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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 1979)
the sports Cougars next ose to Ph By MARK PATTERSON Battalion Sports Staff At least the Aggies got four baseball games under their belts be fore conference play begins this weekend. After Texas A&M’s first two home series were lost to rain. Northeast Louisiana University drew the lucky card as the Aggies’ first opponents. And before going home to Monroe the Indians managed one victory out of the four-game set. After dropping the first three, 11-2 and 3-0 Monday and 14-4 in the first game Tuesday, NLU won the finale 10-5. Nightcap is an appropriate word to use in describing the final game Tuesday, the first loss of the season of the Aggies. The game was called on account of darkness in the bot tom of the seventh inning, the Ag gies trailing by five with the bases loaded and two outs. “I don’t blame the umpires for stopping it,” Coach Tom Chandler said. “After all, the concern of the players comes first. It was getting too dark to see the ball.” It was as if it was too dark for the Aggie pitchers to see the plate as well. In the seven innings, four Texas A&M hurlers combined to walk 12 Indian batters. The Indians took advantage of the Aggie wild ness to score runs in five of the seven innings played. “Giving up 12 walks in a game will kill you,” Chandler said. “When batters are going up to the plate and not swinging the bat the other eight players on the field don’t have a chance to contribute. “But I wanted to experiment in that last game, give my young pitchers a chance to see what they could do and hope one of them would come to the front and be my third starter. After Randy McDonald started for the Aggies, pitching three in nings and giving up five runs, four hits and walking four, Chandler started the freshmen waltz to the mound. Steve Thelen came on to pitch the fourth inning, walking three but getting out of the staza without giv ing up a run. Steve Davis pitched the fifth, giving up a single and a double for one run. Brad Wiggins finished up for the Aggies. In the two innings Wiggins pitched, the Indians tagged the freshman for four runs on two hits. Wiggins walked the bases full in the sixth before catcher Phil Roark cleared the bases with a two out double. The Indians added a run in the top of the seventh on a single, base on balls and an error by shortstop Bryan Little. “I was really disappointed in our pitching depth,” Chandler admitted after the loss. “I really thought our youngsters would perform better. But we really haven’t concentrated on getting them in shape. We've really worked on getting our front line pitchers ready for the season.” While the pitchers may be lag ging behind, Aggie batters are grooved and ready for the Univer sity of Houston in the conference opener Friday. In the opening end of Tuesday ’s twin-bill, trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the third, Texas A&M erupted for six runs on four hits. Buster Turner ripped a three-run home run to supply the big blow for the Aggies, the second home run of the season for the Aggie catcher. “I’m surprised that I’m hitting the ball so well this early,” Turner said. “That’s pretty unusual for me. I’m a free-swinger and it usually takes me two or three series to get my timing down. “I’m laying back and waiting on the ball. My confidence is high, and for being so early that’s good. I’m in a groove. I just hope to stay in it through conference.” The SWC competition comes quickly, with the Aggies traveling to Houston this weekend to face the Cougars in a three-game series, a single contest Friday and a double- header Saturday. Chandler an nounced that Mark Ross would pitch the opening game, with Mark Thurmond pitching the first game Saturday. The pitcher for the night cap has not been decided yet. With the bulk of the Aggies’ Correction In the Tuesday, Feb. 26 Bat talion, an article about the Texas A&M-Northeast Louisiana baseball game incorrectly re ported that NLU’s nickname is the Tigers. The Northeast Louisiana baseball team is nicknamed the Indians. The Battalion regrets this er- MANOR EAST 3 HEAVEN CAN WAIT 7:30-9:50 EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE 7:20-9:45 THE LOVE BUG 7:10-9:30 SKYWAY TWIN 822-3300 WEST SWEATER GIRLS PLUS SWINGING CHEERLEADERS EAST GIRLS NEXT DOOR PLUS SINGLE GIRLS CAMPUS COIN’ SOUTH FRIDAY & SATURDAY MIDNIGHT ROCKY HORROR LEVI’S BASIC DENIMS & CORDUROYS S 14 50 TOP DRAWER workouts being held on the parking lot and not on the infield, the team isn’t in top shape as yet. But Chan dler thinks the squad is ready to challenge the Cougars. “Mentally, we re ready to play ball,” the coach said. “Defensively, we played some pretty good. All we need is a good pitching staff to carry us.” Kyle Hawthorne feels that his fel low teammates are ready for the season to commence. Tuesday, Hawthorne clubbed a double, reached base twice on base-on-balls, and collected one RBI. “It’s not a question if we re ready,” said Hawthorne, who broke Texas A&M’s home run record last season with 14, “we have to be ready this weekend. I was skeptical going into this series. But we looked alright. “Were as ready as the Cougars are, maybe even more. They beat us four out of five last season and we haven’t forgotten that. You don’t forget when somebody gives you a hard time. “If we can play our kind of ball well come away with three (victories).” Friday’s game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., with the double- header Saturday scheduled for 1 p.m. The games will be played on the Cougars field, near Hofheinz Pavilion on the University of Hous ton campus. The Aggies return home March 20 to face the Univer sity of Arizona in a short two-game series. lean tell just [ise new pepperr [le’s so anxious, e of their unifor Inati where he h Ibis autograph r [new Phillies' ft foday, he’ll be p jeporting to the ||lie past 16 year |ing forward to I’m not gonna ’says Rose, hs ago after b( i prove Cinci Inatry to do is [confidence he : shows son cifically hopes t •hustling every Sstically, he do las in the past. With all the me il did when I mother used ti ! at all dif ctice more.” from the inption was t Jer, Mostly bei 1 may not be t be 38 in Apr icinnati. 1 thinl* J ccause most of Battalion photo by Lee Roy Lesdipei|i Texas A&M’s Mike Hurdle is tagged at the plate by NLU catcher Frank Seclfo. ire in the nmeone only £ leporting to a i Tennis first for Martin fers. Rose isn ly all the P he rememh after that exp lose came to s 1705 TEXAS AVE. S./CULPEPPER PLAZA 3733 E. 29TH ST./TOWN & COUNTRY CENTER Ladies get at-large bid The Texas A&M women’s bas ketball team received an at-large bid to the AIAW regional tour nament in Tulsa, Okla. The tournament will be held on the campus of Oral Roberts Univer sity March 7-10. The Aggie Ladies will face sixth ranked Louisiana Tech in the first round of the single elimination tourament. Texas A&M and Texas Tech are the only two teams from Texas that received at-large bids. The Aggies will play Wayland Baptist College in Plainview on Friday. United Press International DALLAS — Tennis is still No. 1 in the life of Martina Navratilova. She wants to win at Wimbledon again and then win the United States Open for the first time, so she can be ranked No. 1 in the world without question. But, Martina insists, that doesn’t mean she can’t spend her day off be tween tournaments doing whatever she pleases. “Who in the world is to say I can’t do anything I want to on my day off?” she demanded, in her precise English. The question came up because of her schedule earlier this month. Martina had played in a tour event on the West Coast and she re mained in California the following Monday to tape a segment of the television show, “Hollywood Squares.” She stayed in California that night and flew to Michigan PLITT Southern TZ&vtuu j UNIVERSITY SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER 846-6714 & 846-1151 ENDS THURSDAY CINEMA N N Daily 7:15 9:40 GUEST ADMISSION TICKETS ACCEPTED rolkicns Tf TX the •Res® Based on the novels “The Fellowship of the Ring” and “The TwoTowers” SALAD-SANDWICH-SOUP Now open for your convenience in the basement of Sbisa Dining Center. Salad priced by the ounce and sandwiches by the inch. Open 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Same entrance as the Underground Railroad. (Sbisa Basement) QUALITY FIRST’ <- CINEMA NO PASSES Look Into Your Future Thousands of career opportunities are listed daily in the nation’s largest CLASSIFIED ad section. Keep abreast of the changing job market with The Houston Chronicle, Texas’ largest newspaper. 1/2 price for students, faculty and staff. Entire semester for $5.45 (Feb. 26-May 11). Call 693-2323 or 846-0763 to start HOME or DORM DELIVERY immediately. Houston Chronicle News you can use. Daily 7:00 9:30 GUEST ADMISSION TICKETS ACCEPTED gqeat issues ^ PRESENTS-' Dr. H. Tristram Engel hardt Professor of Medical Philosophy Georgetown U. Speaking on; TEST TU5E BABIES. PIGHT or WQONG? Thursday, March 1 701 Budder 30 pm EDEE Tuesday morning, the day of her first match in the Detroit tourna ment. She demolished her first oppo nent in Detroit. "It (the travel) didn’t bother me,’ she said. T played 1 and 1 (6-1, 6-1) and missed only two or three shots the whole match.” But in the news conference fol lowing the match, Martina was re peatedly questioned about her deci sion to travel on the day of a match. “After the question was phrased three or four times, she said, she somewhat sarcastically told re porters that she had stayed in California because Hollywood Squares meant more to her than tennis in Detroit. . “They made such a big deal out of it,” Navratilova said of the re porters. “I felt it was just all out of proportion." Martina, 22, does not plan to play in as many tournaments this year as she has in previous years. She al ready is thinking ahead to some un specified time several years in the future when she will ease out of pro fessional tennis and into some other career. She thinks she would like to be a television sports announcer. I had a contrac The appearance on Hollywn jthe Reds’ re Squares was important toherl trmembers oi cause she seeks more “visibility! Most of the I areas away from the courts and il ause they like because it gives her moreexpon ntany time at to broadcasting. FurthermoreAl member (Ciru tina and representatives ofAv: ce of paper to ; which sponsors the women’s in Dhe club or felt the television appearance™ r All the res ‘‘enhance the image of would |\’hen he finis! tennis. |42anddoesn’ Martina owns a home in DJ N se d to thin but in the past year lived in itfll ie b a ll players three months. She was 16 whenl m contracts ar first won the Czecholslovahiai f '*' Especial men’s championship andsincei n everything .« she has traveled almost constul| from tournament to tournai* mis She defected to the United Stats 1975. s v When asked if she is tired oil constant travel between tom ments, sbe candidly answer I TTl "Yes. A little bit, I guess.” Then she quickly added, "It's! my favorite thing to do. I stillpb do it for six or seven more yean' She will play in “about the sia number of tournaments that Cl (Evert) played in last year,"shesi way last seas She feels her heavy schedule ofl year “didn’t get me anything. Hector signs with Ag» Free Pregnancy Testing Pregnancy Terminations West Loop Clinic 2909 West Loop South 610 Houston, Texas 622-2170 United Press International OPELOUSAS, La. — New Iberia running back Johnny Hector, one of Louisiana’s most sought-after high school football players, Tuesday night signed a national letter of in tent with Texas A&M. Hector, who signed the contract at his brother’s house in Opelousas in front of his mother and A&M Coach Tom Wilson, said Texas A&M was his first choice. Hfft had signed a Southeastern ence grant-in-aid scholarship »i Louisiana State last year, buthe® free to sign with schools outside) SEC. Hector gained 3,420 yards nisi ing in four years at New Ihei winning offensive player of the yd in Class A AAA the past two y 10 United Press Ii MPANO BE/ mp Wills fou a very vain iver take anytl tr a spectacul which h< med to se' the 26-y nan of the Tt to the drea ist year anc r reasons w to live up t( ir the record ,250 batting isleading. H< as late as Sep treak — after out of the i Sun Theatres Being Picky Alvarez guitars reflect the tone, touch, and craftsmanship you’d expect in a much more expensive guitar. Reasonably priced at Keyboard Center. 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