She has started in all 13 games and holds a .324 batting average, going 11-for-34 with 2 RBI and a double. Rashundra Brass follows closely with a .311 average, and leads the team with three doubles, a triple, two home runs, 10 runs scored and 12 RBI. Pitcher Kimberly Spivey (3-6) maintains a 6.50 ERA. The sophomore has thrown 39 strikeouts in 54 innings pitched. This is the second meeting between the two teams. A&M played the Devilettes last weekend at the Bulldog Classic, defeating MVSU 8-2 in a game that ended after the sixth inning due to rain.
SCOUTING LOUISIANA TECH
The Lady Techsters are 5-16 in 2011, spending last weekend at the North Texas Courtyard Classic in Denton, where they were 2-3. In 2010 the team was 26-21 overall and 11-10 in the Western Athletic Conference. Janna Frandrup leads the team this year with a .345 batting average, 10 RBI and 13 runs on 19 hits, two of them long balls. Meghan Krieg holds a 1-9 record from the circle with a 4.69 ERA in 12 appearances. She has struck out 66 batters in 59.2 innings of work and has allowed 40 earned runs, collecting one save. The Aggies lead the all-time series against the Lady Techsters 35-24.
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO STATE
The Aztecs hosted the Campbell/Cartier Classic last weekend and enter the Texas A&M Invitational with an 8-11 overall record. SDSU suffered four losses in the tournament but shut out Long Beach State and No. 23 Houston. The team ended the 2010 season at 34-16 overall and a conference-second 11-4 in Mountain West play, advancing to the NCAA Regional. Lindsey Marquez is batting .340 this season, going 18-for-53 with three doubles, a triple and five RBI. Bailey Micetich (5-6) records a 2.55 ERA. She has thrown 52 strikeouts and allowed 20 earned runs in 55 innings in the circle. This is the seventh meeting between the Aggies and the Aztecs, with A&M leading the all-time record 4-2. The teams last met in San Diego in 2010, when the Aggies shut out SDSU, 4-0.
ON DECK
The Aggies travel to Florida for a seven-game road trip. The tour starts with games against Liberty and Jacksonville on March 17 in Clearwater, Fla. The team will then play Buffalo, host University of South Florida, Colorado State, Florida A&M and Long Island at the USF Tournament in Tampa, March 18-20.
AGGIES IN THE POLLS
Texas A&M started the season ranked in the top 25 in both preseason national polls, and is currently ranked No. 24 by ESPN.com/USA Softball, and 22nd by USA Today/NFCA. A&M's remaining opponents appearing in the polls are No. 10/9 Oklahoma, No. 12/13 Texas, No. 16/20 Nebraska, No. 18/14 Missouri, No. 19/19 Texas Tech, No. 20/18 Oklahoma State, No. 23/22 Baylor and No. 25 Houston. In addition, Kansas is receiving votes.
BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL
A&M was picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Aggies received 54 points and finished behind preseason favorite Oklahoma (79), Missouri (71) and Texas (69). A&M was selected as the frontrunner for three consecutive years, from 2006-08, and was picked sixth last season. Oklahoma State placed fifth with 50 points, followed by Baylor (40), Texas Tech (33), Nebraska (26), Iowa State (15) and Kansas (13).
AGGIE SOFTBALL ON TV
The Aggies are one of four Big 12 teams to play in front of a national audience in 2011. A&M's contest against Texas on May 4 will air live on FSN. The game is set for a 6:30 first pitch.
GET IT LIVE
Live streaming video will be available for most home game this season, including Friday and Sunday's contests this weekend. Fans can log on to AggieAthletics.com to watch the action as it happens. Live audio and live stats are featured in every A&M game in 2011. Several contests will be aired on Sports Radio 1150 AM. All other games will be broadcast live on AggieAthletics.com and on 95.1-3 The Zone HD, making it available worldwide on any iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry or PDA free of charge. Log on to RadioAggieland.com for more information.