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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 1995)
Aggie® have depth for Fiesta in ‘96 Robert Rodriguez Sportswriter, A ggie football has done it again. And it looks like it is going to get better for the maroon and white. Congratulations goes out to both Rodney Thomas and Antonio Armstrong for being selected in the National Football League draft last weekend. Thomas was se lected by the Houston Oilers in the third round and Arm strong was selected in the sixth round by the San Fran cisco 49ers. Thomas’ third round se lection was the latest an Ag gie has been taken in the draft since 1972 and the first time since 1991 that A&M was shut out of the first round. However, both Thomas and Armstrong should be steals for both the Oilers and 49ers since they got them lower than where many expected them to be. Which leads up to the up coming football season. A&M has many prospects that should be highly sought af ter in the 1996 draft. Among those who should get some pro football consideration in clude senior Detron Smith and juniors Leeland McElroy and Brandon Mitchell. McElroy and Mitchell may even be first rounders. Let me just make this statement about the 1995 Aggie football team, and many will like what I have to say. Your 1995 Texas See Rodriguez, Page 9 A&M ready to battle for SW^C title Roger Hsieh/THE Battalion Senior infielder/pitcher Paul Barber waits for the ball in a game against Texas Tech this weekend at Olsen Field. □ A&M and Rice cur rently share the first place conference spot with records of 1 2-6. By Nick Georgandis The Battalion And down the stretch they come! No, this is not the call from the upcoming Kentucky Derby, but rather the theme for the re maining fourth of the South west Conference baseball sea son. After Rice’s sweep of Texas Christian and Texas A&M’s split with Texas Tech this weekend, the conference race is in a near dead heat with the Aggies vying with the Red Raiders and Owls for the league crown. Rice and A&M are currently tied for the conference lead with identical records of 12-6. Texas Tech is a game back at 11-7 fol lowing the Aggies’ stunning come-from-behind, 9-8 win on Sunday afternoon at Olsen Field. A&M head coach Mark John son said the race is one of the most entertaining he has been in and that it is anyone’s race to win. “Right now, you just hope you have a chance, “ Johnson said. “The way it’s rolling now, no body knows until the next team plays. It’s incredible trying to keep up with it.” The three teams in or near the lead are strikingly similar to one another at the plate. Through April 20, Tech led the SWC in team batting average at .324. Rice had the second-best average at .322 and the Aggies were a close third with a .317 mark. Since conference play began, it has also been one big hitter for each team doing the damage. For the Aggies, that hitter is left fielder Chad Allen, who is hit ting .440 in SWC action. Allen’s gaudy batting average is not enough to lead the confer ence however, as Tech’s Clint Bryant is batting a red-hot .444. Rice relies heavily on the bat of Jose Cruz Jr., who has a .429 mark in the SWC. Pitching may very likely be the downfall of the Owls down the stretch. The Aggies and Red Raiders are running one and two in team earned run average in the SWC with marks of 5.11 and 5.68 respectively. Rice how ever, is sixth in ERA at 6.12, ahead of only the lowly Univer sity of Houston. Rice also places seventh in the SWC in fielding percent age at .951. The Ag gies are not much better at .955, but the Red Raiders lead the conference with a .971 percent age including just 14 errors in their 13 conference games. The Aggies have only one conference game left at home, against the University of Texas on Friday night. The team must then travel to Austin to play two games at Disch-Falk field. A&M closes out the sea son with a three-game set at TCU, including one game at The Ballpark in Arlington. Although the Aggies are at a road disadvantage for the re mainder of the season, things will change on May 18-21. The Aggies are due to host the SWC Baseball Tournament at Olsen Field after failing to last season by not being one of the top four teams in the conference. Johnson said the Aggies must keep up their winning ways and look for outside influences to take the SWC crown. “We’re going to need some help, “ Johnson said. “We’ve got five games on the road and one at home, so as you can see, we’ve just got to do our thing.” Despite playing five of their last six conference games on the road, the Aggies would ap pear to have an advantage since Rice and Tech must play each other this coming week end. After being a part of a hard-fought four game series against the Red Raiders, John son said he does not expect the race to be decided soon. “(The series split) still puts us in the hunt, “ Johnson said. “Obviously, you’d like to win more. Tech has got a good ballclub. I am impressed with their ballclub.” "We've got five games on the road and one at home. We've just got to do our thing." — Mark Johnson, AdrM head baseball coach A&M athletes awarded for academic excellence By Kristina Buffin and Tom Day The Battalion Two hundred and seventy athletes were recognized for their academic achievements at the sixth annual GTE Athletic Acad emic Awards Banquet Monday night at the College Station Hilton. Keith Waguespack and Jennifer Saul were honored as the GTE/Texas A&M Student Athletes of the Year. Waguespack, a senior place kicker for the Aggie football team, was recognized for his 3.94 GPR in biomedical sci ences. Waguespack said that maintaining a balance between school and athletics was tough. “It involves long hours in the weight room, on the practice field and learning to study on air planes, buses and in hotels.” Waguespack said. Saul, a mem ber of the Lady Aggie swimming and diving team, was recognized for her athletic, academic and community contributions. Saul, who has a 3.77 cumulative GPR in psychology, spoke about the importance of non-revenue sports. These sports, such as swimming, golf and tennis, do not earn revenue for the Univer sity or gain as much recognition as the bigger sports such as foot ball and basketball, she said. “The primary payoffs (of non-revenue sports) are the in trinsic awards,” Saul said. “There is a feeling of satisfac tion when you test your limits throughout workouts and see how good you can be. You can reap the rewards even if you are not nationally known. I will remember my teammates long after I graduate.” Among the others honored were Kristina Dillinger, Damon Johnson and Brian Randall. All three received the Distin- See Awards, Page 9 / A Wanted: May Graduates, to receive a complimentary membership in the 12th Man Foundation. As a May grad, you can take advantage of an exciting opportunity to continue your support of Aggie athletics by joining the 12th Man Foundation’s “New Grad” program. Along with the free membership (A $100 value) you will also receive: • An insulated 12th Man mug • A 12th Man lapel pin • A 12th Man Foundation window decal • The 12th Man donor card • A subscription to the Sports Hotline Keep the tradition alive! Come by our table in the MSC on April 25 or 26 between 11:00 and 2:00 to sign-up and be a part of the 12th Man Foundation as we continue -- "Building on a Decade of Dominance” i^pmnn FOUNDATION SUPPORTING EDUCATION THROUGH ATHLETICS SPRING FEVER UP TO $ 250 OFF INLINE SKATES MOUNTAIN BIKES LOWEST PRICES EVER ON ALL 1994 INLINE SKATES & MOUNTAIN BIKES 30% OFF ROLLERBLADE HOCKEY PADS 50% OFF 1994 RENTAL SKATES - NOW FOR SALE 10% OFF ALL 1995 INLINE SKATES & MOUNTAIN BIKES FREE SERVICE FOR A LIFETIME ON ALL MOUNTAIN BIKES INCLUDING ZERO COST WARRANTY WILL BE HERE SOON! TEE SHIRTS & ACCESSORIES DIAMOND BACK • GT • MONGOOSE • KLEIN • NISHIKI • DYNO • BMX • ROLLERBLADE • BAUER • ROCES VISA , OTerTSK] ■I EXPRESS 817 Texas Ave. South - Eastgate 696-6551