Page 5
Friday • March 21, 1997
gs look to end losing streak
The Texas A&M
Baseball Team heads
to Oklahoma to take
on the Sooners.
By Jeremy Furtick
The Battalion
The Texas A&M Baseball Team
11 try to put it all together this
ekend in a Friday-Saturday-Sun-
, three-game series with the
nets in Norman, Ok.
The 22nd-ranked Sooners have
piled a record of 15-6 while going
in the Big 12. Their home record
ds at 12-2, so the Aggies are look-
at a tough series this weekend.
Head Coach Mark Johnson said his
i-ranked team needs to relax and
mentally prepared for the series.
“We’re on the road playing the
team in the conference,” John-
said. ‘‘We’ve got to relax and
p pressing ourselves if we want
get out of this slump.”
The Aggies are 3-6 since defeating
|en second-ranked Rice in Hous-
i March 4 and have dropped their
t four games. Johnson said his
i jam’s effort is not the problem.
I “The effort’s not the problem,”
he said. ‘‘We need to get it together.
The pitching defense and hitting
has been there. It’s just not happen
ing all together.”
Johnson said his major con
cerns are the bullpen’s lackluster
performances and the absence of
clutch hitting.
‘‘We’re losing games that we out-
hit the other teams in,” he said.
“That’s not acceptable.”
The team may not be coming to
gether, but some individual num
bers are still impressive. Sopho
more Jason Tyner has managed to
keep his average above .400 at .407,
while leading the team in hits (50),
runs (24) and stolen bases (16). Se
nior Johnny Hunter is hitting .313
and is tied for the team leads in RBIs
(21) and home runs (6).
Freshman pitcher Casey Possum
is still throwing well. He leads the
team in innings pitched (44-2/3)
and strikeouts (56) while posting a
3.83 ERA. He has struggled with
walks (28) and giving up home runs
(7), which has led to his 1-2 record.
Senior Ryan Rupe leads the team in
ERA (3.82) and has a 4-1 record.
But unless the team starts putting
these numbers together at the right
times, the most important number
will not improve — their record.
Johnson said he will continue to
Lady Aggies send
Roadrunners reeling
Dave House, The Battalion
A&M freshman Sean Heaney waits for the ball as Lamar senior fimmy
Neale slides into third base.
shake up the batting order and
starting lineup to find a mix which
will get the job done. But he stress
es the mentality of the team is the
one thing that will help the most.
“When you’re in a slump you start
to press,” Johnson said. “And when
you press you don’t succeed very of
ten. We just need to clear our heads
and we’ll get out of this little slump.”
By Nicki Smith
The Battalion
Even without Head Coach Jo
Evans, nothing could stop the Texas
A&M Softball Team as they defeated
the University ofTexas-San Antonio
in back-to-back games last night at
the Lady Aggie Softball Field.
In the first game, the Lady Aggies
jumped out in the third inning to
score two runs as freshman Jamie
Smith hit a single to third base al
lowing junior Tanya Klecker to score.
Then, junior pitcher Trina Soles-
bee hit a double to left field scoring
freshman Jamie Smith.
As the Lady Aggies held the Lady
Roadrunners to no runs, senior
Heather Hayden doubled to right
center field and was able to score off
of a single from Klecker.
Assistant Head Coach Joy Jack-
son said the Lady Aggies overcame
adversity and maintained their fo
cus against UTSA.
“Tonight we earned ourselves
two big wins, but what makes it bet
ter is what the girls had to overcome
to do it,” Jackson said. “In their
Evan’s absence the team main
tained its discipline which is a sign
of a mature team. We now have a
record over .500 which was what we
set out to do tonight.”
The score remained at 3-0 until
Solesbee came out and blasted a
double to right center field in the fifth
inning. She was advanced to third by
junior Amy Schmaltz’s single to left
field and scored when senior Mya
Truelove singled to center field.
Senior pitcher Lori Gioco
claimed the win with an overall
score of 4-0 which improved the
team’s overall record to 17-17 and
her own record to 10-8.
Sophomore Kami Tucker said
that A&M’s win showed that the
Lady Aggies were ready to play
from the beginning.
“Even when we came together
before the first game we knew we
were ready to win,” Tucker said.
“Jamie hit very well, our defense was
really sound and we all wanted to
win for Coach E. We never opened
up the door for UTSA to score."
A&M scored its first run in the
second game when senior Gina
Perez reached first base off of a
fielding error in the first inning and
was advanced to third by other hits.
See Softball, Page 8
Braves ready to shrug off Buffalo Bills comparisons
ATLANTA BRAVES
The view from the bottom of the NL
East will most likely look the same as it has
for the past six years — the Braves on top.
Atlanta will return all eight opening-
tlay starters from last season and a pitch
ing staff that has a familiar look to it. The
only conceivable problem for manager
Bobby Cox is how to get all of his young,
talented players into the lineup.
Jermaine Dye spent most of last year fill
ing the right field gap left vacant by David
Justice’s season-ending injury. Dye could
start in almost any team’s outfield, but he will
begin the season on the bench next to base
ball’s most promising prospect, Andruw
tones. Jones, if you remember, hit two home
runs in Atlanta’s Game 1 victory over New
York in last year’s World Series. He’s only 19.
No doubt the Braves will solve their out
field problems and field a lineup capable of
doing a lot of damage. But the heart of Atlanta
is its pitching staff, and the Braves have the
major leagues’ best again.
The starting rotation will remain intact, as
Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and
Denny Neagle return from last season’s post
season embarrassment. Steve Avery is gone,
but the Braves have a few young arms to try out
in the spring, one of whom will be given the
opportunity to start this season under the tute
lage of the owners of the last six
National League Cy Young awards.
Look for the Braves to have
one of their better seasons in re
cent years. They have the motiva
tion to show the world they aren’t
baseball’s version of the Buffalo
Bills, and with the juiced-up Flori
da Marlins in the East, the Braves
finally have a division threat
Projected Record: 101-61
Key Series: June 30, July 1-2 @
New York Yankees: The rematch.
The Braves are tired of being the
best team in the major leagues and then get
ting kicked around in October. Atlanta has
this series circled on their calendars.
FLORIDA MARLINS
There is no such thing as an expansion
team in baseball anymore. In just their fifth
season, the Florida Marlins are the only
team in the league never to have reached
the postseason. The “expansion” Colorado
Rockies did it in three, and now the Marlins
are poised to make a run at the playoffs.
Florida went on a shopping spree this
winter, spending over $80 million in the free
agent market. Baseball’s fifth-ranked pitch
ing staff from last season has been improved
with the additions of ace starter Alex Fer
nandez and solid lefty reliever Dennis Cook.
Add starters Kevin Brown and his 1.89 ERA,
A1 Leiter and Pat Rapp plus relievers Jay
Powell and Dustin Hermanson setting up
closer Rob Nenn and you have the second-
best staff in the league, at least on paper.
Florida’s dismal offense probably cost
Brown the NL Cy Young last season, so the
Marlins decided to spend a little on some
punch at the plate. Outfielder Moises Alou
left Montreal to join Gary Sheffield and De
von White in one of baseball’s best out
fields, while Bobby Bonilla exited Balti
more to take third base. Jeff Conine will
move into first base from the outfield. Re
serves Jim Eisenreich and John Cangelosi
were added to bolster the bench.
Sportswriter
Jeremy Furtick
Senior journalism
major
On top of Florida’s lineup re-cre
ation and pitching improvements,
they added the one piece of the
puzzle that could make everything
work—manager Jim Leyland.
Leyland will once again be
leading his team to battle the
Braves for a World Series berth.
Projected Record: 90-72
Key Series: Aug. 8 -11 @ Atlanta
Braves: Florida’s high-priced, high-
powered pitching staff gets its last
head-to-head opportunity to steal
the title of the National League’s
best staff from this decade’s reigning champi
on. Plus, they need to win these games to be
lieve they can compete in the postseason.
NEWYORKMETS
The Mets aren’t surrounded by the same
lavish expectations they were this time last
season, but their roster is basically the same.
The young pitching staff was the cause of
most of last season’s optimism, but those
hopes quickly faded as r
their three young
prospects, Jason Isring-
hausen, Bill Pulsipher and
Paul Wilson, all went on to
have surgery during or after
the season.
This year, Pulsipher is
doubtful for the start of the
season, but the other two
youngsters should be ready
to have good years. The re
maining starters should be
a combination of Mark
Clark, Pete Harnisch, Bob
by Jones and Armando Reynoso. The
bullpen should be solid with John Franco
closing out games for relievers Derek Wal
lace and Greg McMichael.
New York’s only big off season move was
the signing of first baseman John Olerud.
Carlos Baerga and Rey Ordonez will fill the
middle of the infield, while Edgardo Alfon-
zo will play third. Lance Johnson is coming
off a season were he collected 227 hits, the
They (the Braves)
have the motiva
tion to show the
world they aren’t
baseball’s version
of the Buffalo
Bills...
most since Pete Rose’s 230 in 1973. He will
be the catalyst to Bernard Gilkey and Alex
Achoa, who will flank him in the outfield.
If Todd Hundley has another big year
from behind the plate, Olerud could regain
his AL batting champion form, and if Baer
ga can lose 20 pounds and have his tradi
tional big year, the Mets might make a run
at the NL Wild Card.
Projected Record: 80-82
Key Series: Sept. 17-18 @ Atlanta Braves;
Sept. 19-22 @ Florida Marlins: New York’s
promising young pitching staff gets a late-sea
son tour of the league’s best arms. They should
use this trip as motivation for the offseason.
MONTREAL EXPOS
Once again the Montreal Expos cleaned
house in the offseason. After losing Larry Walk
er, Ken Hill, John Wetteland, Andres Galarra
ga, Delino DeShields and Marquis Grissom in
the past fewyears, they waived goodbye to Mel
Rojas, Moises Alou and Jeff Fassero this winter.
Once again, the Expos will reload with players
from the league’s best farm
system, but it will only be hard
er this year to cope with the
loss of more superstars.
Montreal’s outfield, as usu
al, has a chance to be one of the
league’s finest. Cliff Floyd, 24,
and RondellWhite, 25, are troth
waiting to rebound after injury-
riddled starts to their careers.
They are potential all-stars, and
Henry Rodriguez already is.
Future starter Vladimir Guer
rero, 21, is waiting in the wings
to fill a spot should anyone go
down in the outfield.
Mark Grudzielanek and Mike Lansing will
remain the keystone combination at short
stop and second base, respectively. They each
scored 99 runs last year and provided great de
fense. They will be cornered by David Segui at
first and Shane Andrews at third, while a pla
toon of players will be behind the plate.
Pedro Martinez is still around to be Mon
treal’s ace. He will be joined by Rheal Cormi
er and a combination of youngsters who will
be sorted out by the end of spring training.
Ugueth Urtain Urbina will be handed the
closer’s role, but as baseball has shown us over
the years, young fireballers don’t always make
the best firemen. The staff could be re
spectable if Carlos Perez returns to have an
other 1995-like year.
Felipe Alou deserves better them what the
Montreal front office has handed him. He had
the class to stick with his franchise in the wake
of Jim Leyland’s tearful bailing in Pittsburgh,
and his son departing for the Marlins. But even
Felipe won’t be able to salvage this season.
Projected Record: 78-84
Key Series:June 20-22 vs. Florida Marlins:
It will be a family reunion for Montreal man
ager Felipe Alou and his son, Florida out
fielder and former Expo Moises Alou. Daddy
will be proud, but he should also be fed up
with Montreal’s management, who has con
sistently taken Alou’s best players from him.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
There aren’t a lot of good things to say
about the Philadelphia Phillies. It will be a
long season in Veterans Stadium if the vet
erans they have don’t stay healthy and their
young prospects don’t live up to their billing.
Lenny Dykstra and Darren Daulton won’t
be around for the whole season to help. Dyk-
stra’s back and Daulton’s knees are probably
going to end up career-enders. Gregg Jefferies
will join Dykstra in the outfield and be count
ed on to provide much of the offense. Mick
ey Morandini and Kevin Stocker remain the
double-play combination held over from the
'93 World Series, but Philadelphia spent the
winter trying to unload them.
Youngsters expected to get a tough year
under their belts include outfielder Wen
dell Magee Jr., third baseman Scott Rolen
and catcher Mike Lieberthal. They were all
outstanding minor league players and
can’t-miss talent for the majors, but the
question will be if they can survive the hor
rible summer ahead.
See Furtick, Page 7
p
n
R
F
6
r i
arc
u d
o u n
: 0 0
d
h
d
a
P
y
I
r
n
m
Persons with disabilities please call
AM-S-ISIS to inform us of your special needs
Health Professions
Symposium
Free! Meet over 50 Representatives from Medical, Dental,
and Nursing Schools, Vet Medicine, and
Allied Health, Military Scholarship, and Public Health Ad
ministration Programs
MSC Flagroom
March 25
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Texas A&M University
Executive Council of Health Organizations