Spring Break
Aggies to open season at home
A&M starts 2009 campaign with Tulsa and UTSA.
By: T.D. Durham
Issue date: 2/6/09 Section: Sports
The Texas A&M softball team will open its Spring season Friday at the Aggie Softball Complex. The Aggies will play Tulsa and Texas-San Antonio twice each this weekend.
The UTSA Roadrunners, members of the Southland Conference, finished with a 25-25 record in 2008. The performance earned the Roadrunners a second place finish in the conference.
A&M has met the Roadrunners 32 times, posting 26 wins in the series. The previous time the teams played each other was in February 2007, when the Aggies beat out UTSA 7-1.
The Roadrunners, coached by Lori Cook, had seven freshman join the roster and returned nine lettermen.
Junior Rudi Cantu made the Southland All-Conference team in 2008 at second base. Cantu posted a .316 batting average and led the team in triples, at bats and hits.
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane posted a 34-25 record overall in 2008, with a 14-10 record in Conference-USA.
Junior outfielder Lauren Lindsay, a two-year letterman, led Tulsa in the spring in six statistic categories including slugging percentage, in which she has the school record for best career percentage.
Tulsa Head Coach John Bargfeldt led the team to its first conference championship and first NCAA Regional Tournament invitation in school history in 2008.
In the NCAA Norman Regional, the Golden Hurricane suffered back-to-back losses to Arkansas and Oregon.
Sophomore pitcher Rhiannon Kliesing said A&M will not take opponents lightly.
"We have to play every game, including these coming up, as if it's our most important game," Kliesing said.
Texas A&M finished its previous season with a overall record of 57-10, a Big 12 championship and its second consecutive appearance in the College World Series.
After taking second place in the World Series in 2008, the Aggies lost four of their senior lettermen, including two pitchers in Amanda Scarborough and Megan Gibson.
The loss of the two experienced pitchers places new responsibility on Kliesing, who will start most of the games this season.
"Because we lost those two, things are going to be tough," Kliesing said. "But if we play as a team, we will win."
Head Coach Jo Evans has a career winning percentage of .618 including four appearances at the World Series between her years at Texas A&M and Utah.
Evans said the Aggies will not be over-looking the opening games of the season.
But the Aggies have been more focused on play in the preseason than with opponents.
"We've been really focusing on our business this preseason," Kliesing said. "We have to establish ourselves in all aspects of the game before we worry about other teams."
The UTSA Roadrunners, members of the Southland Conference, finished with a 25-25 record in 2008. The performance earned the Roadrunners a second place finish in the conference.
A&M has met the Roadrunners 32 times, posting 26 wins in the series. The previous time the teams played each other was in February 2007, when the Aggies beat out UTSA 7-1.
The Roadrunners, coached by Lori Cook, had seven freshman join the roster and returned nine lettermen.
Junior Rudi Cantu made the Southland All-Conference team in 2008 at second base. Cantu posted a .316 batting average and led the team in triples, at bats and hits.
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane posted a 34-25 record overall in 2008, with a 14-10 record in Conference-USA.
Junior outfielder Lauren Lindsay, a two-year letterman, led Tulsa in the spring in six statistic categories including slugging percentage, in which she has the school record for best career percentage.
Tulsa Head Coach John Bargfeldt led the team to its first conference championship and first NCAA Regional Tournament invitation in school history in 2008.
In the NCAA Norman Regional, the Golden Hurricane suffered back-to-back losses to Arkansas and Oregon.
Sophomore pitcher Rhiannon Kliesing said A&M will not take opponents lightly.
"We have to play every game, including these coming up, as if it's our most important game," Kliesing said.
Texas A&M finished its previous season with a overall record of 57-10, a Big 12 championship and its second consecutive appearance in the College World Series.
After taking second place in the World Series in 2008, the Aggies lost four of their senior lettermen, including two pitchers in Amanda Scarborough and Megan Gibson.
The loss of the two experienced pitchers places new responsibility on Kliesing, who will start most of the games this season.
"Because we lost those two, things are going to be tough," Kliesing said. "But if we play as a team, we will win."
Head Coach Jo Evans has a career winning percentage of .618 including four appearances at the World Series between her years at Texas A&M and Utah.
Evans said the Aggies will not be over-looking the opening games of the season.
But the Aggies have been more focused on play in the preseason than with opponents.
"We've been really focusing on our business this preseason," Kliesing said. "We have to establish ourselves in all aspects of the game before we worry about other teams."
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