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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 28, 1955)
Page 4 THE BATTALION Thursday, April 28, 1955 One Year of High School Ball Byrd Learns Baseball Lessons Well Bowlers Host In Tourney By RONNIE GREATHOUSE Battalion Sports Staff Les Byrd, A&M’s sturdy left- fielder, has come a long way from Sunday afternoon sandlot games on the rolling plains of his native West Texas, and opposing pitchers would be the last to disagree. The 20-year-old senior had only one year of high school baseball under his belt when he stepped on the A&M campus, and that came at class A Winters, which organ ized the team in his senior year there. “My dad encouraged me a lot, and helped me,” said Byrd, “but the greatest part of my ■ baseball education has been here at A&M under coach Bell.” A popular member of the team, Byrd is captain of this year’s Ag gie nine. He has led Cadet batters through most of the season, and just recently relinquished the lead to Joe Schero. He is batting .315 over the season and has a lofty .500 slugging average. “He’s a hustler,” said Bell, “and is one of the most greatly improv ed ball players from last season. He gets along well with everyone on the team, and is a steady play er.” Byrd supports 185 pounds on his 5-11 frame and packs lots of pow er at the plate. He smacked three home runs in one two-game stretch, two of them coming against Bay lor last Friday. He is tied for the most runs- batted-in on the Aggie squad with 12, and has 27 total bases to show for his hits. He batted .381 dur ing the pre-conference games, and after going 2 for 4 against Rice in the loop opener, reached a high of .400 for the season. Byrd thinks the most exciting game he has played in was against SMU in 1053 at College Station. As a sophomore, Byrd helped the Cadets shell vaunted Tommy Bowers in a 14-6 rout that helped knock the Mustangs out of an undisputed championship. “I guess it was the most fun I’ve had in a ball game, too,” Byrd said, “and I think we can do the same thing to SMU this weekend.” He contributed two hits to the Aggies’ slaughter of SMU, drove in three runs and scored once. As a freshman, Byrd sttirted the year as a catcher, was switched to first base later and wound up in the varsity outfield as a sopho more. He’s a two-year letterman. In his conference debut he scor ed a late inning tieing run that helped A&M to a narrow win over Rice, 7-6, in 1953. “I think our tearii is the best in the confei’ence this year,” said Byrd, “We’ve had a lot of rough luck, and I think it’s about time SMU had some.” Byrd doesn’t claim to hit any pitch well, but admits he “tries” to hit curves. He lofted two curve ball offerings of Baylor’s Jack Goodwyn out of the park last week at Waco. Shorthorns Take 6 1 /2 - 2 1 / 2 Golf Win Bobby Nichols and Ed Malone scored the only A&M, victories yesterday as the University of Texas golf team defeated the Fish, 6Mi-2Va. Nichols beat John Trimble, 2 and 1 in the leadoff match, and Malone downed Bob Nelson, 2-up. The loss gives the Fish a 5-2 season record. They meet SMU’s frosh here Saturday. In other matches, Ken Mossberg defeated A&M’s Stuart NuckoLs, 2-up, giving the Yearlings a split in the first foursome. After Ma lone’s win, Tom Seekatz outscored Fish Richard Chapman, 5 and 4, for a 4 and 3 UT decision in the second foursome. Bob White defeated Joe McKune, 6 and 5, and Bruss Billing-sley downed Harry Stiteler jr., 7 and 5, to give Texas a 6 and 5 win in the last foursome. His two run homer against Tex- ] come the Longhorns’ five run lead, as here earlier this season spark- An animal husbandry major, he ed a futile Aggie attempt to over I is married. A&M’s bowling committee hosts 10 teams in the annual intercolleg iate bowling tourney in the MSC Saturday and Sunday. Three teams from A&M, two from Rice, two from Oklahoma A&M, and one each from the Uni versity of St. Thomas of Houston, Ai'kansas, and San Antonio college are entered in the two-day meet. The Aggies have swept the team trophy for the last three years, and will be out to extend their streak against some of the top bowlers in the Southwest area. Team competition begins Satur day at 1 p.m., and singles and (See BOWLING, Page 5) Ag Tennis Team Meets Rice Here A&M’s varsity tennis team tries for its second Southwest confer ence victory in five starts Satur day, meeting Rice here after a 3-3 tie with Baylor Tuesday. The Aggies have a 1-2-1 confer ence record and a 6-4-2 season mark. Rice is 1-2 in conference play and 2-4-0 over the season. Tuesday in Waco, the Cadets won two of four singles matches and one of two doubles pairings. Gene Kinard beat Ed White, 5-7, 8-6, 6-3, and Don Dixon defeated Warren Keith, 6-2, 6-3, for the singles victories. Kinard and Jack Ressellieu downed White and Keith, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, in doubles. Baylor’s wins were: Louis Vuillemin beat Bessellieu, 6-0, 4-0, 6-3; Bill Rogers trim med Jake Harper, 6-3, 6-3; Rogers and Vuillemin edged Dixon and Harper, 8-6, 3-6, 7-5, in doubles. Foreign Officer Positions Open Students interested in the foreign service officers’ examination should mail applications to the Depart ment of State’s board of examiners for the foreign service immediate ly. The examination will be given June 24 and failure to submit ap plications by May 2 will eliminate candidates from competing in the examination. , *WV; ■ 'm Lcs Byrd Batter, .500 Slugger BETTER FOODS FOR LESS! 6 BIG DAYS — THESE VALUES GOOD THURSDAY — FRIDAY AND SATURDAY STORE MANAGER'S SALE CANE SUGAR MARGARINE Imperial Top Spred lb. JV-J.'-V-e. AJT • - • - -.—7* . for desserts and salads pkg. 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