The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, February 15, 1978, Image 10

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    Page 10 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1978
team opens
season
By DERRICK GRUBBS
The weather might not indicate
it, but the 1978 baseball season be
gins for Texas A&M this weekend
when they travel to Baton Rouge to
take on LSU in a pair of doub
leheaders Friday and Saturday.
The series was originally
scheduled to be played at Olsen
Field, A&M’s new $1.5 million
baseball facility, but bad weather
ROBERT BONNER
has delayed construction so the se
ries was moved to the Bengals
home ground.
“Our primary concern right now
is conditioning,” says Aggie coach
Tom Chandler. “We’ve only had
three days of outdoor workouts until
this week because of the weather.
Our pitchers aren’t in top shape, but
we've got a veteren staff so it
shouldn’t take long for their arms to
get loose.’’
The Aggies return seven starters
from last year’s lineup, including
the top four starting pitchers from
the 1977 staff. The Ags finished
37-16 last season and copped the
Southwest Conference cham
pionship with an 18-4 league mark.
“We’re returning a good nucleus
from last year’s championship
team,” says Chandler. “I know we
will be picked high nationally in the
pre-season rankings, but our players
know that it’s where we end up that
counts. We can’t rest on last year’s
record.”
In 1977, A&M set a team record
for home runs with 41 and led the
SWC with a .306 team average. Six
of their top eight hitters return in
‘78.
- —
it 1
m \
MARK THURMOND
The entire starting outfield is
back, including sophomore center
fielder Mike Hurdle, who paced the
Ags with a .349 average last year as a
freshman, and also broke the school
record for total bases in a season
with 99. Senior left fielder Robert
Verde returns, having sat out the
first half of the ‘77 season with a
knee injury.
Verde came through with several
clutch hits for the Ags during the
stretch drive for the SWC title last
year and was voted the team captain
at the end of the season. Junior
Shelton McMath is back in right
field after hitting .270 as a starter
last year.
Most of the starting infield from a
year ago is back, with senior three-
letterman Robert Bonner anchoring
the shortstop position. Bonner led
the Aggies in seven offensive
catagories last year and was an all-
SWC selection. In the major league
draft last summer, he was picked in
the ninth round by the Kansas City
Royals, but decided to stay at Aggie-
land for his senior year. Bonner hit
.293 in ‘77 and holds or shares eight
school records.
At first base will be junior Kyie
Hawthorne, who hit .328 and led
the team in RBI s last year with 41.
He also tied Hurdle for the team
lead in home runs with eight.
Freshman Rodney Hodde, an all-
Stater from Burton, will also see
duty at first base.
Second base is the big question
mark for Chandler right now At
least four players are currently bat
tling for the starting position left va
cant by senior Buddy Grobe last
year. The forerunner at present is
JC transfer Steve Robinson. Backing
him up are junior Tom Larsen and
sophomores Randy Woodruff and
Harry Francis. Larsen will also do
time as a substitute at shortstop and
third base.
Third is another position vacated
by a graduating senior, Winston
Whiddon. The heir apparant is JC
transfer Mark “Pop” Warriner, who
comes to A&M after two years at
San Jacinto JC. Ruben Coronado,
another transfer from Paris JC, is
currently backing up Warriner.
The catching is solid as junior
Buster Turner returns after a .280
year which included seven home
runs. Hawthorne will also do some
catching when he’s not playing first
The designated hitter looks to be
senior Tim Feickert, who was used
extensively in that role last year and
hit .281. ' , , r
As already stated, the nucleus ot
the pitching staff returns, led by
all-SWC juniors Mark Thurmond
and Mark Ross. Thurmond was also
an all-American pick and pitched for
the United States in the USA-Japan
College All-Star Series last summer.
Thurmond was the SWC s top
hurler in ‘77 with a 0.64 ERA and
finished the season with a 10-2 rec
ord. He also led the staff in strike
outs with 76.
Ross saw the most action last year
in finishing 11-3 with a 2.41 ERA
over 112 innings on the mound.
Thurmond, a lefthander, pos
sesses a good curve and is described
by Chandler as “sneaky fast,” while
Ross, a righthander, is noted for his
sharp sinker.
The other returning pitchers are
senior righthander David Piec-
zynski and senior lefty Jim McWil
liams. Pieczynski was 6-2 last yeai as
a starter and has a good fast ball and
hard curve. Perhaps the most im
proved player on the Aggie staff,
McWilliams was 4-2 as a part-time
MARK ROSS
storter in ‘77. He was plagued by
control problems for a short time
last year, but Chandler says he
looked good through fall workouts
and will battle Peiezynski for the
third spot in the starting rotation.
The Ags also return their ace re
liver in junior John Pockrus, who
turned in seven saves for A&M in
1977.
Freshman Perry Swanson from
Las Vegas is another name to re
member. A lefty, Swanson was
drafted in the seventh round by the
Chicago White Soxc this past sum
mer, but instead took the schol
arship offered him by A&M. Al
though he lacks experience. Chan
dler says he is just turning the
corner to becoming a “pitcher
rather than a “thrower.”
There are a number of other new
faces that will likely get in some
early-season playing time. Wayne
Meason, a transfer from Paris JC,
will see duty at first base. Gary
Bryant, another transfer from
Panola JC, had a good fall and will
work some in the outfield, as could
Bryan freshman Ronnie Greinert.
Bryant will also share DH duties
with Feickert.
Two pitchers who will get a shot
are junior Alan Buonasera, who had
a good fall, and freshman Randy
McDonald, an all-District hurler at
Fort Worth Western Hills.
Chandler, who begins his 20th
year as head baseball coach at A&M,
believes this year’s SWC race will
be the best in many years.
“The title is up for grabs and
there will be a genuine battle be-
I De
cham
SCnfllV
—i
MIKE HURDLE
tween several teams. 1 befe|| 0, [ s
team that finishes afteadi
can win the championship,«
UT doesn’t have the veterei
they have had in the Ft.,^
has just about everybody tetf
and will he tough, as will
^Tlu’ 3 Aggies will leave Tin P b
morning for Baton RougeaniJ
pair of 1 p. m. doubleheaden
LSU on Friday and Saturday,
took three out of four game
the Bayou Bengals there eal I
year and LSU went onto;
17-27 season record. They!
last in the Western Divison|
Southeastern Conference.
4-15 league mark, but I
seven starters and had a
cruiting year.
All the baseball gamed
will be broadcast live onBryiK
station KAGC (1510 AM n
Rows
Ms
Ags host hot Horned Frofc
iritn stall gameainllttpl'
By MARK PATTERSON TCU is going to a great expense in M> • 1 j ,
. c.rr t/M- c^v^nth nnsitlOll. to tne ouu, ^ tn mv
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Parent’s
Day
1978
By MARK PATTERSON
Battalion Sports Staff
One of the many teams that beat
the Aggies in the first half of the
Southwest Conference season is
coming to G. Rollie White Coliseum
tonight.
The TCU Horned Frogs, once the
joke of the conference, are coming
into tonight’s game fresh oft of a
57-54 victory over the Rice Owls
Monday night for their second con
ference victory of the season. And
they’re looking for number three
tonight.
“I’m scared to death with them
coming in here,” said coach Shelby
Metcalf about TCU’s visit to A&M.
“If they beat us, they’ll be in a tie
with ns for seventh place in the con
ference.
“The main thing they have going
for them is that they think they can
Beat us. They did it once already.”
TCU is going to a great expense in
their quest for the seventh position.
Breaking their usual routine, the
Horned Frogs flew in to College
Station Tuesday and held a workout
in G. Rollie White last night.
“They want to give their hoys all
the rest they need for a victory,
said Metcalf on the Frogs’ early ar
rival. “We only travel a day early for
a game when we re in contention for
the title.
“But I think it will help them get
mentally ready for their game with
us. Anil it sure can’t hurt their
enthusiasm.”
In their last meeting in Fort
Worth, TCU broke out to a 12-0
lead over the Aggies and held on to
the lead throughout the contest. But
coach Metcalf has a different plan
for tonight’s game.
“If TCU gets a lead on you, they
MSgt Bobby D. Pegoda
707 University Dr.
College Station, Tx 77840
713/846-5521
A great way of life.
♦ <»» » » » » » » ***+‘*%*>+*>f'+*f**£;
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| Recommendations for Aggie |
| Parent’s of the Year will be ac- |
| cepted in the Student Govern- |
| ment Office, Room 216 of the j
| MSC, February 17 - March 20. j
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their stall gamt'aiifc 1
- -»all.” said Metcalf.
to get off to a fast start #11
put some points on
we ll create a whole lot
for ourselves against theniW L
And problems seem totej^
Aggies this season.
A&M lost to Texas leC 'fi
night, the Red
eial protest with the leagitr
today because Kent WiHH
the Tech forwards, hadnisj
ken in the game.
“]'ve never heard ol sorow
ing an official protest wliti
won the game,’ said Metal
day. “But if they would Mel
the game over again, wed!
to. .
“But I can’t believe there 1
filed. I’ve seen an Arkansas
player killed in a game
was no protest filed. A
there’s one for a broken jaw
“But 1 really can’t makei
ment on the subject. We*
the blow on our film; sol
seen the play. Gerald (Ted
Meyers) has a videotape!
happened and he submitted
of it to the league office.
“I never condone violent
basketball court I talked
(Williams) after the game
written him a letter about
dent. And I'm happy tol»
he’ll be able to play therei
season." ,
But the season is wind®
for the conference schools
gies have only one morj
(Tuesday at Rice) after tonif
test against TCU. Andbotl
ing contests will decide AW
position in the standings,
“This is a real Jhg game'
said Metcalf about thelC
“Our last two games will
where we open up in theW
of the post-season toumaiw'
that’s a pretty important 1
just hope that our boys have
sense to realize it.“
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