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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 1985)
Page 12/The Battalion/Friday, February 22, 1985 . I inn ii i '-i • ■ j '' i Ag baseball coach turns salesman for '85 season H ■- rrit • * Photo courtesy of A&M Sports Info. One of the members of the Ordinary People sky diving group practices trying to land his parachute on Olsen Field last week. The group will bring in the game ball at A&M’s home opening baseball game Saturday against Northeast Louisiana. g« n g stum By MARCY BASILS Sports Writer It’s Saturday. There you are “veg- in front of the television, ffing hotdogs in your face while guzzling down some sort of bad-for- you drink. Now how much fun can that be? Not much. The time has come to alter your weekend schedule. This weekend, the Texas A&M baseball team opens its 1985 season with a three-game se ries against Northeast Louisiana at Olsen Field. Great, you say, what will I get out of actually being there for the game that I don’t get from watching tele vision. Plenty, bucko. And not just this weekend. The first 1,000 fans through the gate for Saturday’s double-header will receive A&M seat cushions just for coming out to watch. Not only that, but as a special opening game attraction, Ordinary People, a pro fessional group of skyctivers, will “drop-in” to hand deliver the game ball. These two special events are the first of many planned by the A&M Athletic Department in its attempt to promote baseball on campus. At every home game this season, fans will be given a card listing the rosters of both teams. Also on this card will be a number. Throughout the game, numbers will be chosen and fans holding the chosen num bers win prizes donated by local merchants. Double Dave’s Pizza Works spon sored the seat cushion give-away and Mutual of Omaha sponsored the skydivers. Along with the give-aways and skydivers, the Athletic Department found something else that would make Aggie baseball games more fun — an organ. “We put in an organ to add a little spice to the game,” said A&M Base ball Coach Mark Johnson. “We’ll have sing alongs. People from the crowd will be invited to come up and lead the singing of ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame.’ We are also going to have celebrities come in and sing the national anthem.” pa 11 S tending baseball games is trying to second guess the next play. “Everyone has played baseball and can relate to the game,” Johnson TANK M« NAMAUA by Jeff Miliar & Bill said. “It’s a great second guessing sport. People can get involved. The game is slow enough that people can keep up. “The human drama between pitcher and batter is played out ev ery time. Someone’s going to win. That’s exciting. It revs you up.” While setting up the different t jromotions, Johnson and his staff Lept A&M students in mind. "We want our program to reflect the student body and Texas A&M,” Johnson said. “The number one support that we want to have is the peers of the athletes out there on the field.” Over the past lew weeks, players and coaches have gone out and talked to dorms, sororities and fra ternities trving to get people excited about the upcoming season. “Basically, you want to hook some folks and get them to come out,” he said. “We’ve got a pretty good pack age, not only in promotions but in the play, too. We ve tried to get the word out. “The bottom line is that baseball is a collegiate sport on our campus. We are representing the student body. ofsffiS These an guys out i College ball is beconu thing. ESPN has picked erage of college gat should help out attend Jems. “Attendence figures country are indicatingtl the liooniiiig years fori ball,” Johnson said. “T out here and find thai not lie an Aggie oraLo they’re going to see s who are going to be in t baseball.” Get cash anytime. Use any card. Banking is automatic at 7-Eleven. PREPARE fOft f !S? m CENTEPl TEST PHEPARAnO* SPECIALISTS. Call Days. Eves&Wettif call 696-31»| for information & class st!*^ 707T«ut btXI-C m d*mm. Ptrm—mni Ciaiin m More Dim M For ml or mill on MMul eflifitw OUTSIDE N Y STATE CALlTOllf«{» In New York State Stanley H KaplanMdl The Battalion i 3. Number' in Aggiela YOU DON’T HI WHERE EAT OUT? TO TV Check the | Battalion aji All PULSE® cards are accepted, including Anytime, Boss, Quick Silver, First Net (Teller 2), Dough Boy, Ready Bank and Money Card at participating 7-Eleven stores. If you don’t see your activated banking card listed, try it! If the transaction is not completed, the ATM will simply return your card to you.