March 17, 2011
Texas A&M Baseball Notes (Oklahoma Series) in PDF Format 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The games for the No. 11 Texas A&M baseball team take on extra meaning this weekend as the Aggies travel to Norman, Okla., to begin Big 12 Conference play against No. 2 Oklahoma in a three-game series at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Game times are set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday for the series finale.
The Aggies enter the game winners of five of their last six games and will face a Sooner squad that began the season with 16 straight victories but is looking to rebound after dropping three straight contests.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY (MARCH 18)
Texas A&M - #12 John Stilson (Jr., RHP, 1-0, 1.30)
Oklahoma - #44 Michael Rocha (Sr., RHP, 4-0, 1.20)
SATURDAY (MARCH 19)
Texas A&M - #38 Michael Wacha (So., RHP, 2-1, 0.67)
Oklahoma - #13 Dillon Overton (Fr., LHP, 3-0, 1.04)
SUNDAY (MARCH 20)
Texas A&M - #36 Ross Stripling (Jr., RHP, 3-1, 0.41)
Oklahoma - #32 Burch Smith (Jr., RHP, 2-1, 3.52)
FOLLOWING THE ACTION
 • RADIO -- Fans can listen locally on KZNE-AM 1150 on Friday and WTAW-AM 1620 Saturday and Sunday. Will Johnson (play-by-play) and Kevin Hurley (commentary) will call the action pregame show begins 30 minutes prior to first pitch.
 • TV -- All three games will be televised by the Sooner Sports Network. Check with your cable provider for availability.
 • INTERNET -- aggieathletics.com will offer live play-by-play and statistics. Fans can watch the games on a paid per view basis via soonersports.com.
 • MOBILE PHONE -- listen to the game on your iPhone, Blackberry or PDA free of charge ... log on to radioaggieland.com for more information.
A&M/OKLAHOMA SERIES NOTABLES
The Sooners hold a 35-31 advantage in the all-time series with Texas A&M and have won six of the last eight meetings between the schools. A year ago, Oklahoma make the trip to College Station and took two of three games from the Aggies. OU leads 26-25 since Big 12 Conference play began in 1997.
MORE ON OKLAHOMA
A College World Series participant a year ago, the Sooners began the 2011 campaign with 16 consecutive victories before losing their first game of the season last Sunday against Arkansas-Little Rock. Oklahoma made the trip to Tempe, Ariz., this week to face No. 8 Arizona State where it dropped a pair of games to the Sundevils.
Last season, the Sooners and Aggies squared off in a three-game series at Olsen Field with OU earning wins in two of the three games. Texas A&M earned a 6-2 win in the series opener before losing the middle game of the series in 13 innings 6-5. The Sooner secured the series win with a 10-2 victory in the finale.
UP NEXT
The Aggies return to the friendly confines of Olsen Field for four games next week which start when Stephen F. Austin makes a visit to College Station for a 6:35 contest on Tuesday. The homestand continues into the weekend when the Kansas Jayhawks will be the first Big 12 opponent to make the trip to Aggieland this season.
NOTES AND NOTABLES
 • Texas A&M's four losses this season are by a combined six runs. Meanwhile, through the first 17 games, the Aggies have held opponent to two runs or less 12 times.
 • Since the league play during the 1997 season, the Aggies are all-time 25-17 (.595) in Big 12 opening series. Texas A&M has never opened conference play against the Sooners, who hold a slim 26-25 advantage in the series since the league formed.
 • Sophomore Tyler Naquin is sizzling at the plate for Texas A&M, batting .600 (15-for-25) in his last six games to raise his team-high batting average to .394 on the year. Naquin's run began at Minute Maid Park where he completed of one of the rarest feats in baseball by hitting for the cycle during last Sunday's win over Houston.
 • In his first appearance at the top of the Aggie line-up, freshman outfielder Jace Statum spearheaded the A&M offensive explosion against Centenary last Tuesday. The Orangefield, Texas, native went 4-for-5 with three runs and three RBI against the Gents. In his five games last, Statum is hitting .412 (7-of-17) with four runs scored.
 • The Texas A&M pitching staff was tabbed as one of the country's best heading into the 2011 campaign and through 17 games they have lived up to the billing. Overall, the Aggies sport a 1.73 earned run average with 144 strikeouts in 156 innings of work while limiting their opponents to a .201 batting average.
 • A&M's starting pitchers have set the tone early for the Aggies this year. In fact, Aggie starters have allowed just 15 earned runs in the first 96 innings they have tossed this year and carry a 1.41 ERA into the Oklahoma series.
 • This weekend will be the first true road test for the Aggies, who have played 14 of their first 17 games at Olsen Field. The lone trip out of College Station this season prior to the trip to Norman was a visit to Minute Main Park for the Houston College Classic on March 4-6.