M
Page B2
Rupe's making up for lost tim
► Junior pitcher Ryan
Rape missed all of
last season after
surgery to remove
bone spurs.
m
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1 r* m i, \ ^
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By Chris Ferrell
The Battalion
yan Rupe is ready to be The
Man and at 6-foot-6, he has
the size.
With one of the most intimidat
ing fastballs in the country, he has
the pitch.
But because of bone spurs in his
elbow, which caused him to miss
the 1996 season, he just has not
had the opportunity.
This season, Rupe, a starting
right-handed pitcher for the Texas
A&M Baseball Team, hopes his
time has come.
“I want to be the ace,” Rupe said.
“That’s something I’ve been trying
to do for a while now, and this year
have the chance.”
Rupe’s chance was suppospiT to
be last year, but his seasoiwnded
before it started. RupeJmd bone
spurs in his right ek%\j resulting in
a premature enckrohS^ason.
I was kincf d’ skeptical, after
^ surgery, abof^J^j/1 was go
ing to feel,” Rupe saio^tl always
talk to people and they %ay ‘its
tight’ ‘or ‘it’s this’ or ‘it’s thao^nd
mine came out [feeling] pn
well after surgery. It felt bett3
than it did going in.”
After the surgery Rupe was forced
to sit back and watch his teammates
play out the rest of the season.
“It was a major setback to find
out, in the middle of January last
year, he wasn’t going to be able to
pitch,” Head Coach Mark Johnson
said. “So you have that injury and
you sit there and watch your team
mates play and you can’t pitch,
you can’t help, and it’s frustrating.
I thought during that period of
time he handled himself well.”
Rupe returned to the mounc
Feb. 8 against the University
Texas-Pan American for theorist
time since his injury.
“Its been almost a and a
half since I’ve beenymt there,”
Rupe said. "It feltjpod. I enjoy
pitching for the
gies and I e$T () y
playing at^exas
A&M. (»u^g out
there J^ain felt
goocUmas happy, I
wu#nervous, I was
that. After the
first pitch, 1 was
into the game and I
was ready to play.”
Rupe’s fast ball
was back in form as
he pitched four in
nings, struck out six
batters, gave up six hits and earned not 5° rn ) en tion his tall Iramepfl
three runs. in £ ^ ast ilave caught thef
The only flaw Johnson noted in m( i )re ^ an ) usl his coaches,!#
Rupe’s performance was his inabii- ^‘ ored one °i toe t0 P P ro H
ity to throw strikes with his slider pitching prospects in theco^f
and change up, two pitches John- j
son said will be important if Rupe is See RllPt/P^
“l was kind of
skeptical after
the surgery
about how I was
going to feel.”
Ryan Rupe
Junior pitcher
going to keep battersf™
| on the fastball.
“It (his fastball) can beinj
ing for the hitter,” lohnsoii
time you’ve got a guy
hard, it’s going to bejfadva|
the fastballs gohwto bete
pitch, then themestqbesoifl^
else in thesttjffzonetowoiiyi
I flutters (Kifnave to wonya
fast haloid let everythin#]
theyj^venl
jM Pitching Coach liral
finted out the40degreetel^
lures that hit College Stationc
liave played a major role in
es not finding the mark.
Rupe’s ability to be coadied]
also been important to his ^
at A&M.
“1 le communicates re
Lawlersaid/M
feeling good
doesn’t feel!
mechanics are II
he’ll just wa
tell you.
"SomeoW
pie will holdit4
just wait andh
press theitm
He’s always W
ally open widii^]
far as anything
going on."
Rupe’s worh-j
Garrick has special viewfroiTKbehind the plati
/
/
$7
1
By Dennis Ramirez
The Battalion
jHio was that masked man?”
V V Lurking in the depths be
hind home plate and often times lost
in the backdrop of pitchers, big
games, and big
hits, stands and
squats a pillar of
experience and
dedication for
the Texas A&M
Baseball Team,
Matt Garrick.
Garrick, who is the
junior catcher for the Ag
gies, now finds himself having to step
up and take control not only on the dia
mond, but off the field this season.
“The catcher is the leader on the team
and with that comes a lot of responsibility,”
Garrick said. “He (the catcher) is in charge of
telling everybody what to do in certain situa
tions. The big responsibility is in getting every
body going, not just yourself, and that is the
main reason why I love to play catcher.”
Garrick's love for the position and game
has been exemplified by his years of hard
work and dedication. Since % tender age of
eight, Garrick has found himsfttnarticipat-
ing in a variety of sports. But Ganfck finally
realized his talent and love for basenWl.
“Watching my older brother pla?%all
really got me into the sport, but it was wrl
I was about 12-years-old that I decided thal
is what I wanted to play,” Garrick said. “I
was invited to play in an elite league in Dal
las and from that point on I decided to get
serious about the game and dream about
professional baseball.”
Garrick went on to earn a variety of
honors while playing at Duncanville High
School. One honor was being an All-Area
selection as well as playing in the Connie
Mack World Series.
Head Coach Mark Johnson said Garrick
was able to come to A&M and deliver su
perb play since his first season to this very
day and Johnson expects bigger and bet
ter things from him this season.
“Matt is a quality player and has been
since he walked onto the campus his fresh
man year and I expect him to get better,”
Johnson said. “I expect him to hit a lot bet
ter this year, but as far as his defensive play,
it is at a very high level already. It has always
been a challenge to improve, but he likes
challenges and he has elevated his#;
His teammates, freshman pitcher^
Possum credits Garrick with having^
how behind the plate and takingcha# 1
on the diamond from behind the#
“I remember the first time I pitclrf
him I shook off his calls most of the ^
possum) said. “He talked tomeai#
ki%v he knew the hitters and to 1#
him\ow it has gotten to where#
shake nkn off. He knows the hitter^
and callsUgreat game. He controls#
there and l%ically runs the gan#
there behind tmnlate"
For now Garriclis enjoying his cole?
baseball days but ame same time#
pires to play in the biglekmesoneda#
rick said he just wants to take fullad\#
of this season and show his (iy cation
“So far I have had a gre\in#
played with a lot of good players
moved on and are pro now,”Garrii
“After this year I hope to get draft
pursue a professional baseball c
Right now I have big expectations f(
season, especially because we
No. 1 recruiting class in the nation,
dedicated to working hard and doin
the team, whatever it takes to win