Sports
Tuesday, April 20,1993
The Battalion
Page 7
A&M holds on to top ranking
Enough is
enough with
Olsen attacks
S itting at the
press table
Saturday
afternoon out at
Olsen Field, I
was afforded an
opportuni ty
most did not
have.
I had a seat
that was com
fortable, with a
great view of
the field. Plus, I
was not
squashed like
some of the
people who had
to sit in the
bleachers.
With a record crowd of 6,486
looking on Saturday, the number-
one ranked Texas A&M baseball
team split a doubleheader with Bay
lor, losing the first game 2-1 and
winning the second game 9-2. A&M
had won the first game in Waco on
Friday night, 1-0, to win the series
two games to one.
With the victories, the Aggies'
overall record moved to 40-6, and
10-2 in Southwest Conference play.
Parents' Weekend provided a bonan
za for the gatekeepers at Olsen.
Presently, the Aggies are leading
the SWC by a game over the num
ber-four ranked Texas Longhorns.
This race will go down to the final
series between A&M and Tex^s on
the first weekend of May.
That can only generate excitement
amongst the student body, but there
seems to be a disturbing trend devel
oping. From my vantage point, I am
far removed from what happened
Saturday and has been happening in
See Plumer/Paqe 8
By WILLIAM HARRISON
The Battalion
Fresh off the heels of another number-
one ranking in the national polls, A&M
will try to avoid history repeating itself
when they play the University of Texas-
Arlington today at 7 p.m. at Olsen Field.
For the second week in a row, A&M
was ranked number one by the Collegiate
Baseball and Baseball America polls.
After being ranked number one last
week, A&M took a first-game loss in a
double header to Sam Houston this past
Tuesday, and the previous Tuesday was
shocked by the UTA Mavericks.
A&M coach Mark Johnson said he
would come at the Mavericks the same
way he did before, working a lot of differ
ent pitchers as he did in the 8-6 loss.
"We're going to piecemeal quite a few
pitchers to get them some work, but
we're still going to try to win a ballgame
along the way," Johnson said.
Johnson said that UTA exploded for
six runs in the sixth inning in Arlington
while he was shuttling different pitchers
in to give them experience, and he said
the team would stay focused on the Mav
ericks with key conference contests
against Rice and Texas looming.
"Right now our emphasis is on Rice
and Texas, but we want to get our game
back to a level we want it to be," Johnson
said.
"Obviously the guys don't want to
lose to (UTA) after we lost one already."
Taking two games out of three from
Baylor, A&M hurlers Trey Moore, Jeff
Granger and Kelly Wunsch shouldered
most of the load as the Aggies' bats were
mostly silent until their six-run fifth in
ning in the final game with Wunsch
pitching.
Johnson attributed the lapse to Bay
lor's pitching style, which he said A&M
had not seen all season, saying A&M did
not adjust to their breaking pitches by
shortening their strokes and hitting to the
opposite field.
"I don't know if we're in a slump - I'm
not ready to say that," Johnson said.
"We didn't hit the ball as well this
weekend as we had, but I think their
pitchers had something to do with it."
Johnson said UTA should not be over
looked, because teams like UTA and Sam
Houston have quality players that can get
pumped up to play a number-one team.
"The Sam Houstons and the UTAs can
beat you on a given day," Johnson said.
"Baseball in our state is good, and with
the parity and scholarship reduction
there are good players on every team.
UTA's no exception."
Johnson planned to start Chris
Clemons on the rhound, but was waiting
to hear from pitching coach Jim Lawler
on the status of Clemons' arm. Clemons
See Mavs/Page 8
Weaver holding
high hopes after
earning SWC title
By DAVID WINDER
The Battalion
Standing a little bit over six feet tall,
Texas A&M junior tennis player Mark
Weaver does not strike fear into the
hearts of his opponents. But they, like
the rest of the Southwest Conference,
have found out that looks can be deceiv
ing.
"He's pretty strong and has a big
game," A&M coach David Kent said.
"He doesn't look it, but he can play."
Last year Weaver had a problem with
his big game, going 1-5 in SWC play as a
sophomore. This year was another story,
though, as he went 6-1 and captured the
SWC singles championship by defeating
Texas Tech's Thomas Cook 6-0, 6-1 in
Lubbock Saturday.
"After last year I was really disap
pointed because I had done so poor,"
Weaver said. "I just worked hard on my
game and it really paid off.
"Last year I started off really well, but
I faded off in the end. This year, I learned
to pace myself better."
Weaver's conference title came just a
day after his being named SWC March
Male Athlete of the Month. He went 6-3
overall and 2-0 in the SWC for the month
and upset 19th-ranked Anders Eriksson
of the University of Texas.
"The more that I played the higher my
confidence level rose/' Weaver said. "T
think having more confidence in my abil
ities also played a factor in the way I've
performed this season."
A conference championship almost as
sures him of a chance to compete in this
year's NCAA Championships.
"Too make it to the NCAA's has al
ways been a dream of mine," Weaver
said. "I just hope I don't get too nervous,
because I think I can do really well in the
first couple of rounds."
According to Kent, though, being ner
vous has not been a factor.
See Weaver/ Page 8
KYLE BURNETT/The Battalion
A&M's Lee Fedora (4) receives congratulations from Robert Lewis after crossing the
pjate against Baylor Saturday. The Aggies tblce 'bn UT-Arlington tonight in Olsen
Field ji 110& ui i, . -.1
t it
MICHAEL
PLUMER
Assistant
Sports Editor
SENIOR WEEKEND 1993
' . 'I
SENIOR BOSH: April 22. 1993
Featuring a Live Band, a Cash Bar, and Plenty of Fun at the Texas Hall of Fame
from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM. Ticket Prices arc $3.00 plus tax.
i u '; / •. v /
SENIOR PICNIC: April 23. 1993
B.Y.O.P. (Bring Your Own Picnic) to the South wood Valley Complex from 2:00 PM
to 6:00 PM. Recreational Equipment and a DJ will be provided. No ticket is necessary.
SENIOR BANQUET: April 24.1993
Featuring a Guest speaker, a Scmmptuous Dinner, and the Class of 1993 Slideshow!
A Cash Bar will be provided at 6:15 PM, and dinner is served at 7:00 PM at the
Hilton Grand Ballroom. Tickets are $15.00 plus tax.
RING DANCE:
Dance to the music of the Ronnie Renfrow Orchestra, Special F/X, RDM,
or listen to piano bar/comedian Neal Kem at Senior Weekend's grand finale.
Pictures will be taken beginning at 11:00 AM Saturday morning and Ring Dance
begins at 9:00 PM that night. Tickets are $25.00 plus tax.
PACKAGE PRICES:
Buy 2 Bash Tickets, 2 Banquet Tickets, and 2 Ring Dance Tickets for just $75.00 plus tax.
"LASTROAD TRIP THROUGH TEXAS"
April 24. 1993