April 21, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -
Looking for a second-consecutive conference sweep, the No. 19 Texas A&M softball team (33-12, 5-4 Big 12) travels to Norman, Okla., to face No. 15 Oklahoma (33-13, 6-5 Big 12) this weekend at the OU Softball Complex. Friday's game is slated for a 7 p.m. start, while first pitch Saturday will be thrown at 2 p.m.
In 2010, the Aggies dropped a pair of games to the Sooners at home, falling 6-0 before dropping a 9-4 decision. The teams faced again in the Big 12 Tournament semifinal, resulting in a 5-1 loss for A&M despite then-freshman Meagan May's 22nd home run of the season.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live stats and live audio will be provided for every game this season on AggieAthletics.com. Fans can listen to this weekend's games live on Sports Radio 1150 AM. Log on to RadioAggieland.com for more information.
LAST TIME OUT
Senior Rhi Kliesing was 3-for-4 with one run as the Aggies ended up on the short end of a one-run game at Houston. Sophomore Mel Dumezich hit her sixth home run of the season, scoring two runs, before junior Kelsea Orsak added an RBI single to give A&M its third and final run of the night. Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the third, the Cougars used a three-run homer to propel themselves into the lead and finished the game ahead 4-3.
Kliesing leads the Aggie hitters with a .365 average, pounding 42 pitches in 115 at-bats, including six doubles, a triple and a team-topping 15 home runs. The first baseman also leads the team with 45 RBI, 95 total bases, 34 walks and nine pitches to the body. Redshirt junior Natalie Villarreal is close behind with a .359 batting average. The second baseman leads the team with 38 runs, 46 hits, 12 of them doubles, and sits at second with nine stolen bases. From the circle, Dumezich (19-7) has appeared in 30 games, making 23 starts. She has fanned 180 batters in 154 1/3 innings of work and has allowed only 43 earned runs on the season for a 1.95 ERA while throwing nine solo shutouts. Redshirt junior Lindsey Sisk (14-5) holds a 2.00 ERA, grabbing five solo shutouts in 15 complete games. The Murrieta, Calif., native has walked only 32 batters in 133 innings pitched while striking out 92.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
The Sooners are 33-13 overall this season, and 6-5 in conference play. In 2010, Oklahoma was 47-12 on the season, finishing conference play with a Big 12-second 13-3 record. The team ended the year at the NCAA Super Regional with a No. 11 final national ranking. Last weekend, the Sooners were swept by No. 14 Missouri at Columbia in two one-run, extra-inning games. Game one ended in a 3-2, nine-inning loss for Oklahoma, and game two was an 11-inning, 1-0 pitching duel. OU left-handed ace Keilani Ricketts (20-9) threw 19 of 20 innings on the weekend.
Ricketts heads the Sooner pitching staff with a 1.44 ERA in 194 2/3 innings of work, fanning 319 batters while allowing only 40 earned runs and walking 51 batters. The sophomore has thrown seven solo shutouts in 24 complete games. Freshman Destinee Martinez leads the offense with a .367 average, hitting 59 singles, two doubles and a triple on the season while scoring 28 runs and earning 16 RBI. Sophomore Jessica Shults (.324) leads the team with 39 runs, 19 bombs, 56 RBI and 109 total bases.
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 58 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.
NATIONALLY-RANKED
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 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 Lawrence, Kan., next weekend to play Kansas in a two-game Big 12 series before returning home to host the final five games of the regular season. Saturday's game has been changed to a 4 p.m. start, and Sunday's contest will begin 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 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' 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.