Special to The Eagle
BASEBALL
A&M at OU this weekend: The 16th-ranked Texas A&M baseball team (34-18, 14-10 Big 12) will close out the regular season this weekend at 15th-ranked Oklahoma (37-16, 14-10) with a three-game Big 12 series.
Friday's and Saturday's games will be at 6:30 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park, with Game 3 at 1 p.m. Sunday.
A&M and OU are tied for fourth in the Big 12 standings. Texas (36-12-1, 17-9-1) has clinched the regular season title. The Longhorns completed Big 12 play last weekend by taking two of three from A&M.
Missouri (30-23, 16-11) also has finished Big 12 play. A&M or OU can pass Missouri with a sweep. Third-place Kansas State (38-13-1, 13-9-1) plays Kansas (35-18, 13-11) this weekend.
A&M can finish anywhere from second to seventh heading into next weekend's Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City.
The A&M-OU series also has NCAA Tournament implications with both teams wanting to host a four-team regional and possible Super Regional.
The A&M-OU games will be broadcast on WTAW (1620 AM).
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Aggies earn academic honors: Texas A&M senior pitcher Kyle Thebeau, junior pitcher Travis Starling and sophomore pitcher Barret Loux earned all-conference academic honors. Thebeau and Starling were among 52 first-team picks, and Loux was on the 19-member second team.
First-teamers had to have a 3.20 GPA or better, and the second-teamers had to have at least a 3.0 GPA. Position players also had to have played in 60 percent of their team's scheduled contests, while pitchers are required to have at least one inning pitched per game played by the team or have appeared in 20 percent of their team's total games. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence.
GOLF
Aggie men in third at regionals: DALY CITY, Calif. -- Texas A&M sophomore John Hurley fired a 5-under 67 on Thursday to help the No. 12 Texas A&M men's golf team open in third place after the first of three rounds at the NCAA West Regional at the Lake Merced Golf Club.
Senior Bronson Burgoon added a 3-under 69 as the Aggies shot 7-under 281. No. 14 Arizona State (279) and New Mexico (280) are ahead of A&M heading into Friday's second round. The tournament concludes Saturday with the top five teams advancing to the national finals May 26-30 in Toledo, Ohio.
Oregon is one stroke behind the Aggies, followed by No. 2 Southern California at 285, No. 22 San Diego State at 286, UC-Irvine at 289, Colorado at 291, San Francisco (291), Kansas State (294), UC-Davis (298) and Oregon State (300).
Hurley is tied for third in medalist play, two strokes behind leader Matthew Giles of USC. Burgoon is tied for sixth.
"John played unbelievable," A&M coach J.T. Higgins said. "He got off to a rough start but didn't let it faze him at all. He took advantage of his length on par-5s and really carried us today. Bronson didn't play as well as he could have but was still solid with a 69. The other guys battled but they all know they can play better. I think we have our best golf ahead of us."
A&M junior Andrea Pavan shot an even-par 72 and is tied for 20th. Senior Matt Van Zandt carded a 73, and sophomore Nacho Elvira had a 75.
Hurley was 2 over through five holes, then played the next 11 holes in 7 under. He finished bogey-birdie on the final two holes to tie for the school record for an NCAA regional. Sean Gilliland carded a 67 for A&M in the 2000 Central Regional. Hurley had eight birdies on the day.
Burgoon had six birdies in his round, including a pair on the final two holes. Pavan had four birdies and four bogeys.
ET CETERA
120 Aggie athletes to graduate: Texas A&M is scheduled to have a record-setting 120 student-athletes graduate in spring commencement exercises at Reed Arena this weekend.
The previous record was 116 for the spring 2007 graduation ceremonies.
TRACK & FIELD
A&M to compete at Big 12 Championships: The Texas A&M track and field teams are the highest ranked squads at this weekend's Big 12 Championships set for Friday through Sunday at Texas Tech.
The A&M women are ranked No. 1 by the coaches. No. 6 Texas and No. 8 Baylor are other league teams in the Top 10. The A&M men are ranked third with No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Baylor other Top 10 teams.
The women are the defending champs, while the men were second last year.
Each A&M squad has a returning Performer of the Year in Porscha Lucas (200-meter champion) and Gerald Phiri (100 and 200 champion) as well as defending event champions in Jessica Beard (400), Yasmine Regis (triple jump), and Julian Reid (long jump).
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