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