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Updated April 28, 2007 7:46 AM

Aggies open series with win behind Stouffer's bat

By RICHARD CROOME
Eagle Sports Writer

TEXAS A&M 12, BAYLOR 7 RECORDS: Texas A&M (34-10, 10-8 Big 12), Baylor (24-20, 7-12) WP: Kyle Nicholson (10-1) LP: Jeff Mandel (5-7) KEY STAT: A&M had four home runs, led by Blake Stouffer's pair of two-run homers. NEXT: 3 p.m. Saturday, Olsen Field TICKETS: $5 (youth), $7, $11 (call 845-2311 or 1-888-99-AGGIE)

Texas A&M baseball coach Rob Childress may want to consider anchoring Blake Stouffer at first base.

Stouffer, playing his first game as an Aggie at first, hit two home runs to lead 16th-ranked A&M to a 12-7 victory over the Baylor Bears at Baylor Ballpark on Friday.

"He had a great night offensively," Childress said of his newest first baseman. "Playing first base, he's hitting like a first baseman with the power. Stouffer can play anywhere on the field.

"We could probably catch him tomorrow, and he'd do a good job there. He's such a special athlete, a baseball player."

Stouffer wasn't the only one hitting homers for A&M (34-10, 10-8 Big 12).

Luke Anders' solo shot that barely got above the fence the whole way out made it 4-0 in the fourth. Then Parker Dalton capped a six-run seventh with a long shot to left.

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Waco Tribune Herald photo/Duane A. Laverty Texas A&M's Blake Stouffer hits a two-run home run as Baylor catcher Matt Czimskey watches in the Aggies' 12-7 win over Baylor on Friday night in Waco.

"Luke Anders, Parker Dalton, [Brian] Ruggiano had a good night," Childress said. "It was good night offensively."

Both of Stouffer's long balls were two-run shots. The first gave A&M a 3-0 lead in the third, and Stouffer's second homer put A&M up 6-0 in the fifth.

Stouffer is second in Big 12 play with 24 RBIs.

"It was a little different [playing first]," he said. "I haven't done it in while. It kind of helped [my hitting]. I had two strikes on both of them, and I was just trying to put the ball in play and was fortunate enough to get a good piece of the bat on it. It was a good night."

It was the first two-homer game by an Aggie since Austin Boggs hit two against Kansas State two years ago. And it was the Aggies' first four-homer game since their regional loss to Houston at Olsen Field on June 1, 2002.

A&M remained in fourth place in the Big 12. Baylor, in jeopardy of not qualifying for the conference tournament for the first time, dropped to 24-20 overall and 7-12 in league play.

The three-game series moves to Olsen Field with Game 2 set for 3 p.m. Saturday.

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Tribune Herald photo/D.A. Laverty Texas A&M's Kyle Nicholson got his 10th win of the season on Friday against Baylor. Nicholson had 10 strikeouts and gave up just two runs in seven innings.

Kyle Nicholson picked up his 10th victory, giving up two runs in seven innings while establishing his career high in strikeouts for the second straight outing. He struck out 10 Bears a week after setting down nine in a victory over Oklahoma State.

The only inning Nicholson (10-1) was in trouble was the sixth. With one out, Chase Gerdes looped a double down the right-field line and cleanup hitter Beamer Weems followed with a bunt that bounced over Nicholson's head for a single.

It looked as if Nicholson might get out of the inning by striking out Dustin Dickerson, but Matt Czimskey bunted down the third-base line and Nicholson, throwing from his knees, was unable to get the senior catcher.

Designated hitter Matt Sodalek then doubled down the left-field line to score Weems. The Aggies threw out Czimskey on the play with Ben Feltner relaying to shortstop Brandon Hicks who threw home to Craig Stinson.

"I didn't let the hits get to me in the sixth inning," Nicholson said. "I was able to close it out and stop the bleeding. Our offense was really explosive tonight, and it was fun to watch."

A&M answered Baylor's first runs with a two-out, six-run rally in the seventh.

Kyle Colligan started it by doubling down the left-field line. Brodie Greene came in to run for him, while Baylor replaced starter and losing pitcher Jeff Mandel (5-7) with left-hander Drew Jeffcoat.

Jeffcoat threw nine pitches, five of which went for hits.

Anders singled in Greene. Stinson singled to left, and Daman Aaron had an RBI single before Brian Ruggiano singled to center. All four hits were hit hard, but not as hard as Dalton's, who ripped an 0-1 pitch just left over the 375-foot sign in left field.

"The best thing about it was there were two outs the whole time, and you get the back-to-back-to-back-to-back [hits]," Dalton said. "I took the first pitch, and then I was looking for something off-speed and he threw me a curve right over the middle of the plate."

Baylor scored four in the eighth off left-hander Jason Meyer. The Bears got an unearned run in the ninth off of Kiel Renfro.