8 Thursday • May 4, 1995
The Battalion • Page 7 •
Four Aggies make
AII-SWC tennis team
The number one A&M men’s and
women’s doubles teams were named
to the All-Southwest Conference
tennis teams.
On the women’s side, Nancy
Dingwall and Wilson Pate, who
j helped the Lady Aggies place second
at the SWC Championships, were
named along with Melissa Castro and
Greta Gibson of Baylor University and
Kelly Pace and Cristina Moros of
Texas.
On the men’s side junior Blake
Arrant and senior Bernardo Martinez,
who helped the Aggies finish third at
the SWC Championships, were
named along with two Texas
Christian University teams. Ashley
Fisher and Jason Weir-Smith and the
number one team in the nation Paul
Robinson and David Roditi were the
other two teams.
1995 SWC Players of the Year
Paul Robinson and the University of
Texas’ Kelly Pace topped the
balloting of league coaches in men’s
and women’s singles. Pace is ranked
No. 1 in the ITA/Rolex Collegiate
Rankings.
Both coaches from the University
of Texas, Dave Snyder and Jeff
Moore were named men’s and
women’s Coach of the Year,
respectively.
Plans announced for
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Versatility big asset for Parker
□ His numbers may be
up, but senior Brian
Parker still has mastery
of the classroom.
By Kristina Buffin
The Battalion
He has had success on the
mound as well as in the class
room. Aggie pitcher Brian Park
er has become the epitome of a
student-athlete. As a recipient of
the GTE Academic Achievement
Award for the last four years,
Parker has maintained over a
3.6 GPR while filling roles as
both a starter and a closer.
“It has simply been a matter
of managing my time,” Parker
said. “Once the season starts I
don’t have a lot of extra time. It
has been a matter of creating a
routine, it’s not that hard.”
Parker, a senior biomedical
science major, came to A&M
from Arlington High School
where he compiled a 25-7 record
with a 1.10 ERA. At A&M Park
er has become the most versatile
pitcher on the staff.
“As a pitcher Brian has a very
unique role,” head coach Mark
Johnson said. “He was All-SWC
(in 1993). He can play short relief,
long relief, the middle, and start.”
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One more victory for the Texas
&M baseball team and it will clinch
the Southwest Conference
ournament. Because of the quick
urnaround between the SWC regular
season and the SWC tournament,
Texas A&M has announced a policy
oncerning ticket sales.
Season ticket holders will have
Monday and Tuesday, May 15 and 16
to renew their option for their same
seats during the regular season. Any
season tickets options not purchased
by the close of business on Tuesday
will be made available on a first-
come, first-served basis beginning at
8 a.m. Wednesday, May 17.
Reserved seat tournament tickets
are $36 each and general admission
tournament packages are $25 each.
Both packages include ail six
sessions as well as an additional
seventh ticket in the event of a
second championship game in the
double-elimination format.
Individual session ticket prices are
$6 for reserved seats, $5 for adult
general admission and $3 for high
school age and under. Single session
tickets will go on sale Thursday
morning, May 18, at 8 a.m. at the
Olsen Field ticket booth.
For more information or ticket
sales, contact the athletic ticket office
at 845-2311 or 1-800-800-7928.
Senior Brian Parker winds up for a pitch against Cal.-St. Northridge.
^Weldon finds a place to call home
Q The freshman right
fielder adjusts not only
to college life but also
a new position.
By Robert Rodriguez
The Battalion
The transition from high
school to college softball is
tough for a freshman. For Texas
A&M freshman right fielder
Machelle Weldon, this was not
her only transition.
Weldon was originally re
cruited as a shortstop out of
Kingwood High School, but had
to make the transition to right
field in order for A&M coach Bob
Brock to insert her in the lineup.
“I’ve played shortstop all my life
and I really love playing it,” Wel
don said. “But, I’ve gotten used to
right field and I like it a lot.”
Brock said he is pleased with
Weldon’s play in the field and
has exceeded the expectations
that were on her.
“She has really stepped in
and done a decent job defensive
ly and has continued to hit the
ball well,” Brock said. “I think
she has exceeded our expecta
tions and she will help us for
next year.”
The transition from high
school to collegiate softball was
tough for Welson, but she said
she was confident she could play
at the college level.
“Collegiate softball is a lot
more of a mental game,” Weldon
said. “The pitchers were a lot
harder and that was a big change.
In order to adjust, I had to find a
lot of confidence in myself and the
support from the team.”
This season, Weldon is fourth
on the team in hitting with a .296
average and is third on the team
in doubles with nine. Her only
home run of the season came at
Louisiana Tech and Weldon said
this was one of her memorable
moments as an Aggie.
Coming out of high school, Wel
don was recruited primarily as a
power hitter. She was a three
time All-District first team selec
tion at Kingwood and was named
to the All-Greater Houston team
by the Houston Chronicle.
Weldon started playing soft-
ball at the age of six and had al
ways wanted to be an Aggie
when she got older.
“From the time I was little, I
came out and got their auto
graphs of the team,” Weldon
said. “This was the one place I
had always wanted to go no
matter what. I have enjoyed it
ever since.”
Weldon did not immediately
start for the Lady Aggies.
“Coming out here for the first
time, I was so nervous,” Weldon
said. “However, I became so ex
cited and pumped up, it was just
a great feeling.”
Weldon has started 44 of the
48 games she has played in. She
said she has enjoyed being on
the softball team, regardless of
her role on the team.
“My teammates and my room
mate (Marianne McGuire) and I
have become real close,” Weldon
said. “Just going and traveling
places with them, seeing places
you have not seen before and win
ning games, all of it is exciting.”
Mens tennis finds rocky road back to top
□ After finishing 23-4
in 1994, the men's
tennis team rode 13-9
roller coaster this year.
By Robin Greathouse
The Battalion
With success comes the expec
tation to perform at a higher lev
el. The Texas A&M men’s tennis
team found that out the hard
way in 1995, facing a barrage of
ranked teams while compiling a
13-9 record, down from last
year’s 23-4 highwater mark.
Texas A&M head tennis coach
David Kent said that the year
was up-and-down for the team.
“The high points are we beat
some teams that are very good
during the year,” Kent said.
“The low point is that we’ve lost
a lot of 4-3 matches.”
The Aggies began the season
ranked 19th in the country and
opened play by routing South
west Texas State University 7-0.
They peaked in the rankings
by midseason at No. 15 with
their win against Clemson but
slipped to 22nd by year’s end.
A&M finished third in the
Southwest Conference Champi
onship Tournament behind
Texas Christian University and
the University of Texas.
TCU stung the Aggies twice
during the season with a 7-0
shellacking on April 14 and a 4-1
beating in
the SWC
T ournament
at the Omar
Smith Ten-
Gentcr
Kent said
that one
player espe
cially stepped
up to the challenges this seasons’
schedule offered.
“The biggest surprise has
been Eric Horan,” said Kent. “He
won the No. 3 singles in the
SWC and he has been good the
entire year.”
Junior Blake Arrant, the No. 1
singles player and one half of the
No. 1 doubles team for A&M, said
ms
April 23
that the team’s 13-9 regular sea
son record has not left them with
out hope for postseason success.
“We can make this year even
better than last year even though
we haven’t had the same success,”
Arrant said. “We have a good
chance of putting this together in
the regionals and then going on to
the NCAA (Championships).”
Kent said that things look
bright for the ‘95- ‘96 season de
spite the loss of two influential
seniors, Bernardo Martinez and
Rico Rodarte.
“I think we’re going to have a
powerhouse next year,” Kent
said. “We’ve got two very good
recruits coming in.
“Carlos Tori has had to play
the high position. I think he’ll be
a lot better next year.”
The Aggies head into the Re
gional Tournament this weekend
as the No. 3 seed. They will face
off against the No. 2 seed
Arkansas.
Texas A&M will host the tour
nament at the Omar Smith Ten
nis Center. Play will begin Sat
urday morning at nine.
Robyn Calloway/THE Battalion
Junior Blake Arrant plants his
feet as he prepares to hit a
backhand shot during the SWC
tournament held at A&M two
weeks ago.
research abroad
lifULBRIGHT
US
^iliatevls
for grad students and graduating seniors
Informational Meetings
Mon , May 1 3:45 PM 251 Bizzell Hall West
lues.. May 2 3:00PM 154 Bizzell Hall West
fri.. May 5 10:00 AM 251 Bizzell Hall West
WHAT ARE YOUR SUMMER
PLANS?
The Mathematics Department
is running a full summer 1995 schedule.
Summer school offers the following advantages:
1. Smaller class sizes
2. No lines at help sessions
3. Greater personal attention
Consult Summer Teaching Schedule for further details.
Although Parker redshirted
in 1991 as a true freshman, he
believes that it helped him ad
just to college life and the team.
“At first I was in awe of
everyone,” Parker said. “Some
freshmen come in with a strong
mentality. It took a year but I
learned to go out and compete
and not worry about failing.”
"It took a year but I learned to go
out and compete and not worry
about failing"
— Brian Parker
In his first season, Parker
pitched 24.7 innings with a 3.28
ERA and 14 strikeouts. In 1993
Parker helped the Aggies reach
the College World Series with a
5-3 record, 1.93 ERA, 29 strike
outs and five saves.
Parker was named to the All-
Southwest Conference team and
the CoS IDA GTE District VI Aca
demic All-America team in 1993.
Parker does not have a real
preference to starting or closing.
He sees advantages to both.
“I have not started that
much,” Parker said. “Closing has
become like a routine where you
get to pitch every day. I’ve en
joyed both but I have become ac
customed to closing.”
Parker’s breaking pitch and
control have been the keys to
his success.
“He has average velocity but
great control,” Johnson said.
“He has control over all four
pitches. It’s nice to be able to go
Jto the bullpen
with someone you
now you can count
on.”
This season,
Parker has pitched
37.1 innings with a
5.30 ERA and 35
. . / strikeouts. Parker
senior pitcher no t been pitch
ing as much this
season but is still maintaining
his consistency.
“He has been hit a little harder
(this season),” Johnson said. “It is
the intangibles like responsibility
that have helped him lead as one
of the team captains.”
Parker’s leadership skills have
helped the team this season by
assisting pitching coach Jim
Lawler and become sort of a sec
ond pitching coach.
“We need an on-the-field
leader and he was chosen for his
contributions to the team. He
has helped us turn the corner
this season,” Johnson said.
Best athletes shine
in c run for the roses
A horse is a
horse of
course, of
course. And no
one can talk to
a horse, of
course. That is
of course, un
less the horse is
the famous . . .
crowned champion of the 1995
Kentucky Derby, which will
happen this Saturday.
Yes, it’s that time of year
once again. A time when the
roses are in bloom and infa
mous voices like Jim McKay
and the late Howard Cosell
ring out the words “And down
the stretch they come!” as over
130,000 fans invade Churchill
Downs to catch an exhilarating
glimpse of the “Run for the ros
es.” The rest of the world puts
their lives on hold for two min
utes to cheer their favorite
thoroughbred or filly to the
wirmer’s circle.
Cosell went so far as to say
that the Derby winner was
“History’s greatest athlete.”
He was right.
As I traipsed through the
“backside” of Churchill Downs
last weekend during the 1995
Kentucky Derby Collegiate
Sports Journalism Seminar, I
encountered a world of champi
ons hidden from the majority of
sports fans after the sun has set
on the Triple Crown series.
Legendary jockeys like Pat
Day and Julie Krone were rid
ing the backs of Derby winner
hopefuls Timber Country and
Suave Prospect, preparing
them for the fastest two-min-
utes in history.
Other legendary heroes came
in the unlikely forms of the me
dia messengers who have re
layed the sights and sounds and
even the smell and taste of
sweet victory through the sens
es of the likes of Jim McKay, A1
Michaels and Leslie Visser.
They are just a few of the
many sports journalists who
bring home the victory and
share their excitement through
television screens in the house
holds of mainstream America.
Those fans
who prefer the
printed word
have been fortu
nate to read
about the replay
of America’s
greatest sport
ing event
through the
likes of New York Times turf
writer Joe Durso or Billy Reed
of Sports Illustrated and a host
of other writing professionals
that relay the excitement of
the race of champions.
The backside of the twin
spires, saturated with over
2,000 sports journalists jockey
ing for position to interview the
trainers and jockeys behind
history’s greatest athletes, are
in a race all their own to obtain
the best quotes and edge out
their fellow sports journalists
for the deadline.
The printed word and the
voices that have echoed
through the twin spires are the
voices that have brought the
race to horse racing fans be
yond the borders of the Blue
Grass state.
These media personalities
tell of their experiences and
their brush with the making of
a legend. They tell the story of
the births, trials, successes and
relationships champions have
with their trainers and jockeys.
They tell the story of hard
work and the making of a
champion.
They tell the story that music
tells in “the run for the roses.”
It’s the harmonious sympho
ny of horse and jockey conduct
ed by trainers and “hot walk
ers” that will wear the blanket
of roses on Derby day.
The roses will wilt and the
symphony will fade, but the
champion will live eternally in
the ring of honor alongside leg
ends like Aristides, Affirmed
and Secretariat.
They will live on in the
hearts of sports fans who hold
the memories of their great
performances.
And that performance will
speak for itself, of course.
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS:
GENERAL INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS
WANT TO BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE AND
MARKETABLE... STUDY ABROAD
Gome by one of our
weekly meetings held
every Friday at 11:00
(room number will be posted
outside of 161 Bizzell Hall
West) where we will answer
questions including:
How do I plan a Study Abroad?
When should I Study Abroad?
What about Financial Aid?
- and more -
Study Abroad Programs *161 Bizzell Hall West • 845-0544
Study Abroad Programs* 161 Bizzell Hall West *845-0544