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The Battalion Sports
February 17, 1982 Page 13
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first baseman Todd Gower of the Texas
baseball team attempts to return to
irst base on a pickoff attempt during the
pes’ scrimmage with Blinn Junior Col-
staff photo by David Fisher
lege Tuesday afternoon in Olsen Field. The
Aggies begin the season next Tuesday by
hosting St. Mary’s University in a 1 p.m.
double-header.
Pistons fly past Rockets
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Rookies Kelly Tripucka and
Isiah Thomas combined to lead
Detroit offensively. Thomas,
playing his first game after mis
sing four with a toe injury, only
scored 10 points but had nine
assists. Three of his baskets were
big ones in the fourth quarter,
including one with 1:06 to play
u that boosted the Pistons’ point
1 total to 110.
United Press International
PONTIAC, Mich. — No one
person can hold Houston’s
Moses Malone to anything near
human totals these days so De
troit Coach Scotty Robertson
pulled a variation of the douh-
leteam.
He shuttled forwards Phil
Hubbard and Terry Tyler in
and out to have a fresh person
constantly harassing the Rock
ets’ hard-working 6-10 center on
defense while sending Pistons’
center Kent Benson at Malone
offensively.
Malone scored 34 points and
ripped down 16 rebounds Tues
day night but was too ragged
and tired when Houston needed
him to be dominating and thus
Detroit ended the Rockets’
eight-game winning streak with
a 111-109 victory.
“First of all, nobody can play
Moses,” Robertson said. “You
can’t stop him. But we wanted to
play Moses and Elvin (Hayes)
tight inside.
“That let us drop off on the
outside and let them shoot the
ball,” he said. “We know they
can beat us if they get the ball
inside to Moses and Elvin.”
thirdqaeriod rallies that put De
troit in front to stay. He scored
six points in the final period,
four on consecutive baskets that
boosted the Pistons’ lead to 10
points, 104-94, with 5:06 to play.
“During the streak we’ve been
able to stop the opposition’s key
people,” Houston Coach Del
Harris said. “But
stop Tripucka.”
we couldn’t
I
I
I
Why miss the biggest
PARTY
of the year???
“Isiah made the big shot when
we had to have it—under press
ure,” Robertson said.
Tripucka had 30 points and
was instrumental in second and
Come to the Junior Ball & have a great time
with ali your friends!
Feb. 20th * 8:30-1:00
$ 9/couple
Music by Silver Creek
Tickets: M.S.C., Rudder, Commons.
Mardi Gras Comes
to Aggieland —
See ya there!
by Frank L. Christlieb
Sports Editor
Incentive.
That’s what Texas A&M base
ball coach Tom Chandler, start
ing his 24th year with the
Aggies, says will be a determin
ing factor for his team when the
1982 season opens next week.
Texas A&M hosts St. Mary’s
University in a double-header
Tuesday at 1 p.m. in Olsen
Field.
Chandler, who has a 562-268-
9 record through 23 years at
Texas A&M, said Tuesday that
the Aggies’ Strong finish during
the 1981 season has provided
the team with an increased de
sire to win. Texas A&M finished
last season by winning 17 of its
last 20 games, compiling a 35-
16-1 overall record and a 10-10-
I Southwest Conference record.
“We’re aiming very high,”
Chandler said. “I want these
players to believe in themselves,
and I feel that if our kids can
pick up where they left off last
season, we have a good chance to
have a great season. These kids
have been very enthusiastic and
they realize the task at hand.”
Pre-season polls have ranked
Texas A&M 14th in the nation,
which places the Aggies higher
than any other SWC team. The
Houston Cougars have been
ranked 18th nationally, but
Chandler said the conference
battle should feature 1981
champion Texas and Arkansas
as well.
“It was a pleasant surprise
that they held us in that high
regard, but that pre-season pick
is based on returning lettermen,
and we have a goodly number of
returning lettermen (17),”
Chandler said. “That should
give us added incentive to up
hold that ranking.
“We’re going to have to play
like the devil to live up to that
ranking, though.”
Chandler said that the Aggies’
pitching staff, which returns
four key members from last sea
son’s starting rotation, should be
the strongest aspect of the team.
“I feel like our pitching
should be very good, but keep in
mind that the pitching rounds
into shape quicker than the hit
ting,” Chandler said. “Our ear-
ly-season (during spring work
outs) hitting has been somewhat
of a disappointment, but I feel
that it will come around.”
Returning pitchers for the
Aggies include Steve Davis, who
finished with a 6-1 record, a 3.64
ERA and eight saves last season;
Rick Luecken, 5-2 with a 2.86
ERA, and David Flores, 8-3 with
a 4.92 ERA. Davis is a senior,
while Luecken and Flores are
juniors.
Also back is junior Robert
Slavens, who after finishing 11-1
his freshman year, slumped to a
3-2 record and a 5.15 ERA in
1981.
Chandler added that speed
will probably be another strong
point for the Aggies.
“We’ve got good speed,”
Chandler said. “We broke the
school record for stolen bases
last year (72, breaking the re
cord of 60 set the previous year),
and I feel that we can break that
again this season. Hopefully, we
can take advantage of that
speed.”
Major contributors to the
Aggies’ quickness, Chandler
said, will be these starters: cen-
terfielder Billy Cannon, leftfiel-
der Ronnie Risinger, rightfiel-
der Terry Lawrence, shortstop
David Kennard and catcher
Joey Szekely. Risinger, a 5-8,
150-pound junior transfer from
San Jacinto Junior College,
should enter the season as the
starting leftfielder, Chandler
said.
The Aggies lost only five let
termen last season, and
although those players were an
integral part of the team,
Chandler said he feels confident
that those positions will be filled.
Rodney Hodde, the team’s lead
ing hitter and run-producer in
1981, along with pitchers Perry
Swanson and B.B. Schott, left-
fielder J.P. Bramhall and third
baseman Tim Boyes are the let
termen who graduated last
spring.
Kennard, who hit .331 after
taking the starting shortstop job
at mid-season, and Szekely, hit
ting .279 in 1981, return two of
last season’s highest averages.
Chandler said he plans to insert
Risinger into the lead-off spot,
while Kennard will bat second
and Szekely will hit cleanup.
Chandler said other probable
starters would be Kevin Smith at
designated hitter and Titus
Wells at first base.
Chandler said that Kennard,
Szekely and Luecken, all
juniors, should provide the
Aggies’ young squad with
leadership. The 1982 roster
contains only five seniors: Terry
Lawrence, starting in rightfield;
Brad Hisle, a redshirt in 1981
but this season’s probable start
ing second baseman; Davis, who
will either be part of a four-man
starting rotation or will be one of
Chandler’s top relief pitchers;
Bobby Taylor, another top relief
pitcher who had a 3-2 recoupl
with three saves last season, and
Grant Priess, the probable start
ing third baseman.
Kennard said the Aggies, who
missed the SWC tournament last
season after finishing half a
game out of fourth place, are
confident about their chances
this season.
“I’d say that after the strong
finish last year and the fact that
most of our starters are return
ing, we have a good chance to
win the conference,” Kennard
said.
“Everybody’s real high right
now, and of course that ranking
has inspired us and given us in
centive. It’s going to give us
some recognition, too.”
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© 1982 CSSI
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