The Aggies (46-17) advanced to face host Rice (45-13) in a super regional this weekend.
Colligan, named the regional’s most outstanding player, started the scoring early with a deep blast to center field in lifting the Aggies to a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
A&M trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the second when the Aggies broke loose for seven runs on the strength of a solo home run by Darby Brown, a two-run homer by Colligan and a three-RBI double by Brown later in the inning.
Brown led the Aggies with four RBI, while Colligan added three. Four of Colligan’s 14 homers this season came during four games in the regional.
A&M’s Brian Ruggiano - a former Belton and Temple College standout - added to Houston’s misery in the sixth with a two-run homer to left-center, A&M’s fourth long ball of the game. The Aggies had a dozen homers in the regional.
Kyle Thebeau (6-4) earned the victory by allowing six hits but only two earned runs in four innings.
Starter Ty Stuckey (3-4) took the loss for the Cougars (42-24) after allowing three hits and four earned runs in an inning’s work.
The super regional will be a rematch of last year, when the Owls eliminated the Aggies in two games with wins of 3-2 and 5-2.
A&M advanced to a super regional series for the second straight year, despite a late-season skid in which it dropped eight of nine games.
