Thursday, April 14, 1994
Sports
The Battalion
Page 7
Baseball’s new
alignment kills old
divisions, rivalries
I t’s only a week and a half into the 1994 base
ball season, and I’m already feeling confused.
The old adage is true, you don’t know how
good you’ve got something, until you lose it.
I’m talking about the new division system in
baseball, a system I was originally in favor of be
cause it took the Astros out of regular-season
competition with the powerful Atlanta Braves
and the San Francisco Barry Bondses, I mean Gi
ants.
But with the arrival of the new National
League Central Division comes the departure of
some of my favorite rivalries. Scoreboard watch
ing has become a difficult task for me, as I try to
figure out just exactly who I’m supposed to be
rooting against.
Up until the end of last year, my baseball phi
losophy was simple. Dodgers? Hate ’em. Gi
ants? Hate ‘em. Braves? Hate’ em. And so went
each season.
Case in point: As I was reading the sports
page Thursday afternoon, I saw the Dodgers had
beat the Cardinals on Wednesday night 7-3.
“Damn Cardinals! “ I thought, while glancing
up to see what the Dodgers record was in rela
tion to that of the Astros.
And there it was, right in front of my face,
the St. Louis Cardinals half a game behind the
Astros, courtesy of...the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The truth dawned on me slowly. From now
on, the Dodgers’ winning would help the Astros
get ahead. I frantically checked the rest of the
Central Division, and was shocked to find that
only the Cincinnati Reds were still left over with
See Re-alignment/Page 8
ADs ‘optimistic’ for new arena
By Nick Georgandis
The Battalion
The Texas A&M Athletic Office is
“very optimistic” that the proposal for
construction of a new special events cen
ter will be approved later this year, Ath
letic Director Wally Groff said Monday.
The new center would house both
men’s and women’s basketball teams,
and probably the volleyball team’s games
as well.
Groff said the new, larger center will
bring many more events to Texas A&M.
“Most of the shows won’t even come
and visit with us unless we had 10,000
seats,” Groff said.
“We’ll be able to get shows like the
circus and the Ice Capades, those kind of
family-oriented events, things for the
students and the local community.”
In addition, Groff said the center
would be host to university functions
and other community functions.
Currently, all home basketball and
volleyball games are played in G. Rollie
White Coliseum. G. Rollie White has
been home for Aggie basketball since the
1954-55 season, and has a seating ca
pacity of 7,500.
Associate Athletic Director of
women’s sports and head women’s bas
ketball coach Lynn Hickey said the new
center will be a tremendous asset to re
cruiting.
“We ve been at a major, recruiting dis
advantage,” Hickey said.
“G. Rollie is great when it’s full, but
hard to sell to a recruit when it’s empty.
It’s imperative that we get this facility to
stay competitive.”
See Arena/Page 8
‘Scrapper* at
second base
By Stewart Doreen
The Battalion
In the age of million dollar players and big league
egos to match, Rich Petru plays the game with the
enthusiasm and determination of the players of yes
teryear.
Petru, a general studies major from Westbury
High School in Houston, is the Aggies’ starting sec
ond baseman waiting to take over his normal posi
tion after another Westbury product, All-Southwest
Conference shortstop Robert Harris, takes his talents
to the professional level. For now, however, the
eighteen-year-old is making the most of his chances
starting 36 of the 38 games in which he has
pla^ed.at second base.
“For a true freshman to play on a Division I pro
gram says a lot about his ability,” Texas A&M Head
baseball Coach Mark Johnson said.
Petru is third among the starting infielders with a
.970 fielding percentage to go along with the bat
ting average that is a shade below .250. These fig
ures pale in comparison to his high school days
where the All-State shortstop hit .488 with three
homeruns and 34 RBI in his senior season. The shy
Petru is not content at the level at which he is play
ing the game.
"Right now, I haven’t done as well as I wanted to
do,” Petru said. “It’s frustrating cause I come from
See Petru/Page 9
Mary Macmaaus/The Battalion
A&M tennis
plays TGU,
UT for titles
From Staff and Wire Reports
Both men’s and women’s tennis
teams from Texas A&M will be vy
ing for a share of the Southwest
Conference title today. Both
matches will be held at the Omar
Smith Tennis Center.
The No. 25 men’s team (19-2,
4-1 in SWC) will face the No. 5
Texas Christian University Horned
Frogs (14-3,, 5-0 in SWC) at 1:30.
TCU leads the conference after an
upset win over the University of
Texas last weekend. An Aggie
win, however, would cause a
three-way tie between A&M, TCU
and Texas.
A&M head coach David Kenj;
said the Aggies have everything to
gain against TCU.
“All we can ask for is a chance
to be playing for the conference
title, and we'll have that opportu
nity against TCU,” Kent said.
“TCU is ranked fifth in the coun
try and might be the best team
we’ve seen this year. We will hav^
to fight tooth and toenail to beat:
them.”
Later at 5:30, the No. 30
women’s team (13-6, 5-1) will
face No. 1 Texas (19-0, 6-0).
Lady Aggie coach Bobby Klei-
necke said it was nice to finish
conference against the defending
national champs.
“It’s fitting that the conference
race comes down to this,” Klei-
necke said. “We’ve had a good
year and earned this opportunity.
Texas will come in here undefeat
ed and as the defending national
champion, but you have to throw
all that out when Texas A&M and
Texas get together.
“This Texas team is probably
the most talented group they’ve
had, but we’re not in awe of them
anymore. We know we can play
with them.”
Wholesal
Prices are based on the New York "
Weight
Color
Clarity
Price
1.05
J/K
11
$2,300°°
1.02
J
IS1
3,250°°
.73
J
Si2/Il
1,850°°
.61
I .
VS1
1,220°°
.50
F
Si2
1,100°°
.49
H
Si
1,253°°
.47
F
Si
1,300°°
Rapaport Sheet", a wholesale price guide.
Emerald
Weight
1.08
Weight
9.51
Color Clarity
I/J Si2
Round Diamond
Price
$3,350°°
Color
L
Clarity
11/12
Price
$29,500°°
1.76
H
Si3
6,900“
Oval ^
1.80
H
Si3
7,300“
1.64
J
Sil
6,600“
Aye:* Price
1.16
J
Sil
3,950“
Weight
Color
Clarity
1.12
D
Si2
4,500“
1.53
I/J
Sil
5,800°°
1.06
K
11
2.050“
1.01
H
Sil
3,950°°
1.03
G
VS/VVS2
5,300“
.85
J
Si2
1,950°°
1.01
E
Sil
4,695“
.55
F
Si2
1,080°“
1.01
I
Si2
3,675“
.55
E
Si2
1,190°°
.95
I
11
2,275“
.53
G
Si2
980°°
.92
I
Si2
3,350“
.50
J
Sil
875°°
.82
K
11
1,490“
.50
I
Si2
1,383°°
.72
G
Si2/Sil
2,300“
.40
J
VS1
675°°
.70
E
Si2
2,350“
.70
G
Sil
1,975“
.70
H
Si2
2,115“
t
Marquise Cut
it" 1 _
.70
.52
E
I
Sil
VS2
2,480“
1,200“
.50
G
VS2
1,490“
Weight
Color
Clarity
hW Price
.46
I
VS2
892“
1.39
H
Si2
V $4,955°°
.43
I
Si2/Il
700“
1.04
J
Si3
3,250°°
.52
Natural Violet
Si2
2,500“
.90
F
Si2
3,250°°
.83
D
Si2
3,900°°
.75
.71
G
F
VS1/WS2
Si2
3,500°°
2,750°°
Princess
.58
G
Si2
1,450°°
.57
K
Sil
1,150°°
Weight
Color
Clarity
Price
.49
I
VS2
1,176°°
.65
I
VVS2
$1,350“
.49
J
Si2
1,050“
.49
K
Sil
875“
.46
H
Sil/Si2
1,354“
.53
K
VS1
975“
.31
I
Sil
475“
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