The Battalion
Pagel
Aggies
Continued from Page 1
By Jeremy Furtick
The Battalion
It has been a tough year for Texas A&M
The struggles of the football team were just
the kick-off to what has been a dismal year
for A&M athletics. But stationed outside
Olsen Field is the long-forgotten bandwag
on preparing to be bombarded by victory-
hungry Aggies.
The Texas A&M Baseball Team is poised
to make another run at Omaha, Neb., and
the College World Series. The Aggies, who
finished last year unranked with a 37-21
record, open this season with a No. 8 rank
ing by Baseball America.
Texas A&M Head Baseball Coach Mark
Johnson said it is unusual for a team to fin
ish a season unranked and start the next in
n
) • ;•«.
the top 10.
“Preseason rankings usually come from
your team’s performance from the previous
year,” Johnson said. “Our ranking says some
thing about what we’ve done in the off-sea
son to help our team.”
What the Aggies have done is bring
Collegiate Baseball’s No. 1 recruiting class to
College Station. They also return eight play
ers who started last season and reload a
pitching staff with two starters coming off
injuries.
Johnson said he expects the 11-man
recruiting class to-provide the team with
the talent needed to fill holes and strength
en the pitching staff.
“Scott Sandusky, our only junior college
transfer, Casey Possum, Steve Scarborough
and Sean Harvey are the new guys I would m t. *
highlight right now as players who will
probably see significant playing time,”
Johnson said.
Sandusky will split time behind the plate Junior Brian Benefield tags out Arizona's Diego Rico, who was
with junior Matt Garrick, while Harvey is base Saturday at Olsen Field.
Ili
Co
/\ B
I
“III
Tim Moog,Tnfi_.
trying to steal,*
1997 Aggie
Baseball
Date
Opponent
Time
Feb. 25
Sam Houston State2 p.m.
Feb. 28
Baylor*
7 p.m.
Mar. 1
Baylor*
2 p.m.
Mar. 2
Baylor*
2 p.m.
Mar. 4
Rice
7 p.m.
Mar. 7
Missouri*
3 p.m.
Mar. 8
Missouri* (dh)
2 p.m.
Mar. 11
Penn State
7 p.m.
Mar. 12
Houston
7 p.m.
Mar. 14
Oklahoma St.*
7 p.m.
Mar. 15
Oklahoma St.*
7 p.m.
Mar. 16
Oklahoma St.*
1 p.m.
Mar. 18
Lamar
7 p.m.
Mar. 21
Oklahoma* 6:35 p.m.
Mar. 22
Oklahoma*
2 p.m.
Mar. 23
Oklahoma*
1 p.m.
Mar. 25
UTSA (dh)
5 p.m.
Mar. 28
Kansas State*
7 p.m.
Mar. 29
Kansas State* (dh) 1 p.m.
Apr. 1
Sam Houston State7 p.m.
Apr. 5
Iowa State* (dh)
4 p.m.
Apr. 6
Iowa State*
1 p.m.
Apr. 8
SWT
7 p.m.
Apr. 11
Nebraska*
7 p.m.
Apr. 12
Nebraska*
7 p.m.
Apr. 13
Nebraska*
2 p.m.
Apr. 15
Houston
7 p.m.
Apr. 18
Texas*
7 p.m.
Agr. 19
Texas*
7 p.m.
Apr. 20
Texas*
2 p.m.
Apr. 22
Sam Houston State 7 p.m.
Apr. 25
Kansas*
7 p,m.
Apr. 26
Kansas*
7 p.m.
Apr. 27
Kansas*
1 p.m.
May 9
Texas Tech*
7 p.m.
May 10
Texas Tech*
7 p.m.
May 11
Texas Tech*
2 p.m.
May 15-18Big 12 Tournament
(All Sports Stadium, Oklahoma City)
May 22-25 NCAA Regional
TBA
Tournament
May 30-June 7 College World Series
*Big 12 games
BOLD denotes home games
tdh) — doubleheader
All games central time
llllll
Rupe
Continued from Page 2
Despite being out last season,
Rupe was drafted by the New
York Mets, but opted to come
back to A&M.
“They (pro scouts) are all here
watching him,” Johnson said.
“His size, his velocity, his long
arms—those are all qualities
that reek of being a major lea
guer. He's not an accomplished
pitcher yet, but you certainly
can dream on it.”
For now, Rupe’s dream is to
lead the Aggie pitching staff. His
coaches, however, are taking
things a little slower.
“I just want him out there
winning games for us,” Lawler
said. “I would love to have him
be No 1. The key for us is hav
ing him in the rotation. I just
want him to win when he goes
out there.”
>* !•<**?
V
>
I pijliflf "#
M
H
Dave House, The Battalion
Junior pitcher Ryan Rupe jogs off
the field after practice.
Tyner
Continued from Page 3
‘It’s funny to me, because
they never
looked at
me before,”
lyner said.
-“I just like
talking to
them.
They’re
pretty inter
esting guys
because
they know Tyner
everybody
in the nation, baseball-wise.”
Whether Tyner downplays
his chances of playing profes
sionally, Johnson said the
scouts cannot ignore him.
“Scouts like speed,”
Johnson said. “He’s got a
tremendous speed out of the
box. I think they’re going to
have to go after him. He’s had
too much success.”
Possum
Continued from Page 3
“He has quality pitches,” he said.
“His best is his slider and he has an
above average fastball. He just needs
to work on his straight change up.”
Last season, the Aggie pitching
staff was hit hard by injuries.
However, Johnson said Possum
would most likely earn a spot on
even the most talented staffs.
“Whether we had injuries or
not, we would have to have a pret
ty good staff not to add a good
pitcher like him,” Johnson said. “If
he has success I think he will give
the staff a run.”
Next season, Possum’s broth
er Clancy will join the Aggie
pitching staff. Possum said he is
excited about the chance to play
with his brother.
“It is interesting to have two
brothers pitching Division I
baseball,” Possum said. “It is
definitely going to be different
level of baseball.”
smm
liiliill
, m /
■ : :
. • •• • . x .j.*.
. V',• '•
|§$ /4j
^ ''' * •jjiiMHliP'
v M 1 i
Big 12
CO
he
Continued from Pajf
By MaitMitchiN
The Battalion f
|r
To use a phrase tljbel
become almost cliche® p|
to Texas A&M athletics,!
A&M Baseball Team
challenges and, for
part, new competi# p r J
inaugural seasonasa^U
the Big 12 Conference. |j
The Aggies’ move to
conference offers exciting! j
ties with the scheduling 1 fci
non-conference c
make room for the Big l/W
core of teams. Some ; F
including A&M HeadCoH
“I think it’s
going to be
tough to winik
Big 12-harJ*
than theSWC
Mark Johnson
A&M headcoatf
Dave House, The Battalion
Junior pitcher John Sneed warms up before a game at Olsen Field.
Johnson, are not sure' 1
expect, aside from good^
tion.
For the Aggies, pickedh' :
win the Big 12, the quests
that competition will cons’^ 1
“Just history will tellf
Oklahoma State is going
the hunt,” Johnson said. ' '
had a great season last
think they have all niitf v
back. I think Baylor’s gof j
team back.
“Texas Tech is a teait 1
interesting in thatthey^
pitchers back, but theyl'J
new position players,sp ;
can come in and p:
they're going to be ago#
However, being good