Major League Baseball

Texas at Texas A&M College Baseball

Published Apr. 15, 2010 5:24 p.m. ET

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Long time rivals Texas and Texas A&M will play their only series of the season this weekend in Austin and College Station. Friday’s contest will take place at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, while games two and three of the series will be played at Olsen Field in College Station.

The third ranked Longhorns come into this weekend having won their last nine games in a row. Texas (28-7, 10-2) has taken a stranglehold lead at the top of the Big 12 standings after back-to-back series sweeps over Kansas and Oklahoma.

The Aggies (20-10-1, 6-5-1) have lost three straight but have been very tough to beat at home this season. The Aggies have won 17 of their 22 games at College Station in 2010 including a 5-2 home record against Big 12 opponents. TCU handed Texas A&M a tough loss on Tuesday night but head coach Rob Childress maintains the team is still focused.

“It's just a matter of getting timely hits, playing routine defense and making big pitches to get off the field. Every team goes through a stretch like this in the course of a given year, and ours is right now. We're going to get through this and we're going to be fine," claimed Childress.

The Aggies will have to play their very best if they are to upend Texas this weekend. The Longhorns have one of the best pitching staffs in the nation and have found stability at the end of their bullpen through hometown star Chance Ruffin.

The Austin native has recorded nine saves on the season and leads the Longhorns with 21 appearances out of the ‘pen. Ruffin has been almost unhittable, holding batters to a measly .136 average and the junior boasts a team best 0.50 earned run average.
Infielders Brodie Greene and Caleb Shofner are the key to Texas A&M at the plate. Senior second baseman Greene has hit for a .383 average and has helped the Aggies running game with 11 stolen bases. Junior third baseman Shofner has been just as important as Greene, the two combining to lead the team with 12 home runs and 55 runs batted in.

The Aggies will hope to continue their push for a regional berth, while the Longhorns will want to increase their lead atop the Big 12 and make their case for the nation’s number one ranking.

Both Saturday and Sunday’s games from College Station will air LIVE on FCS. Saturday’s game will get underway at 6:30pm EST with the coverage airing live on both FSN and FCS. Sunday’s day game will air LIVE on FCS Central with first pitch at 2:00pm EST.

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