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Updated 6:55 AM on Monday, May 21, 2007

Aggies swept by Longhorns

By RICHARD CROOME
Eagle Sports Writer

AUSTIN - After the Texas Longhorns won their second straight Big 12 regular season title Saturday, Texas coach Augie Garrido expressed his regards for what Aggie coach Rob Childress and his staff have done at Texas A&M.

Following a 9-1 victory Sunday at Disch-Falk Field to sweep the three-game series, Garrido reserved all his praise for the Longhorn players.

AGGIE BASEBALL TEXAS 9, TEXAS A&M 1 RECORDS: Texas (42-14, 21-6 Big 12), Texas A&M (41-15, 13-13) WP: Austin Wood (7-1) LP: Scott Migl (6-3) NEXT: Big 12 Tournament, Texas A&M vs. Nebraska, 10 a.m. Wednesday

"The way they went out and showed the respect for the fundamentals of the game today was good to see," Garrido said. "So many times a team wins the championship and they're scattered all over the place. Today, we showed that we could keep focused. We respected the game and we respected our opponent."

UT hit three homers and Austin Wood kept the Aggie bats quiet as the No. 5 Longhorns finished the regular season at 42-14 overall and 21-6 in the Big 12.

The No. 9 Aggies fell to 41-15, and at 13-13 dropped to .500 in the Big 12 for the first time since they were 4-4. The Aggies dropped to fifth place, a half-game behind Nebraska (14-13).

"It's a new season and it starts right now for us, the postseason," Texas A&M coach Rob Childress said. "Today I'm disappointed and the players are disappointed."

A&M battled with Texas to the final inning in the first two games of the series, prompting Garrido to praise the Aggie effort.

"I want to make sure that A&M and the A&M fans know how much I respect and appreciate what's been done by this great coaching staff at Texas A&M," Garrido said after Texas came back to win Game 2 of the series 3-2. "I really can't express the respect I have for the program they've built over there in such a short time. It's absolutely remarkable."

On Sunday, the Longhorns had it all going and there was nothing A&M could do to stop it.

"I think we are getting better at the right time and that's what championship teams do," Garrido said.

Wood (7-1) held the Aggies to five hits and a late run, while the offense made the most of two big innings to take the drama out of the game early.

"This is the first time all year we've lost three in a row, and usually how you respond to failure is going to determine your success," Childress said. "We are going to see how tough we are mentally and see how we bounce back. There is not a doubt in my mind we will."

A&M's next game is at 10 a.m. Wednesday against Nebraska in the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City. It will be the Aggies' first appearance in the postseason in three years.

"We have to go back and just regroup, go back to what we were doing in the middle of the season, the beginning of the season," said A&M catcher Craig Stinson. "I think we are in a little bit of a slump, but the season is over right now and a new season begins and we've just got to forget about it and move on."

The Longhorns hit a ball off the wall, then another to the wall and yet another just over the wall to start their six-run fourth inning.

With Chance Wheeless on first, cleanup hitter Bradley Suttle drove a double just beyond the reach of Brodie Greene. Russell Moldenhauer made it 1-0 with a sacrifice fly that center fielder Kyle Colligan caught near the 405-foot marker. Preston Clark then drove his seventh home run of the season over the left-field wall to score two runs.

With the bases empty and two outs, Scott Migl (6-3), who was strong the first time through the UT lineup, hit Nick Peoples with a pitch and walked Travis Tucker. Jordan Danks made him pay for it with a three-run home run, his fourth of the season.

"We weren't able to put some guys away. There were some borderline pitches that were not called and they took advantage of getting big hits with runners on base," Childress said. "For three innings Scott was good, and the second time through the lineup they got after him."

In the sixth, Chais Fuller singled to center, went to third on Tucker's double and scored on a Kyle Thebeau wild pitch. Thebeau took over for Matt Ueckert on a 2-0 count to Danks. Thebeau threw two strikes before walking him.

One out later, Wheeless walked on four pitches and then Suttle singled down the right-field line to bring home the final two runs.

A&M avoided being shutout for the first time all year with a run in the eighth. It was the Longhorns' lone careless inning.

Brian Ruggiano and Parker Dalton singled to left. Brandon Hicks hit deep fly ball to center and Ruggiano tagged and went to third. Nick Peoples' throw missed the cutoff man and Dalton alertly went to second.

Ruggiano had to hold at third on pinch-hitter Spencer Jackson's fly out to Peoples, but he made it home on a wild pitch with Stouffer at the plate.

NOTES - Aggie designated hitter Luke Anders had his 14 game hitting streak stopped ... Texas, Kansas State and Nebraska are in the bracket with A&M, while Missouri, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Baylor are in the other bracket at the Big 12 Tournament.