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By CHAREAN WILLIAMS
Assistant Sports Editor
j The pitching will have to be as
strong as usual. The hitting and base
I running will have to be better than
j usual. That is if the Texas A&M
j softball team expects to win the Ag-
| gie Invitational inis weekend.
"We have to hit,” said A&M center
I fielder Iva Jackson on what the Ags
f would have to do to win the tourna-
ment. “One word — hit.”
[ Chimed in catcher Gay McNutt
I laughing, “Score more runs than
l they do — cross home plate.”
The No. 3 Aggies (21-6) will play
| host to a strong field of teams, in-
l eluding No. 8 New Mexico, No. 11
I Utah and No. 17 Baylor at South-
| wood Athletic Complex.
I "When you get right down to it,
[this is a strong tournament,” said
I A&M Coach Bob Brock. “The three
I ranked teams are tough. Louisiana
I Tech is strong even though they’ve
I been hit by injuries. Southwest Mis-
jsouri is always tough. Northeast
I Louisiana is an ability team. T hey
I are getting better every year.”
I To win the tournament with the
I most wins will be tough. To win all
I nine games will be tougher.
I “It will take a heck of a team to go
19-0 in three days,” said A&M Coach
I Bob Brock. “I feel real good about
lour chances of winning. We’re at
I home and we’re well rested.”
I With the pitchers the Aggies have,
I it’s no wonder Brock is confident of
| his team’s chances.
Perhaps the best pitcher in the na
tion, Shawn Andaya, will be on the
mound several times for the Ags
over the weekend. She has already
struck out 17 batters in one game
and has posted an 8-3 record with a
.390 ERA.
A&M’s Yvette Lopez, 8-2 on the
year, just might be the second best
pitcher in the nation behind An
daya.
Karen Athanacio can’t be forgot
ten although she has seen more time
at first base than on the pitching
mound of late. The left-handed
freshman is 3-1 with her only loss a
1-0 loss at the hands of No. 15 Cal-
Berkely on the road.
“We haven’t pitched Karen that
much,” Brock said. “She’s looked
real good at First. 1 have also been
using her for as a designated hitter.
She’s come in and done a good job
for us.”
Catcher Gay McNutt, who per
haps knows the three pitchers better
Softball Top 20
1. Cal-State Fullerton
2. UCLA
3. Texas A&M
4. Cal-Poly Pomona
5. Northwestern
6. Pacific
7. Fresno State
8. New Mexico
9. Missouri
10. Nicholls State
11. Utah
12. Oklahoma
13. Nebraska
14. Arizona State
15. Cal-Berkley
16. Creighton
17. Baylor
18. Oklahoma State
19. Indiana
20. South Carolina
A&M Softball Coach Bob Brock (far right) huddles his play
ers around him to talk strategy during Tuesday’s double-
Photo by PETER ROCHA
header with Sam Houston State. Brock’s No. 3 Ags will talk
even more strategy this weekend in the Aggie Invitational.
than anyone, said they will give the
Ags an added advantage.
“They have a lot to do with our
winning,” McNutt said. “We have
three of the best pitchers in the na
tion.”
Of course, having a freshman
shortstop by the name of Liz Mizera
won’t hurt either.
Mizera won both games of a dou
ble-header on Tuesday against Sam
Houston State with homeruns,
which accounted for every A&M
run. Mizera is batting .390 with nine
homeruns and has won several
games for the Ags with her hitting.
The homeruns by Mizera enabled
the Ags to move into the tournament
on a four-game win streak.
Hitting has been the Ags’ biggest
weakness (if they have a weakness)
this season, following in the foot
steps of past A&M teams.
“We nave a really strong team,”
Jackson said. “Our team is not per
fect, but that’s what we strive for.
The perfect prima donna team is
what any team wants.
“The reason we weren’t hitting
had to do with being tired (on a 10-
day road trip over spring break).
Some of it had to do with shots not
falling. Some were long, deep, deep
fly balls. And sometimes we just got
robbed.”
The home field advantage should
cure most of the Ags’ hitting prob
lems.
“A lot of our hitting problems
were mental,” said first baseman
Mary Schwind. “We didn’t have time
to rest.”
“The home field will be a big ad
vantage. You always play better in
your own surroundings.”
True, the Ags will be at home for
this particular tourney, but they’ve
got Omaha, Neb. and a second
NCAA national championship on
their minds.
“More than anything else, I would
like to win one more title before I
leave,” Jackson said. “There’s no ab
solute guarantee’. Any team can lose
and any team can win at any time.
We’re just hoping we’re the team
that wins.”
Especially in this weekend’s Aggie
Invitational.
Aggie Tournament Pairings
Friday, March 29
11 a.m. -— (Field #1) A&M vs. Northeast Louisiana
1 p.m. — (Field # 1) South Florida vs. A&M
6 p.m. — (Field #1) A&M vs. Southwest Missouri
Saturday, March 30
9 a.m. — (Field #2) New Mexico vs. A&M
11 a.m. — (Field #2) Stanford vs. A&M
3 p.m. — (Field #2) A&M vs. Louisiana Tech
Sunday, March 31
9 a.m. — (Field #3) A&M vs. Baylor
11 a.m. — (Field #3) Florida vs. A&M
3 p.m. — (Field #1) Utah vs. A&M
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