Print story | Email story

Aggies practice long ball in win

By RICHARD CROOME
Eagle Staff Writer

Texas A&M practiced its home run trot Tuesday night in preparation for its upcoming series with the Texas Longhorns.

The ninth-ranked Aggies hit three homers in the sixth inning and another in the eighth to power their way to an 11-6 victory over McNeese State (20-31) at Olsen Field.

A&M will head into its series with the fifth-ranked Longhorns at 41-12 overall and in fourth place in the Big 12 at 13-10. Texas (39-14) leads the conference at 18-6. Game 1 of the three-game set will be at Olsen Field at 6:30 p.m. Friday, with the series shifting to Austin for Games 2 and 3.

"It's going to be a lot of fun, a lot of fun for the fans, and our guys will be ready to play," A&M coach Rob Childress said. "But like I told our team, it's another series, just as important as Kansas State last weekend."

Craig Stinson got A&M's home run barrage going in the sixth, ripping his 10th of the season. His two-run shot followed a rare error by second baseman David Leatherwood and tied the score at 5.

Kyle Colligan then untied it with a solo shot, and later in the inning, Brandon Hicks hit a two-out, two-run homer for his 10th round-tripper of the season. He drove in Parker Dalton, who tripled on a ball that dropped just in front of center fielder Andy Riche.

"We got ourselves going again ... 13 hits and about eight hard line outs," Childress said. "It was good to see we got going again offensively, especially against a couple of left-handed pitchers."

All three homers were no-doubters over the fence in left-center field, and all came off losing pitcher William Strong (0-1).

Colligan led off the eighth with his eighth home run of the season and third in two games.

"He's handling things like a veteran, not like a sophomore but a senior," Childress said of his center fielder. "We have to have Kyle Colligan and Craig Stinson driving in runs against left-handed pitching. That is their job. That is why they are in there."

Brodie Greene singled to right, stole second and scored the final run of the game on Brian Ruggiano's double to right.

Travis Starling got himself into and out of trouble in his two innings on the mound for the win, his first decision of the season.

NOTES - McNeese State's Joe Hulett, brother of Aggie freshman infielder Jeff Hulett, had a productive game, reaching base four times with two singles. ... A&M's Matt Ueckert and Kyle Thebeau were named to the Big 12 Conference All-Academic first team, while Parker Dalton, Kyle Nicholson and Josh Stinson made the second team.