COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The No. 15 Texas A&M softball team (23-9, 3-1 Big 12) travels to Stillwater, Okla., this weekend to face Oklahoma State (16-13, 2-4 Big 12) on its first conference road trip of the season.
The Aggies and Cowgirls will begin the three-game Big 12 series with a 7 p.m. Friday game. The teams will play Saturday at 4 p.m. before closing out the weekend with a noon Sunday matchup.
TIME CHANGE
Saturday's game time has been changed to a 4 p.m. first pitch to accommodate schedules. The other two games will remain at their original times and all three will continue to be broadcast live on Sports Radio 1150 AM.
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies improved to 3-1 in conference play on Wednesday with a victory over No. 17 Baylor. Senior Kelsea Orsak hit two doubles for three RBI, while a double by sophomore Amber Garza and a home run by sophomore Cassie Tysarczyk pushed the Aggies out to the 6-1 win. Junior Mel Dumezich (15-6) threw seven complete innings, striking out five batters while giving up just one run on three hits and walking one.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live stats and live audio will be provided for every game this season on AggieAthletics.com, while live streaming video will be offered at each of the Aggies' home games. Fans can also listen to all of the Aggies' games live on 95.1-3 The Zone HD, making it available worldwide on any Smartphone or HD radio. This weekend's games will be featured locally on Sports Radio 1150 AM. Log on to RadioAggieland.com for more information.
AGGIES IN THE POLLS
Texas A&M is ranked 15th in both the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll and the USA Today/NFCA rankings. The Aggies' remaining 2012 opponents appearing in the polls are No. 6/6 Texas and No. 7/7 Oklahoma. In addition, Kansas is receiving votes.
ON DECK
The Aggies continue to travel next weekend, heading to Ames, Iowa, for three games against Iowa State. The Cyclones will host A&M in a Friday, April 6, doubleheader set for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Game three will be played at noon Saturday.
DUMEZICH DOMINATES
Junior Mel Dumezich's outstanding performance against Missouri last weekend, both from the circle and from the plate, earned her national recognition, as she was named the College Sports Madness Softball Big 12 Player of the Week. This is the junior right-hander's first weekly accolade of the season.
MAKING HISTORY
Dumezich's two grand slams vs. BYU on Feb. 24 tied an NCAA single-game record. Only three other players in the history of Division I softball have hit base-clearing long balls, the most recent being in 2007. Dumezich joins sophomore Amber Garza at No. 3 on the single-season grand slams list with three, as she powered a grand slam in the Aggies' home opener against Sam Houston State. Garza hit three grand slams last season, two of them in the NCAA College Station Regional.
Dumezich has also shined in the circle this season, breaking her career strikeout record against No. 18 Hawaii on March 16. The right-hander struck out 14 batters while walking just two batters and giving up just three hits in the upset victory.
FRESHMAN FIVE
Evans welcomes a group of five freshmen to the team this season. Lauren Ainsley (RHP - La Vernia, Texas), Brittany Clopton (OF - Montgomery, Texas), Kayla Klein (RHP - Whittier, Calif.), Sara Mireles (LHP - New Braunfels, Texas) and Lauren Tamayo (UT - Roanoke, Texas) will put on the Maroon & White in 2012.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA STATE
The Cowgirls are 16-13 this season and 2-4 in Big 12 play. Tamara Brown leads the team from the plate with a .346 average. Brown owns four runs on 28 hits, including five doubles and a triple, for 11 RBI. Ari Morrison is also hitting above .300, and leads the team with 15 runs. Morrison's 28 hits, including a pair of doubles and triples, has earned her four RBI. In the circle, Kat Espinosa (9-6) is leading the way. The hurler is recording a 2.10 ERA after throwing 89 strikeouts in 103.1 innings, while giving up 31 runs on 72 hits.
The Aggies are 40-21 all-time against the Cowgirls and have won the last four meetings. In 2011, A&M defeated then-No. 16 Oklahoma State in a pair of games at home.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
The Aggies are 14-2 at home this season, and 41-2 in the last 43 games. A&M recently ended a program-best 34-game home winning streak, starting April 25, 2010. The streak was also the longest active home winning streak in the nation as the Aggies went undefeated at home in 2011. This is the longest home winning streak A&M has had since the program's inception in 1981. The previous record holder by Aggie softball was a 21-game ride from Feb. 19, 2005-May 22, 2005.
NATIONALLY RANKED
In the latest RPI rankings, A&M sits at No. 12 in the nation, behind only one Big 12 school - No. 8 Texas. The Aggies are among the best in the nation in several categories this season, through games of March 18. As a team, A&M ranks 33rd in fielding percentage (.971), 37th in win-loss percentage (0.71) and 24th in home runs per game (0.97). Junior Sydney Shannon ranks 17th in sacrifice hits per game (0.3), and junior Meagan May has drawn a national third-highest 1.03 walks per game. Dumezich is among the top 25 in the nation in three categories, with 159 strikeouts (10th), nine home runs (25th) and 14 victories (14th).
ACTIVE ALL-AMERICANS
In 2011 Dumezich was named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American second team after earning a 1.92 ERA in 247 1/3 Innings pitched. The junior gave up only 68 runs while fanning 262 batters as a sophomore and ranks ninth on the Aggies' career strikeouts list.
May earned All-America second team honors in 2010 as a freshman. The standout catcher broke the team and Big 12 records for home runs in a season after clearing the fence 24 times. She also posted a team-leading .405 batting average, 66 hits, 16 doubles, 62 RBI, a .945 slugging percentage and a .557 on base percentage. May was one of only six Aggies to earn the honor as a freshman.
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2012 softball season can be purchased through the 12th Man Foundation Ticket Office for $5-$8. Fans can purchase tickets to every home game in person at The Zone at Kyle Field box office, online at www.12thManFoundation.com, or over the phone at 1-888-99-AGGIE (2-4443) or (979) 845-2311. The ticket window at the Aggie Softball Complex will open one hour prior to each home game, at which time remaining tickets may be purchased at the gate.
PARKING
Parking this season is free for each home game that does not share a date with a baseball game. Fans can park in Reed Arena Lot 100, across the street from the Aggie Softball Complex. For conflicting dates, fans will be charged $5 to park.
BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL
A&M was picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Aggies received 37 points and finished behind preseason favorite Missouri (59), and Oklahoma (56), Texas (50) and Baylor (45). A&M was selected as the frontrunner for three consecutive years, from 2006-08, and was picked fourth last season, ending 2011 in third place. Oklahoma State placed sixth with 32 points, followed by Texas Tech (22), Kansas (13) and Iowa State (10).
GET IT LIVE
Live audio and live stats are featured in every A&M game in 2012. 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.