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Alan Lehmann
Sports Editor
New 12th Man
policy needs
more thought
CttuR.C.?
What a horrible semester to be
Sports Editor!
Basketball was a nightmare, both
on and off the court. Then the
baseball team suffers conference
setbacks and rumors that coach
Mark Johnson might leave.
But now, even football has caused
controversy.
I understand the reasoning
behind coach R.C. Slocum's
decision to cut back the 12th Man
Kickoff Team's role, but A&M
students won't see it his way.
Around here, if you do anything for
more than a year, it becomes a
tradition, and the 12th Man squad
was a fan favorite.
Now Slocum wants to suit up only
one non-scholarship player to
participate as the 12th Man rather
than the whole kickoff team.
It's a sound coaching move
because the 12th Man team was
giving up more return yardage
every season and was even burned
for a touchdown last year — the first
allowed in the eight-year history of
the squad.
According to Slocum, having the
12th Man cover only at home games
also caused problems for the regular
coverage team.
"It has really put both our kick
teams at a disaavantage," Slocum
said. "The 12th Man didn't get to
kick on the road games and then,
when we came home to play they
may not have covered in two or
three weeks, and they're going
against an offensive team who has
been practicing every week.
"The same goes for our regular
kickoff team. It has just made for a
lot of inconsistency."
Good coaching strategy, but a bad
public relations move. On a campus
where traditions are always
defended, sometimes blindly,
Slocum will take lots of heat for this
move.
So now the 12th Man will be
represented by a only one man, not
ten at a time as it has since 1983.
While this is more true to E. King
Gill's original contribution to Aggie
lore, this has to be disappointing to
the 15 members currently on the
12th Man squad. I mean, who's
gonna practice all season for only
one game worth of kickoffs?
As long as R.C. is trying to
represent the 12th Man with only
one member of the student body,
why not take it a step further? After
minutes of racking my brain. I've
come up with a few alternate
methods of selecting a student to
play the role that Gill did in 1922:
□ Just select a male A&M student
from the student section at random
and suit him up. While it would be
an honor to be chosen, some
students may decline. Any with a
signed doctor's note would be
excused.
□ Call out a lucky number from
the game program to select the 12th
Man. Of course, a woman might be
holding the program, possibly
leading to messy legal or medical
problems.
□ Make a list of all the former
high school football lettermen
attending A&M, but not already on
the team, and pick one each week. I
don't see any motivational problems
here, who wouldn't like to relive a
little of that high school glory in the
college spotlight?
□ Use the position as a
fundraising opportunity. The
student who raises the most money
during the week would get the
honor of suiting up. Just imagine
how many rich alumni would pay
handsomely to get their sons into an
Aggie uniform. Sure, it's unethical,
but we could use the money to pay
for the new recreational sports
complex or to improve the library.
□ Just pick a Battalion
sports writer every week. Heck, we
already know more about sports
than anybody else in the universe,
just ask us.
And for the record, I wouldn't
mind suiting up, R.C. It'd be fun,
and 1 wouldn't betray you by
allowing a long runback.
Aggies outgun Owls in stormy twinbill
HUY THANH NYGUYEN/The Battalion
Rice catcher Jamie Cook prepares to unleash a throw to second base after missing the tag
on Mike Hickey in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. The Ags won both games, 4-3
and 8-2, and will play a 7 p.m. game tonight in Houston to wrap up the series.
By Steve O'Brien
The Battalion
A break in the weather allowed the
Aggies to end a five-game losing
streak.
After driving rains postponed Friday
night's game against Rice and pelted
most of the Houston area Saturday, the
skies over Cameron Field cleared long
enough for Rice and A&M to play a
twinbill Saturday.
And for the Aggies, timely hitting
and a stellar pitching performance took
care of the Owls.
After a comback 4-3 victory in the
first game, A&M cruised to an 8-2 win
in the nightcap behind the pitching of
freshman Jeff Granger.
The Aggies and Owls will complete
the series tonight with a 7 p.m. game
in Houston.
A&M's sweep ends a five-game
Southwest Conference skid and moved
them into fifth place at 5-6, 33-16 over
all. The Owls fall to last place in confer
ence at 6-11,16-30 on the season.
In the opener, righthander Ronnie
Allen pitched five innings, giving up
four hits, and reliever Jason Bullard (5-
3) pitched two scoreless innings to grab
the win for A&M. Rice righthander
Darrell Richardson (6-7) took the loss.
In the top of the seventh of game
one, rightfielder Dan Robinson drove
in the winning run for the Aggies.
Leftfielder Mike Hickey started the
inning by slapping a lead-off double to
left field and moved to third on a single
by Conrad Colby. With runners at the
corners and no outs, Robinson
pounded a line-drive single up the
middle for the winning RBI.
It was a good feeling to finally get on
the winning track again, Robinson
said.
"It took a lot of pressure off us to get
this win," Robinson said. "Ronnie Al
len came out and set the standard for
us, and we got the hits when we
needed them."
The Aggies squandered two leads in
the game as Richardson went the dis
tance for the Owls, allowing eight hits.
In the nightcap. Granger (5-2)
fanned a season-high 14 batters and al
lowed two runs on four hits to take the
victory for A&M.
Rice lefthander Craig Charlton (0-2)
gave-up eight runs in a losing effort for
the owls.
A&M head coach Mark Johnson said
his team needed Granger's perfor
mance to regain confidence.
"Jeff was just dominating," Johnson
said. "He was outstanding."
SWC Standings
Coni. Seaaon
Team
W
L
Pet.
W
L
Pet.
Texas
9
3
.750
36
12
750
Baylor
7
5
.583
33
10
.767
Texas Tech
7
5
.533
37
13
.740
TCU
6
6
.500
27
17
.614
Arkansas
7
8
.467
32
15
.681
Tex** A&M
5
6
.455
33
16
.673
Houston
5
7
.417
28
14
.667
Rice
6
11
.353
16
30
.348
Friday’s gatnes
Baylor 8, Houston 6
TCU 4, Arkansas 1
Texas A&M at Rice, ppd. rain
Texas 14, Texas Tech 4
Saturday's games
Arkansas 12. TCU 2
Houston at Baylor (2), ppd. rain
Texas A&M 4-6. Rice 3-2
Texas Tech 1-0, Texas 0,1
Sunday’s games
TCU 4, Arkansas 1
Texas A&M at Rice, ppd. rain
Baylor 5-0, Houston 1-5
Monday’s game
Texas A&M at Rice, 7 p.m.
Woosman withstands Watson's late rally
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The little one finally won
a big one.
The Welshman Ian Woosnam, who has labored in
the shadow of his more famous European friends,
made a par putt just about as long as his 5 feet, 4
inches to turn back Tom Watson on the last hole
Sunday and win the 55th Masters.
He won his first major with a scrambling par to
finish off a final round of par 72 and a 11-under-par
277 total.
Jose Maria Olazabal, a 25-year-old Spaniard, took
second, one shot back after the 41-year-old Watson
double-bogeyed the 18th.
Olazabal, who also bogeyed 18, shot 70.
Watson, who played with Woosnam in the final
group on the Augusta National Golf Club course,
rode a pair of eagles into a tie for the lead going to
the final hole.
But then it all came apart for Watson, who was
grimly attempting to snap a 4-year non-winning
string.
He drove into deep rough on the right, bunkered
his second, came out long and missed a 25-foot
downhill, par-saving putt.
After Woosnam had holed out the winner, Wat
son missed his 8-foot comebacker, and saw his
comeback dreams end on a 3-putt double-bogey.
The closing 73 dropped him into a tie with Steve
Pate, 1984 Masters winner Ben Crenshaw and 41-
year-old Lanny Wadkins at 277.
Pate, who started the day's play nine shots off the
pace, scored an eagle-3 on the eighth hole, played
the par-5's five under and saved a 65 with a 45-foot
par putt on the final hole.
Crenshaw also had an eagle, his on the 15th, but
didn't give himself a chance on the last three holes.
He had a 68.
Wadkins missed two short putts and twice
stubbed chip shots in a frustrating 71.
Jodie Mudd, Australian Ian Baker-Finch and An
drew Magee were tied at 280. Mudd shot 69 over the
final 18 holes of the year's first major golf
championship, while Magee and Baker-Finch each
had a 70.
Woosnam's triumph over a host of contenders —
at least seven men had a chance to win it over the
back nine — extended European domination of this
event, as well as world golf.
His last-hole par, manufactured from a drive far to
the left onto a members' practice tee, marked the
fourth consecutive year the green jacket of a Masters
winner has been draped over a Briton's shoulders.
Sandy Lyle of Scotland won in 1988 and Nick
Faldo of England the last two years.
Add in Seve Ballesteros of Spain and Bernhard
Langer of Germany, and the European Big Six has
won five of the last seven Masters and six of the last
10. They've also accumulated titles in five of the last
seven British Opens.
This time it was the turn of the tough little former
amateur boxer from Oswestry, Wales.
Not only did it solidify his claim to being the best
player in the world, it made him the only player to
win twice on the American tour this year.
A&M netters
split against
Hogs, 'Horns
From Staff and Wire Reports
The Texas A&M men's tennis team
split stayed even in the Southwest
Conference standings last weekend by
defeating Arkansas Sunday after a
tough loss to Texas Friday.
The Aggies beat UA 5-3 and lost to
UT 6-2. The team's overall record is 14-
9 and its SWC mark is 3-3.
The Arkansas match was tied at
three sets apiece going into doubles
play, wher A&M clinched the victory
with wins in the No. 1 and 3 positions.
The No. 2 doubles match was called
when the Aggies won the two other
doubles matches.
A&M coach David Kent was happy
with the play of his No. 3 doubles
team, consisting of Scott Phillips and
Mark Weaver.
"Phillips and Weaver have been the
backbone of this team," Kent said.
"They both have handled the pressure
well and have consistently won
matches for us."
Aggies picking up singles victories
against the Razorbacks were Clayton
Johnson in the No. 3 position, Scott
Phillips at the No. 5 spot and Steve
Kennedy in No. 6.
Friday, the Aggies took three Long
horns to three sets before losing the
match. Matt Zisette won his first set
but went on to lose to Mitch Michulka
4-6, 6-2, 7-6.
Mark Weaver lost to Hubert Kar-
rasch 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 and Doug Brown
was defeated by Richard Ellman 4-6, 6-
4, 6-4.
KARL STOLLEIS/The Battalion
Scott Phillips returns a shot Sunday against Arkansas. He won 6-3, 6-2 and the Ags won 5-3
Spurs down
injured
Suns squad
PHOENIX (AP) — Willie Ander
son scored 25 points and Terry
Cummings added 24 as the San An
tonio Spurs averted a second-half
collapse to beat the injury-plagued
Phoenix Suns 109-101 Sunaay.
David Robinson had 23 points and
15 rebounds, while Cummings
pulled down 10 rebounds for San
Antonio, which won its fourth
straight game in Phoenix and in
creased its Midwest Division lead to
one full game over the idle Utah
Jazz.
Negele Knight scored 27 points
and Jeff Homacek 20 for the Suns,
who had a club-record 16 blocked
shots — six by Mark West. The pre
vious record was 15, set Jan. 25 here
against Seattle.
Phoenix played its fifth straight
game without Kevin Johnson
(strained right hamstring) and Dan
Majerle (spinal nerve irritation).
Tom Chambers, who sat out the
last three games with lower back
spasms, was held to just four points
on 2 of 15 shooting and missed his
first seven field-goal attempts.
San Antonio led 51-43 at halftime
and 71-53 with 5:34 remaining in the
third quarter before the Suns closed
out the period with a 13-4 run and
cut the gap to 78-70.
Knighf s jumper brought Phoenix
within 82-78 with 9:04 to play, but
Robinson started and ended a 10-2
run with stuffs and put the Spurs up
92-80 with 5:44 left.
The Suns never got closer than six
points as they lost for the fourth
time in their last six games.