**For Immediate Release** OPSU Starts Baseball Season with Big Sticks – Win 3 of 4 by Scott Puryear of Aggie Sports on 2/9/07 Goodwell, OK - The Oklahoma Panhandle state baseball team opened the 2007 season with a bang this week, winning three of their first four games – splitting a pair with Northwestern Oklahoma State and dominating Hillside Baptist twice. AGGIES 8, Northwestern OK 4 In the season opening games for both teams, the Aggies faced the Rangers of Northwestern Oklahoma State. In the first game of Tuesday’s twin bill, the Aggies jumped out fast and held on for the 8-4 victory. Kyle Cremers was on the mound for the Aggies and went all seven innings, allowing just three hits and just two earned runs. The junior struck out four. OPSU’s freshman Josh Garcia served notice of good things to come as he smashed two home runs and drove in a total of five. Casey Pickard also homered for the Aggies and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly. The Aggies’ offensive firepower also included Brian Dlugosch (2 of 4, including a triple), Mike Roche (1 of 4 with an RBI single), and James Fisher with two singles in three tries. Northwestern OK 15, AGGIES 7 In the second game of the Tuesday twin bill, it was Northwestern’s turn to put out some offensive heat in a game that saw 22 runs scored. Though the Aggies suffered their first loss of the season, they continued with their hot bats. Mike Roche popped a two run homer as one of his two hits, and K. D. Bressler had two hits and two RBIs. Garret Meek and Brian Dlugosch each had two hits and Chad Thies smacked a two run double. AGGIES 13, Hillside Baptist 5 In the opener of Thursday’s double header, the Aggies again showed their offensive potential and the game was never in doubt. Jeremy Hingtgen also did a nice job pitching, going all seven innings while scattering eight hits, striking out two and giving up just four earned runs. Just about every Aggie figured prominently in the offensive categories, including Josh Garcia’s two hits (one a double) in three tries with an RBI. K. D. Bressler had two hits and an RBI, while Brian Dlugosch smacked a run scoring single as part of his two RBIs and stole three bases. Mike Roche had an RBI single and a stolen base, while Josh Garcia went 2-3 including an RBI double. James Fisher and Garrett Meek both stole three bases and Andres Belandria had a pair of hits and three RBIs. AGGIES 18, Hillside Baptist 3 Game two on Thursday was a repeat performance of the first game of the day. This time, the Aggies plated 18 runs behind starting pitcher Casey Pickard who went six innings, scattering eight hits, striking out three and walking only one. Ryan McLennan came on in relief and struck out three batters in a single inning. Once again, the Aggie bats were on fire with 17 hits and Josh Garcia led the way with four hits in five at bats and three RBIs. Mike Roche had three hits in five tries and his own three runs batted in. K. D. Bressler, James Fisher, Chad Theis and Andres Belandria all had two hits and that quartet accounted for five RBIs between them. Brian Dlugosch and Craig Maynard also got into the act with two RBIs each and the fleet Maynard, a quarterback on the OPSU football team, drilled a triple. With 46 runs in a four game stretch, this year’s OPSU baseball team showed what kind of fireworks they can display. Garcia’s four game totals stand on their own as a great performance. The Nixon, Texas native hit for a .692 average that included nine hits (with two doubles and two homers), nine RBIs and seventeen total bases. ###