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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1997)
1 The Battalion p fi r? r r c i i v .i. .1. kj Page 5 Tuesday • March 25, 1997 i est pitching staff will )uoy Dodgers to top LOSANGELES ere an DODGERS When you combine lebest complete |itching staff in the ague with four for- er Rookies of the Year otto mention two of is year’s leading can- dates), you should at ast win the division, if t the whole thing. That’s the situation rLos Angeles and ere’s no reason they shouldn’t mtend with Atlanta for the NL’s Opposition this season. Los An- les should make the playoffs, ei- ier by winning the division or as leNLWild Card. The pitching staff has no holes, non Martinez and Hideo Nomo e good enough to be the ace on aost teams and Ismael Valdes has tie stuff to overtake those two as tie Dodgers’ No. 1 pitcher. Chan lo Park will probably be No. 4 in lie rotation with Tom Candiot- rounding it out. The liddle relief will in- lude Scott Radin- |ky, Mark Guthrie nd Antonio Os- na, among oth- rs, who will al- nost surely eplace Candiotti the rotation by ; uly. Todd Worrell .ailed down 44 aves last season and ' shack as the closer. ■ The Rookie of the Year parade has yet another chance to run through Los Angeles again Ihis season with Wilton Guerrero pt second and Roger Cedeno pepping in for Brett Butler in enter. One of those two could Mow Eric Karros (first), Mike Pi azza (catcher), Raul Mondesi (right), Nomo and Todd Hol- 'lanclsworth (left) as LA’s sixth onsecutive rookie award winner, he left side of the infield will aveTodd Zeile at third and Greg Gagne at shortstop. It’s tough to pick anyone but the Dodgers in this division. Tom my Lasorda may be gone, but Bill Russell will “bleed Dodger blue” Sportswriter Jeremy Furtick Senior journalism major V all the way to October in his first full season. Projected Record: 90-72 Key Series: Aug. 28- 29 vs. Oakland Athletics; Aug. 30-31 vs. Seattle Mariners; Sept. 2-3 @ Texas Rangers: The Dodgers should be in a tight division race down to the wire. It will be in teresting to see how this late-season interleague play affects them. They can’t afford to overlook these three series against American League teams or they could fall out of the playoff’mix. SAN DIEGO PADRES Last year’s joy ride is over. Ken Caminiti isn’t good enough to re peat last year’s fluke, and guys like Steve Finley have no business hit ting 30 home runs. Their pitching isn’t good enough to carry them and the bats won’t be on fire like last year. But with the perpetually underachieving Los An geles and road-inept Golorado in their di vision, the Padres might just pull it out again. The lineup will look the same as last Oc tober’s. Tony Gwynn, Finley ~ and Greg Vaughn will be in the outfield, with Caminiti, Chris Gomez, Quilvio Veras and Wally Joyner (third to first) in the in field. John Flaherty will return as catcher. This team is full of peo ple who could have good years, but most of them had career- years last season. Veras is un proven at second, Caminiti may never recover his Gold Glove form after rotator cuff surgery and Joyner is too weak at the plate for a NL first baseman. The rotation is in the same boat as the lineup — potential big years that must occur for the Padres to win. See Furtick, Page 6 -J'j av ■ HIIf ' 'The hick' Tucker continues to adjust to A&M Tim Moog, The Battalion Sophomore third baseman Kami Tucker rounds the bases at practice Monday. By Nicki Smith The Battalion long with being known as a gifted atlilete on the Texas A&M Softball Team, sopho- nore third baseman KaiTii Tucker has also earned a title that distinguishes her from the oth er members of the team— “the hick." One would not have to wonder very long how she got the name after finding out she graduated from Ooltewah High School in the small town of Ooltewah, Tenn. Although many people take offense to be ing called a hick, Tucker said she does not mind the nickname. “Of course, being from Tennessee, I have an accent,” Tucker said. “I think it is funny be- cause^&st year my teammates couldn’t pro- nouncefOoltewah,’ but they Finally got it right this year, frlon’t mind the nickname because l have 4 mouth and will definitely be heard when 1 want to.” The 5-foot-7 standout established a name for herself in Ooltewah by leading her high school team to four consecutive district champi onships and a 137-24 record during her career. She was a two-time All-American, an all- state selection and on a summer league team that played in the top 10 in the nation five times between 1987 and 1993. Senior pitcher Lori Gioco said the secret to Tucker’s exceptional athleticism is her ability to maintain her concentration. “She is one of the most focused athletes on the field,” Gioco said. “If you look at her on de fense, you will see her talking to herself and re minding herself what she needs to do to im prove. She is always concerned about her hitting and has really improved her defense.” If raw talent does not account for Tucker’s softball ability, genetics do. Tucker’s dad played for the Miami Dol phins, while her brother played football for the United States Air Force Academy. Her old er sister plays softball for 18th-ranked Louisiana Tech University. Last year, Tucker saw limited playing time after breaking her hand when she was hit by a pitch in the middle of the season. However, she still was able to rack up a .234 overall batting average while starting and playing in 39 games. Assistant Head Coach Joy Jackson said Tucker is more confident on the field now than she was at the start of the year. See Tucker, Page 7 Catcher overcomes pressure to lead Lady Ags By Lara L. Zuehlke The Battalion S ome people say life goes in full circle. For junior Amy Schmaltz, a catcher on the Texas A&M Softball Team, this def initely holds true. Schmaltz has faced many obstacles during her career as a Lady Aggie, most of all, the pressure she places on herself. Schmaltz was a standout play er at Alvin High School and thrived on her accomplishments, including being named a three time all-district selection, Most Valuable Player and an all-greater Houston first-team selection. When A&M began recruiting Schmaltz, she immediately ac cepted the offer because she had dreamed of becoming a Lady Ag gie as a young girl. Schmaltz saw limited playing time her freshman year, sharing catching duties with junior Marianne McGuire. Schmaltz said after coming to A&M, she realized college softball was more competitive, and over time she began losing confidence in herself. “There was a lot of outside pres sure my first two years, and I also put a lot of pressure on myself,” Schmaltz said. “I’m more confi dent now. My ability has always been there, but I lacked confi dence in myself.” Schmaltz credits the Lady Aggie coaching staff for helping her change her game. “The coaches helped me a lot,” Schmaltz said. “Coach Evans is a very positive person. She under stands the players, and she’s come in and made a great impact on a lot of people.” A&M Head Coach Jo Evans said she is pleased Schmaltz overcame her struggles, because her play has Mflll Tim Moog, The Battalion junior catcher Amy Schmaltz bats at practice Monday. stepped up a notch. herself, and that’s changed her lev- “In the fall, she struggled with el of play,” Evans said, her confidence, but now she has all of the confidence in the world in See SCHMALTZ, Page 7 NO MATTER HOW HARD TOO GRADE. WE RE CERTAIN IFLL MSS YOOR TE& :eWS' tentte i® ;at« rs,nw jhad* ON THE BEND IN BRYAN 's® 822-2446 rs W The Subaru Legacy The Beauty of All-Wheel Drive DAVID PETERS SUBARU l 22 OVER DEALERS COST WITH THIS COUPON £ s What: Earn money this summer and continue to receive payment next school year. Find out how you can I make money sellins Internet Services. When: Tuesday, March 25, 6:20 PM Wednesday March 26, 6:30 PM c* o Q_ Q_ o Where: Thompson Hall Room 112D Refreshments provided. For more information contact: Jennifer in the Student Agent Division 1 -800-933-4399 I’Americi www.WANs.net t w o r As part of the Walt Disney World® College Program, you can do some pretty amazing things. • Learn from some of the top managers in the hospitality and entertainment industry. • Work behind the scenes at the world's number one vacation destination. • Live with people from all over the world. The opportunities are priceless! And so is the experience. You must attend our Casting Session to be considered. Start building up that resume now. Ask our Representative about special opportunities for those students who speak Portuguese. INFO SESSION DATE: Thursday, April 3 TIME: 7 pm LOCATION: Rudder Theater FOR MORE INFO, CONTACT: Jennifer Humphries (409) 845-7725 Also visit us at www.careermosaic.com/cm/wdw/wdwl.html Co. E0E • Drawing Creativity from Diversity The Battaijon QPnline Visit The Battalion Online on the Web at http://bat-web.tamu.edu