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Friday, March 5,1993
The Battalion
Page 5
/I
4
'BT' carrying a big stick for A&M
Thomas's bat
propels Aggies
into Maine series
By MICHAEL PLUMER
Vie Battalion
This season, Brian Thomas has been
playing with both feet off the ground.
Sporting a .388 average with four home
runs, 12 runs batted in and five stolen
bases, Texas A&M's senior centerfielder
said he has been in his own little world at
the plate.
"As the old saying goes, I am in a tree
right now," Thomas said. "Hopefully, I
won't come back down to earth for
awhile."
Thomas did not have such a dreamy
ride last season. As a junior, he only hit
.212 after posting a .290 batting average
his freshman campaign and .354 his
sophomore
year.
Mentally, Thomas said, last year's
slump was a very trying experience.
"It was very tough, because I was not
very comfortable," Thomas said. "1
would hit the ball hard three times but it
would be right at somebody, like the first
baseman or centerfielder.
"But I would have nothing to show for
it, and end up the game 0-for-3. That is
baseball, where you have to take the good
with the bad."
Thomas added that he thought there
was a very easy explanation for last sea
son's hard times at the plate, and out of
the bad times did come some good
lessons.
"I learned a lot from last year," he said.
"There were a couple of problems with
my swing that I got ironed out over the
past summer. My slump, though, may
have come from my success during my
sophomore year.
"I had a great year and I was really go
ing to go out and try to impress the scouts
and hopefully get drafted. But somebody
set me straight on that attitude."
That someone was his summer league
coach, who helped his fortunes turn
Corbelli named
to replace Givens
at volleyball post
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
KEVIN IVY/The Battalion
A&M centerfielder Brian Thomas admires the flight of a home Thomas has been the spark plug for A&M's power surge this
run during the Aggies' game with Concordia Lutheran last week, season, hitting over .400 throughout the past two weeks.
around in the most unlikelist place - An
chorage, Alaska. Thomas hit .359 with
five home runs and 50 RBI's in the Alaska
League. In the process, he was named a
Baseball America Summer All-American.
"Ed Cheef, who coaches at Lewis &
Clark, an NAIA school, turned me
around totally by telling me something
that really stuck with me," Thomas said\
"He said that baseball is a lot of fun but, I
should go out there and not try to im
press anybody but myself.
"That has made it easier this season."
A&M coach Mark Johnson said that
Thomas's being named to the summer
All-American team had to be a great con
fidence lifter after his struggles.
"That kind of recognition has to make
you feel good," Johnson said. "It proba
bly boosted him into this year."
Thomas said the Alaskan experience
gave him 1 the opportunity to clear his
head and regain his thoughts in a relaxed
atmosphere.
"I went up there and stayed with the
same family I had stayed with the previ
ous summer, so it was kind of like going
home again," the left handed hitter said
with a laugh. "Coach Johnson and myself
talked about a couple of things I needed
to improve batting-wise, which I tried to
do."
See Thomas/Page 7
Texas A&M ended its search for a new
volleyball coach Thursday, naming Santa
Clara University head coach Laurie Cor
belli to replace former coach A1 Givens.
Corbelli racked up a 61-35 record in her
three years at Santa Clara, including a 26-
11 record for the 1991 season, which was
the best in school history.
After a 21-11 record last season, Corbel
li earned West Coast Conference and West
Region Coach of the Year honors. She
also led Santa Clara to its first NCAA
Tournament appearance.
Corbelli said that the attraction to A&M
was too strong to turn down.
"My visit to A&M proved to me that
the volleyball program is a sleeping gi
ant," Corbelli said. "This will be a great
place to coach, recruit and be a part of. I
felt the buzz of pride and tradition across
the entire campus which was a big part of
my decision, and I am very excited to ac
cept the offer."
Corbelli carries impressive playing cre
dentials into her new position. A two-
time U.S Olympic Team member, she was
also a member of the U.S. Women's Na
tional Volleyball team from 1978-84. Cor
belli spent the 1987 season playing for
Major League Volleyball franchise San
Jose Golddiggers, where she earned Most
Valuable Player honors.
"We are very excited to armounce that
Laurie will be joining our staff as head
volleyball coach," A&M associate athletic
director Lynn Hickey said. "This is a
tremendous step forward for our pro
gram, and is a statement of commitment
to develop the best volleyball program we
can.
"She brings tremendous experience as
both a player and coach. As a coach, she
has proved herself in the toughest and
most competitive volleyball area in the
country. Laurie presents a high profile on
the court, and will be able to step up our
recruiting immediately."
A native of Garland, Corbelli also spent
four years as the head coach of the Uni
versity of San Francisco, where she was
named WCC Coach of the Year in 1987 af
ter leading the Lady Dons to a third-place
finish.
DEAR DAD
MONEY FOR
JOB INTERVIEW
Conroe Factory Outlet, Interstate 45, Exit League Line Road, (409) 856-8228.
Mon-Sat. 10-9, Sun. 12-6. Discontinued/almost perfect sports and fitness stuff.
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This Weekend
March 5, 6, & 7
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Bookstore
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