Page 9
Tuesday • April 15, 1997
Ags look to avenge loss
Old Southwest Conference foe comes to Olsen Field
By Jamie Burch
The Battalion
The Texas A&M Baseball Team
(30-15,13-8) finishes the back end
of a home and home series against
the 17th-ranked University of
Houston (25-12,12-3) tonight at
Olsen Field at 7.
The Aggies swept Big 12 oppo
nents the past two weekends but
stumbled against Southwest
Texas State University last
Tuesday, losing 10-4.
Head Coach Mark Johnson said
A&M needs to carry over its week
end success to be a great team.
“The championship teams do
that,” Johnson said. “The teams that
are really good can hold onto and
carry it. It’s tough this late in the
season because we get emotionally
high about the weekend series. The
challenge for us is if we’re good
enough, we’ll be ready to play.”
Although they are now mem
bers of a new conference,
Conference USA, the former
Southwest Conference Cougars are
no strangers to the Aggies. A&M
leads the all-time series 89-42-1
but UH leads the season series 1-0.
The Aggies fell to the Cougars at
the Astrodome 6-4, March 19 after
the Cougars jumped out on top
early, tagging freshman pitcher
Chance Caple for five runs through
2-1/3 innings.
Johnson said the first meeting
will provide ample motivation for
the Aggies.
“We’re playing a ranked team,
which ought to get us excited,”
Johnson said. “And we’re playing a
team that has already beat us
once. It’s an easy setup for us to be
ready to play. We should have our
guns loaded.”
The strength of the Cougars lies
in their speed on the base path. As
a team, UH has stolen base 90
times in 107 attempts. Senior
pitcher/designated hitter Jason
Schreiber is a perfect 19-of-19
between the bags.
Johnson said the pitching staff
will have to bring the ball quicker to
gun down would-be base stealers.
“We’re going to have to do a
better job of getting the ball to
home plate,” Johnson said.
“Normally you can use a slide step
and some other things to speed up
the delivery. Sometimes that takes
away from a guy's pitching ability,
but that is what separates the
good from the bad.
“Our catching game is fine. It
can shut down the running game if
pitchers do a good job of holding
the runners and get the ball to
home plate.”
The Aggies will put freshman
Steve Scarborough (2-1, 6.50 ERA)
on the mound to face junior left
hander Jon McDonald (4-2, 6.53
ERA). Scarborough and the rest of
the staff will attempt to cool off the
Cougars hot-hitting outfielders.
The team leader in batting average
(.492), junior outfielder Geofrey
Tomlinson also is tied for the team
lead in home runs (8) and is sec
ond in doubles (15). Senior out
fielder/third baseman Dustin Carr
boasts a .408 average with eight
home runs and 16 doubles.
Taming the Cougar offense is not
the Aggies’ only concern. Johnson
said they need to get things going
offensively early in the game.
“We’re going to have to do a lot
better offensively,” Johnson said.
“We didn’t carry our load with the
bats down there. I think we had our
poorest offensive game against them.
We struck out too many times (15).
“We fell right into their pitching
pattern and didn’t make adjust
ments. They have, us well-charted,
I’m sure. We have to make sure
we’re making that adjustment."
Softball to make
By Jamie Burch
The Battalion
The Texas A&M Softball Team (26-23,4-6) begins an
eight-game homestand with a twilight doubleheader
tonight against Stephen F. Austin University at the Aggie
Softball Complex at 5. Game 2 is scheduled to start at 7.
The Lady Aggies and Lady Lumberjacks were orig
inally scheduled to play a doubleheader Feb. 26 but
were rained out.
After losing six of their last seven games, the Lady
Aggies are currently riding a four-game win streak.
The streak consists of sweeps against Sam Houston
State University April 10 and the University of Texas
this weekend. A&M shutout the Longhorns in both
games of the series, 2-0, 9-0.
A&M Head Coach Jo Evans said the recent turn
around is a result of the Lady Aggies’ self-determination.
“I think we kind of regrouped,” Evans said. “We
figured we needed to pick ourselves up. We had a
up doubleheader
bad road trip at Kansas (April 5) and Missouri (April
6) and have bounced back really well from that. I
think it helped playing Texas.
“We had something to look forward to in the dou
bleheader against the ’Horns. The girls were able to
get focused.”
The Lady Aggies plan to start staff ace senior
pitcher Lori Gioco (15-11,1.45 ERA) in Game 1. The
probable starter for Game 2 is junior Trina Solesbee
(1-4,3.28 ERA).
Evans said the Lady Aggies need to take advantage
of the slumping Lady Lumberjacks, who have lost
three straight games after dropping a three-game
series to the University of Texas-San Antonio.
“They’re (SFA) struggling a little bit,” Evans said.
“Their pitchers’ ERAs are all 2.20 plus. I think we’ll be
able to score runs. Their opponent’s batting average
is 3.06. We feel that if we’re disciplined at the plate
we have a great shot to win.”
face 'Horns in Austin
Lady Ags
By Courtney Lyons
The Battalion
As the women’s tennis season
winds down, the Lady Aggies head
to Austin to face the University of
Texas at its home court. The red-hot
Lady Aggies are undefeated on the
road and are 45-3 in singles compe
tition in the Big 12 Conference.
A&M begins its three-match road
trip (vs. Texas, Kansas State, and
Kansas) before entering the Big 12
Tournament in two weeks.
The first challenge comes from
the Lady Longhorns. The Lady
Aggies are trying to avenge last
year’s 5-3 loss at the conference
tournament. The Lady Aggies are
on a five-match sweep of Big 12
opponents and are looking to take
down Texas.
The Lady ‘Aggies are excited
about the match with their rivals
and are ready to face their com
petition, sophomore Vanessa
Rooks said.
“We feel 100 percent positive
that we can win,” Rooks said. “We
can definitely beat Texas.”
Freshman Lisa Dingwall said
she is excited about facing the
Texas team for the first time.
Dingwall said A&M has been
strong all season, and the Lady
Aggies will play Texas like they
play any other team — hard.
Dingwall said she is trying not to
think about the competition until
Tuesday afternoon, so she will be
mentally prepared.
“I don’t want to get nervous
yet,” Dingwall said. “But when I
do get nervous, that means I will
be mentally tough. I’m not hesi
tant in any way.”
Women’s Tennis Head Coach
Bobby Kleinecke said Texas has
an excellent team, with solid play
ers all the way down the roster.
Kleinecke said that for the Lady
Aggies to win, they must play
extremely well.
“We’re capable of winning,”
Kleinecke said. “We just have to
keep our level up, and let the win
ning take care of itself.”
Kleinecke said the team has
enough confidence and talent to get
the job done, as they have all season.
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© 1997 AT&T
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We need bright, creative
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ej
MSC Variety Show
Featuring:
Mark Britten
e
Alpha Phi MP ha
Chi ° Prod*
Curtain goes up
April 18 at 7:30 pm
Ballet Folklt>ri co ° ;lest,al
c tions
Stephen Sandlin With ActS Like:
K.C.
CYiaitv Gang,
And On That Note
^ Peter
Tickets Available
at Rudder Box Office
For info, call 845-1515
Shukis
Caren Williams .
^oj.
e/j
{T\ rh rY ‘ r"-
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