1998 Texas Aggie Baseball
A glimpse of the Big 12 South, North divisions
Get your sunflower seeds and break out the
leather from underneath the bed, it is baseball
season once again.
No one knows that better than fans of the
Big 12. With five teams ranked in the top 25, the
Big 12 Conference is once again the premier
arena for great college baseball.
"If you are a good team in the Big 12, then
you are a good team anywhere,” Pitching
Coach Jim Lawler said. “Any of the top six teams
in the conference have a chance to make it to
Omaha.”
Ixivvier is adamant about the top five teams
in the conference being nearly equal in talent,
so airy team could end up winning the confer
ence title.
Here is a quick rundown of the teams of the
Big 12:
Baylor
Coach; Steve Smith
1997 results: 32-23
Preseason ranking: No. 13 by Baseball
America: No. 25 by Collegiate Baseball
After barely missing a regional bid in 1997,
the Bears are set to make a run at national
prom inence in ‘98. Although they lost pitching
ace Kris Lambert to the major league draft, they
still have the top closer in tire Big 12, Jason Jen
nings, and an All-American caliber player in Je
remy Dodson. Freshman left-handed pitcher
Mark (lutiawis a good candidate to fill die spot
left by Lambert. Baylor hit 61 home runs last
year, and the players who hit 58 of them are
back, i
Lawler's comment: Baylor is a Junior-laden
ball club with very few losses and a team drat
nearly made theregionallastyear. They should
deli ni tely be in the hunt for the Big 12 tide.
Oklahoma
Coach: Larry Cochetl
1997 results: 39-20
Preseason ranking: No. 22 by Baseball
America: No. 12 by Collegiate Baseball; No. 13
by The Sporting News
Although the Sooners lost their captain and
emotional leader when catcher Javier Lopez
moved on, the rest of the team remains intact.
The infield returns after setdng a school-
record in double plays last year. First-baseman
Casey Bookout and right fielder Brian Shack
elford will lead the offensive charge. Left field
and catcher are the only spots needing to be
filled out of the starting eight positions.
The question mark is on the mound where
the loss of Jeff Andra could be to much for the
Sooners to overcome. Preseason AJJ-Big 12 pick
Geoff Geary will try to step up to the challenge.
Lawler's comment: With seven returning
starters, including the entire infield, the Soon
ers will be a major factor in the Big 12. Their
main problem will be on the mound, but if they
get the pitching, lookout.
Oklahoma State
Coach: Tom Holliday
1997 results: 46-19
Preseason ranking: No. 16 by Baseball
America: No. 7 by Collegiate Baseball; No. 8 by
The Sporting News
Oklahoma State is once again geared to
make a trip to the NCAA tournament for the
18th consecutive time. Although the Cowboys
lose 47 combined home runs in Rusty McNa
mara and Jeff Guiel, they have more than
enough firepower waiting in the wings. First
baseman Tony Lucca and catcher Josh Holli
day are two of the many offensive threats that
fill the Cowboy lineup. With 22 newplayers (11
high school, 11 ju-co transfers), Holliday
should have no problem finding a devastating
lineup.
Lawler’s comment: Oklahoma State will al
ways be there in the end. They have so much
talen t offensively that they will be a tough team
to beat It is tough to compete with teams that
get so many new recruits.
Texas
Coach: Augie Garrido
1997 results: 29-22
Preseason ranking: No. 31 by Collegiate
Baseball
To say that theTexas Longhorns are starting
fresh is quite the understatement With 30 new
players on theTexas roster(15 freshman), they
are just learning each others’ names. The in- ;
field will be made up entirely of freshman, and
the pitching staff does not have much more ex
perience. Sophomore pitcher Scott Dunn will
be expected to carry the load on the mound for
the fresh-faced Longhorns. Outfielders Brett
Loeffler and Mark Cridland will be expected to
pave the road for a lineup with almost no Divi
sion 1 experience.
Lawler’s comment: Texas has so many new
players this year, it is hard to tell how they will
come together as a team. They will be a talent
ed team, just extremely young. I would not be
surprised to see them still alive come tourna
ment time.
Texas Tech
Coach: Larry Cochell
1997 results: 46-14
Preseason ranking: No. 22 by Baseball
America; No. 12 by Collegiate Baseball; No. 13
by The Sporting News
The Red Raiders are set to repeat as Big 12
champions even though they lost the ace of
their staff (Jason Gooding) and the heart of
their order (Joe Dillon). The Tech lineup has
plenty of ammunition returning with presea
son All-Big 12 players catcher Josh Bard and
second baseman Keith Ginnter.
On the mound, Shane Wright will lead the
charge for a staff that has the ability to lead the
Big 12 in ERA once again. The Red Raiders will
probably rely on speed a little more this year,
instead of the long ball as in years past. Miles
Durham is the top recruit who wiD make adif-
ference for Tech in its already stellar outfield.
Tech will have to play this season with the
cloud of the NCAA investigation hanging over
their head. How that turns out may determine
■ the ultimate outcome of the Big 12.
Lawler's comment: They are the favorites
to win tire Big 12 title going into the season.
They have a lot of returning guys who con
tributed last year, as well as some top-notch
newcomers who will make an impact.
Iowa State
Coach: Lyle Smith
1997 results: 21-31
The Iowa State Cyclones, like some other
Big 12 North schools, are forced to play their
first 22 games away from home. They have
proven themselves as fast finishers the last
three years, however. The ‘98 team has some
talent on their squad with 3B Bill IJelmen re
turning after hitting nine homers in Big 12
games last year.
Lawler's comment: Iowa State will be a
tough team to play at their house, and if we are
not careful, they definitely will give us some
problems.
Kansas
Coach: Bobby Randall
1997 results: 31-26
The Jayhawks of Kansas are one of those
teams that could easily find themselves bat
tling for aspot in the NCAA tournament at the
end of the year. The talent is not as high as
some of the other teams, but they have some
players that will make an impact this year. Sec
ond baseman Andy Juday and third baseman
Sparky Wilhelm will provide the offensive
spark, while returning righty Rusty Philbrick
will attempt to solidify a suspect pitching
corps.
Lawler's comment They have some top tal
ent in some areas, especially in the infield. We
were lucky to play them at our place last year,
and it will be a tough chore to go up there this
season. A definite dark horse.
Kansas State
Coach: Mike Clark
1997 results: 32-24
Kansas State has to deal with the loss of a tal
ented team, and are going to be forced to fill
some spots in the field and on the mound. If
the Wildcats can get some big performances
from pitchers Chris Traylor and Mickey Blount,
they could be battling it out for one of the six
spots in the Big 12 tournament. It all comes
down to how well their newcomers can step
UP-
Lawler's comment; They have lost a lot of
good players this year, but they haw a chance
to be pretty good. It will be an added plus that
we get them at home. They gave us a good bat
tle up in Manhattan last season.
Missouri
Coach; Tim Jamieson
1997 results: 31-27
The Tigers have a ton of senior leadership
coming back to help the their dub get back to
postseason playfor the third consecutive year.
AH-AmericaRyanFryjoins All-Big 12 shortstop
Griffin Moore to give theTigers a devastating
one-two punch. The pitching staff is a total
mystery and will be the key to a good season.
Lawler's comment The Missouri club will
be a veteran group, and teams that have good
leadership are always scary. The fact that they
have been there in postseason play the 1 ast few
years makes them a team that could make a
run in the end.
Nebraska
Coach: Dave Van Horn
1997 results: 27-35
Nebraska will begin a new area this year
with tire hiring of head coach Dave Van Horn.
The Cornhnskers are probably the least talent
ed team in the Big 12, and are more con tent on
improvementthan anything else. The Huskers
do have designated hitter Ken Harvey and
shortstop Bryan Schmidt who will provide
some offensive excitement.
Lawler’s comment With a new coach com
ing in the middle of January, it will be tough for
them to stay focused with ail of the turmoil. We
still have to play them there, so by no means
will they be an easy sweep. They do have some
players that can hurt you offensively.
—Compiled by Colby Martin
Stajf writer
Aggies' first pitch today against UT Pan-American
By Colby Martin
Staffwriter
The Texas A&M Baseball Team is ready to
strap on the gloves for the first time in 1998 to
day at 2 p.m. when UT Pan-American comes
to town. Opening day always creates an un
believable amount of excitement, but this
year there is also a higher level of uncertainty.
With the loss of several key players in the
field and on the mound, it will be important
for some new guys to step up soon and often.
“I am more worried about ourselves than
our opponents at this point,” Texas A&M
Coach Mark Johnson said. “Who we are play
ing becomes more of a concern when Big 12
play starts.”
Johnson said his team is ready to get the
season underway, but warns that Pan-Am will
be also.
“I expect Pan-American to be ready to go,
just like us,” Johnson said. “Practice has al
most become detrimental in some ways, and
I think the guys are ready for the games to
start.”
Pan-Am has always played the Aggies
tough, and this year should be no different.
Teams such as Pan-American live for the op
portunity to beat a prominent team like A&M.
“We just need to play some games in order
to build our confidence as a team,” catcher
Scott Sandusky said. “We can’t really worry
about who the opponent is right now.”
The story-within-the-story is the return of
fifth-year senior Ryan Rupe, who is set to re
turn two months ahead of schedule from last
year's surgery to remove a rib. After two con
secutive years of major medical setbacks,
Rupe is ready to just have fun.
“I think that I have worked really hard this
year in rehab in order to make it back for
opening day, and I am proud of the fact that I
was able to do so,” Rupe said.
“He is definitely the sentimental favorite,
and I am very excited to see Ryan be able to
start on opening day,” Johnson said.
Johnson said his plans are to start sopho
more Casey Possum and freshman Matt Ward
in Saturday’s doubleheader. All of the pitchers
will be on a pitch count, with Rape’s being
watched closely.
Winning is a priority in this series, but con
fidence and chemistry are the most important
things to establish this early in the season.
“We definitely want to try get the season off
to a good start and sweep the first series of the
year,” senior utility player Steve Leonard said.
With baseball season being so long, it is
hard to keep each game in perspective, but
opening day is always special for players and
fans alike.
Saturday’s first game will begin at 1 p.m.
followed by the second game of the double-
header.