April 19, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -
Coming off of a two-game Big 12 series sweep, the No. 19 Texas A&M softball team (33-11, 5-4 Big 12) travels to Houston (31-14, 13-5 Conference USA) for a midweek contest, Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Cougar Softball Stadium.
The Aggies defeated the Cougars, 6-4, in 2010 at the Aggie Softball Complex thanks to two home runs and a four-run fifth inning. Sophomore Bailey Schroeder picked up two RBI on a double to right center.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live stats and live audio will be provided for every game this season on AggieAthletics.com. Fans can listen to Wednesday's game live on Sports Radio 1150 AM. Log on to RadioAggieland.com for more information.
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies swept 12th-ranked Nebraska in two conference games, knocking the Huskers down to a No. 14 ranking in this week's polls. A 3-0 shutout in game one was thanks to a two-RBI double by freshman Rhi Kliesing. A&M earned its 19th-straight home win in game two with a 5-1 victory. Freshman Cassie Tysarczyk, senior Kelsey Spittler and sophomore Brittany Walker were all 2-for-3 on the day. Sophomore Mel Dumezich threw 14 complete innings on the weekend, allowing only one unearned run for a perfect 0.00 ERA. With the two complete games, Dumezich earned her ninth solo shutout.
Redshirt junior Natalie Villarreal leads the Aggie hitters with a .359 average, garnering 38 runs on 46 hits with 12 doubles, a triple and four home runs. She leads the team in stolen bases with nine. Kliesing is close behind, batting .351 this season and leading the team in home runs (15), RBI (45), total bases (92) and walks (34). From the circle, redshirt junior Lindsey Sisk (14-4) and Dumezich (19-7) combine for a 1.92 ERA. Sisk is throwing 1.87 this season in 22 appearances, shutting out five opponents in 127 1/3 innings of work. Dumezich holds a 1.95 ERA, fanning 180 batters in 154 innings for nine solo shutouts in 22 complete games.
SCOUTING HOUSTON
The Cougars are 31-14 in 2011 and 13-5, in Conference USA play, receiving votes from both national polls. In 2010, the team ended the season with a 30-24-1 overall record. In February, Houston received the program's first-ever national ranking, entering the top 25 at No. 23. Last weekend the Cougars won a three-game conference series against Tulsa, 2-1, shutting out the Golden Hurricane in game one and run-ruling them in game two before falling, 1-0, in an 11-inning pitching duel on Sunday.
Pitching ace Amanda Crabtree (17-7) leads the nation in strikeouts per seven innings, and received her fifth Conference USA Pitcher of the Week award of the season this week. The senior right-handed pitcher threw a complete-game shutout vs. No. 15 Baylor and holds an impressive 0.96 ERA in 167 2/3 innings of work. She has struck out 291 batters and allowed only 23 earned runs in 31 appearances. Nationally, the Cougars are ranked third in ERA. From the plate, senior Katy Beth Sherman is leading the team with a .341 average. She is followed by junior Melissa Gregson (.333) who leads the team with 14 home runs, 39 RBI and 90 total bases in 45 starts. A&M leads the all-time series against Houston, 15-3, winning the past seven meetings.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
The Aggies are on a 19-game home winning streak, starting April 25, 2010. This is the second-longest home winning streak A&M has had since the program's inception in 1981. The longest winning streak at home by Aggie softball was a 20-game ride from Feb. 19, 2005-May 22, 2005.
HOME RUNS GALORE
A&M has tallied 57 home runs this season, including five grand slams, in 44 games. The team sits at 12th in the nation in the most recent NCAA statistical rankings in home runs per game with a 1.30 average. Kliesing is ninth in the nation with 15 home runs and is 22nd in home runs per game, individually. Of A&M's 19 players, 12 have gone yard in 2011 to lead the Big 12 in long balls. Undefeated at home, the Aggies have cleared their own fence 34 times, including three times in the one-run victory over No. 15 Baylor and once against No. 12 Nebraska. The team also had a solo bomb against top-ranked Arizona early in the season.
WHERE DO THE AGGIES RANK NATIONALLY?
The Aggies are ranked in the top 25 in the most recent RPI standings in three categories (through games April 17) - home runs per game (12), win-loss percentage (25) and slugging percentage (21). Individually, Kliesing sits at ninth in home runs, 23rd in slugging percentage, 21st in walks and 22nd in home runs per game. Dumezich ranks sixth in the nation in shutouts and 21st in victories. Sophomore Meagan May is ninth in sacrifice flies and 18th in RBI per game.
MAY INJURED
May, a 2010 All-American, fractured her right middle finger March 23 in the first inning of the game against Sam Houston State. She is out indefinitely.
ON DECK
A&M travels to Norman, Okla., this weekend to play No. 15 Oklahoma in a two-game Big 12 series. Friday's game is set for a 7 p.m. start, and Saturday's contest will begin at 2 p.m.
TIME CHANGE
The game at Kansas on Saturday, April 30, has been rescheduled for a 4 p.m. start to accommodate the KU Athletic department. Sunday's game remains at noon.
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. 21 by ESPN.com/USA Softball and No. 19 by USA Today/NFCA. A&M's remaining opponents appearing in the polls are No. 5/6 Texas, No. 15/15 Oklahoma and No. 18/20 Oklahoma State. In addition, Texas Tech and Houston are 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' contest at home against Texas on May 4 will air live on FSN. The game is set for a 6:30 first pitch.
GET IT LIVE
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.