Posted: 11:23 AM Apr 5, 2012
Reporter: Texas A&M Sports Information

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The 14th-ranked Texas A&M softball team (25-10, 5-2 Big 12) takes to the road again this week, facing Iowa State (11-22, 0-6 Big 12) in a three-game conference series in Ames, Iowa.
The Aggies and Cyclones will play a Friday doubleheader, with games set for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., before ending the series Saturday at noon.
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies took their first Big 12 road trip of the season and returned home with a 2-1 series victory over Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla. A&M took game one, 3-1 in extra innings behind junior Mel Dumezich, who threw a career-single-game-high 15 strikeouts. The Cowgirls took hold of game two with a 4-0 shutout over A&M, but the Aggies bounced back in the series finale on Sunday, defeating OSU 7-1.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live stats and live audio will be provided for every game this season on AggieAthletics.com, while live streaming video will be offered at each of the Aggies’ home games. Fans can also listen to all of the Aggies’ games live on 95.1-3 The Zone HD, making it available worldwide on any Smartphone or HD radio. This weekend’s games will be featured worldwide on 95.1-3 The Zone HD, while Saturday’s game will be broadcast locally on Sports Radio 1150 AM. Log on to RadioAggieland.com for more information.
AGGIES IN THE POLLS
Texas A&M is ranked 14th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll and 16th in the USA Today/NFCA rankings. The Aggies’ remaining 2012 opponents appearing in the polls are No. 3/3 Texas, No. 5/7 Oklahoma and No. 22/25 Baylor.
ON DECK
The Aggies finish off a seven-game road trip with a single game at No. 22 Baylor on Wednesday, April 10. First pitch in game two of the three-game series between the Aggies and Lady Bears is set for 6:30 p.m. A&M leads the series, 1-0.
MAKING HISTORY
Dumezich’s two grand slams vs. BYU on Feb. 24 tied an NCAA single-game record. Only three other players in the history of Division I softball have hit base-clearing long balls, the most recent being in 2007. Dumezich joins sophomore Amber Garza at No. 3 on the single-season grand slams list with three, as she powered a grand slam in the Aggies’ home opener against Sam Houston State. Garza hit three grand slams last season, two of them in the NCAA College Station Regional.
Dumezich has also shined in the circle this season, breaking her career strikeout record twice. She threw 14 strikeouts against No. 18 Hawaii on March 16 and bested that record during Friday’s OSU game when she fanned 15 batters in eight innings.
FRESHMAN FIVE
Evans welcomes a group of five freshmen to the team this season. Lauren Ainsley (RHP – La Vernia, Texas), Brittany Clopton (OF – Montgomery, Texas), Kayla Klein (RHP – Whittier, Calif.), Sara Mireles (LHP – New Braunfels, Texas) and Lauren Tamayo (UT – Roanoke, Texas) will put on the Maroon & White in 2012.
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
The Cyclones are 11-22 this season and 0-6 in Big 12 play. Leading ISU from the dish is Erica Miller, who is hitting at a .368 clip. Miller owns 35 hits, including eight doubles and five home runs, and has scored 13 runs while picking up 16 RBI. Tori Torrescano has an impressive 10 home runs on the season and also leads the team with 34 RBI. Torrescano has scored a team second-best 16 runs while also helping the team from the circle. The hurler is 6-15 on the season, throwing 94.2 innings. She has given up 85 earned runs on 124 hits while both striking out and walking 52 batters.
The Aggies are 35-6 all-time against the Cyclones, and have won the last five meetings. Last year, A&M defeated Iowa State by one run in College Station before run-ruling the Cyclones in an 8-0 victory the next day.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
The Aggies are 14-2 at home this season, and 41-2 in the last 43 games. A&M recently ended a program-best 34-game home winning streak, starting April 25, 2010. The streak was also the longest active home winning streak in the nation as the Aggies went undefeated at home in 2011. This is the longest home winning streak A&M has had since the program’s inception in 1981. The previous record holder by Aggie softball was a 21-game ride from Feb. 19, 2005-May 22, 2005.
NATIONALLY RANKED
In the latest RPI rankings, A&M sits at No. 13 in the nation, behind only two Big 12 schools – No. 3 Texas and No. 8 Oklahoma. The Aggies are among the best in the nation in several categories this season, through games of April 1. As a team, A&M ranks 19th in fielding percentage (.975), 36th in win-loss percentage (0.714) and 28th in home runs per game (0.94). Junior Meagan May has drawn a national second-highest 1.00 walk per game. Dumezich is among the top 25 in the nation in three categories, with 192 strikeouts (8th), 17 victories (7th) and 4.41 hits allowed per seven innings (22nd). Dumezich also ranks 34th in strikeouts per seven innings (8.3).
LEAGUE LEADERS
The Aggies area also among the best in the conference in all games in several areas. May’s 35 walks this season top the competition, while Dumezich ranks third with 25. The right-hander leads the league in innings pitched (162.0), appearances (29), games started (22) and complete games (18), and is second in strikeouts (192).
ACTIVE ALL-AMERICANS
In 2011 Dumezich was named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American second team after earning a 1.92 ERA in 247 1/3 Innings pitched. The junior gave up only 68 runs while fanning 262 batters as a sophomore and ranks ninth on the Aggies’ career strikeouts list.
May earned All-America second team honors in 2010 as a freshman. The standout catcher broke the team and Big 12 records for home runs in a season after clearing the fence 24 times. She also posted a team-leading .405 batting average, 66 hits, 16 doubles, 62 RBI, a .945 slugging percentage and a .557 on base percentage. May was one of only six Aggies to earn the honor as a freshman.
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2012 softball season can be purchased through the 12th Man Foundation Ticket Office for $5-$8. Fans can purchase tickets to every home game in person at The Zone at Kyle Field box office, online at www.12thManFoundation.com, or over the phone at 1-888-99-AGGIE (2-4443) or (979) 845-2311. The ticket window at the Aggie Softball Complex will open one hour prior to each home game, at which time remaining tickets may be purchased at the gate.
PARKING
Parking this season is free for each home game that does not share a date with a baseball game. Fans can park in Reed Arena Lot 100, across the street from the Aggie Softball Complex. For conflicting dates, fans will be charged $5 to park.
BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL
A&M was picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Aggies received 37 points and finished behind preseason favorite Missouri (59), and Oklahoma (56), Texas (50) and Baylor (45). A&M was selected as the frontrunner for three consecutive years, from 2006-08, and was picked fourth last season, ending 2011 in third place. Oklahoma State placed sixth with 32 points, followed by Texas Tech (22), Kansas (13) and Iowa State (10).
GET IT LIVE
Live audio and live stats are featured in every A&M game in 2012. Several contests will be aired on Sports Radio 1150 AM. All other games will be broadcast live on AggieAthletics.com and on 95.1-3 The Zone HD, making it available worldwide on any iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry or PDA free of charge. Log on to RadioAggieland.com for more information.

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