Sports Wednesday, March 4,1992 The Battalion Page 5 Si ANTHONY f* Sponswriter Basketball team needs to make best of season I t would seem like the season can't end soon enough for the Texas A&M basketball team. Most col lege teams measure a successful sea son with the number 20, as in 20 wins. The Aggies have a 20 in their record, except it's 20 losses the team has experienced this season. A&M has struggled, to say the least. But their struggles haven't been limited to on-the-court problems. The Aggies were hit with NCAA probation before the season started, overcome by carbon monoxide fumes when they went to Waco to play the Baylor Bears, and have had to deal with the death of coach Tony Barone's mother. For these reasons, it would seem like the fair thing to do would be to go ahead and call off the final two games of the regular season and the Southwest Conference tournament, right? Barone believes that the solutions to the problems go beyond any re maining wins and losses. "I think what you do in this kind of season is fight and do the best you can and what happens is the wins and losses really become secondary," Barone said. "What becomes more important is effort. What becomes more important is attitude. What be comes more important is setting the stage for the future. The nature of this job and what it demands you to do requires vou to do that." ^ See Andro/Page 7 Hickey, Smith out of A&M lineup for 4-6 weeks The Battalion News Services The Texas A&M baseball team will be without second baseman Mike Hickey and rightfielder Scott Smith for the next four to six weeks. Hickey, who was hitting .292 with two homeruns and 12 RBIs, broke a bone in his left hand sliding into third base during the Aggies' 9-8 loss to Minnesota Sunday in the final game of the Oscar-Mayer Clas sic. Hickey is scheduled to have surgery on Thursday. He will have a pin inserted into his hand to help the healing process. Smith, a redshirt freshman and the Aggies' second-leading hitter with a .368 average, broke a bone in his right foot Monday during a kinesiology class. A&M hosts Baylor this weekend in a three-game Southwest Conference series. Head coach Mark Johnson said it will be tough to replace Hickey and Smith in the Aggies' lineup. "We've had a rough 24-hour period," Johnson said. "Mike Hickey was the third batter in our lineup and his bat was start ing to come around. "More importantly, he was the pivot man in the double play combination and he continued to make strides at that posi tion. "Scott Smith has been one of our more Mike Hickey and Scott Smith will miss A&M's series against Baylor and will be out for more than a month. consistent hitters," he said. Johnson said the loss of the two play ers will give opportunities for other plav- ers to step forward. "I said at the beginning of this season one of our strengths is the depth of this team." The Aggies are 12-5 this season, 4-2 in conference play. Hickey and Smith will miss the major ity of A&M's SWC games, including the series with the University of Texas in Austin on March 20 and 21. The two injured players may return in time for the Texas series at Olsen Field on April 10 and 11. A&M moved up to No. 21 in the Base ball America poll, and improved to No. 25 in the Collegiate Baseball poll. Softball team steps forward Lady Aggies begin 1992 with road trip, injuries but jump to 12-4 start By Doug Foster The Battalion Despite losing an All-American pitch er to an injury early in the season, Texas A&M head softball coach Bob Brock said he sees many positive aspects of this year's team that could make them a seri ous contender. Brock and his squad, who will be without pitching ace Missi Young for 2-4 weeks, will open their home schedule to day against the University of Texas at Ar lington in a 5 p.m. doubleheader at Lady Aggie Field. A&M opened the season with a 12- game road trip and came home with an 8- 4 record. The Aggies are currently the tenth-ranked team in the nation. Brock said losing Young to an injury would be tough, but he feels his team has enough depth for others to step up and fill the hole created. "When a team has a situation where its All-American pitcher goes out with an injury, they have a tendency to overrate that and cave in a little bit," he said. "We've got plenty of help on the team with our run scoring, and Jennifer Bob Brock says his team has adjusted to the loss of pitcher Missy Young. Mortensen (pitcher) has come in and picked up the slack. "I also had not planned on pitching See Softball/Page 7 In Need of a Facelift Organization looks to improve A&M golf course By Steve O'Brien The Battalion Texas A&M has built a reputation as a leader in golf course research and management, yet it has a substandard course. Mike Poe, a Sugarland contractor and marketing director for Fore Card In ternational, said the A&M golf course is in need of many improve ments, but the funds for such improvements are not available due to the sluggish Texas economy. "Texas A&M is recognized world wide as the leading university in golf course research and development in the area of turf grass and in the area of stu dents that major in golf course manage ment," Poe said. "It's the core of golf course information in the state of Texas and across the country. "All this combined and you've got a substandard golf course. The reason it's substandard is because state money is real tight right now. It should be the showplace of any university golf course in the country." Fore Card is an organization formed by Poe designed to stimulate funds through memberships that will be allo cated toward renovation of the A&M golf course. Poe said he wants to recruit A&M students, faculty and alumni, as well as private companies, to support the cause. Twenty percent of the annual membership fee of $75 will be given to I help in the development j and modernization of I the golf course. Annual membership fees for stu dents will be $60. Privileges for members include free rounds annually at courses participating in the program and other various dis counted prices throughout the year. Member courses include Fox Creek Golf Course, Bluebonnet Country Club and over 20 courses in South and East Texas. "We're trying to build an organiza tion of concerned former students, and any Aggies that want to see this golf fa cility be the best university facility in the country," Poe said. Fore Card was given permission by See Golf/Page 6 Now Is The Time For Action! What is the Fore Card Golf Amenities Card? • The owner of the Fore Card Amenities Card is entitled to play a number of Texas golf courses at a substantial savings. All of the participating golf courses offer our card holders a MINIMUM of one round of golf free of any green fees annually. In many cases the benefits are expanded to include two for the price of one green fees year round, more than one free round per year, discounts on driving ranges, discounts in the pro shops, discounts on lessons, etc. • Fore card's agreement with Texas A&M University specifies that a minimum of 20% of the proceeds from card sales must go to the Texas A&M Golf Course to provide funds for improvements. • Further, each card holder can take part in a statewide special events and tournament program that is designed exclusively for the Fore Card Texas A&M Golf Amenities Card. ALL net proceeds from the events and tournaments go to the Texas A&M golf course. Play MORE Golf For LESS Money! The Fore Card Amenities Card owner will be notified of new benefits that are expanding every day. The list is very impressive already and the golfer taking advantage of this new program will play some great golf courses and take part in some very special events (commitments for corporate sponsorships of events have made this phase of the card benefits second to none) at a tremendous savings. A quarterly newsletter is mailed to all members which lists all current, member golf courses and their benefits. Tournaments and special events calendars are also included, as well as a financial update on the funds raised for the Texas A&M University Golf Course. Act Now and Receive Your Maroon and White Personalized Card with the A&M Logo! Just SOME of the member courses are listed below. The list of participating courses is growing and it is just a matter of time until our cardholders can take advantage of many more statewide benefits. Bluebonnet Country Club, Nayasota* Cape Royale Golf Club, Coldspring Clear Creek Golf Course, Houston Clear Lake Golf Course, Houston Del Lago Resort, Montgomery Forest Creek Golf Club, Round Rock Fox Creek Golf Course, Hempstead* Galveston island Municipal Goff Course Green Meadows Golf Club, Katy Jersey Meadows Golf Course, Houston Wedgewood Golf Course, Conroe 'Patron Sponsors: Card Holders receive 2- for-the-price-of-1 green privileges year round, includes weekend play after 12 noon. Fore Card Golf Amenities Card Apt Annual Fee: *75 00 Per Card (A&M Students ‘GO 00 ) “FC /P Name Address. City □ MasterCard. □ VISA Exp. Date_ Exp. Date. Authorized Signature USGA Handicap, if available:. Make checks or money order to: Fore Card, Inc. • P.O. Box 800 Sugar Land, Texas 77487-0800 Telephone: (713) 561-8202 Fax (713) 568-8476 OFFICE USE ONLY REP NO. .VENDOR NO. IrH 846-1816 Texas' Original Drive-Thru Daiquiri Factory Wednesday, March 4, Noon-11:00 p.m. Frozen Coolers -Flavors- Strawberry Daiquiri • Peach Daiquiri • Banana Daiquiri • Raspberry Daiquiri • Pineapple Daiquiri • Spiced Apple Daiquiri • Watermelon Daiquiri • Grape Daiquiri • Lemon Daiquiri • Cherry Daiquiri • Blue Hawaiian • MaiTai • Hurricane • Topical Punch • Margarita • PinaGolada • Strawberry Golada 1 Banana Golada • Raspberry Golada • Peach Golada • Pineapple Golada • Grape Golada • Peaches & Crmie • Strawberry & Creme • Bananas & Creme • Raspberry & Creme All drinks are made with real fruit or fruit juices. All creme flavors made with Bluebell Ice Cream. Small Medium Large (20 oz.) (32 oz.) $200 $^00 Limit one 25