IWednesday • February 25, 1998
The Battalion
Sports
aseball team Women’s team home to face Kansas St.
ff to hot start
BasebaU
<A\$ I 1* ^
-J[ nViTis
Ihe 15th-ranked Texas A&M Baseball Team is
flying high at 11-2 but will get one of their
toughest tests of the season this weekend as the
fexasTech Red Raiders come to Olsen Field for a
(iree-game set. The Aggies are off to one of their best
larts in recent years but A&M, which has been rela-
jvely untested this season will have to be at the top
fit is game if the team is to remain hot.
here’s The Pitch
With an exception to a 17-3 loss to Ole Miss last
|riday, the Texas A&M pitching staff has been very
apressive in the early part of the season. What has
hade the early success even more impressive is the
tct that there were so many questions surrounding
he staff coming in. Four pitchers from last year’s
feam left to sign professional contracts and there
(rere a multitude of off-season surgeries among the
pturning players.
The biggest off-season surgery centered around
Jenior pitcher Ryan Rupe. Rupe was an all-Big 12
lerformer a season ago after posting an 8-2 record
lith a career-high 63 strikeouts. However, he missed
he end of the season and regionals due to blood
pots. Rupe had a rib removed to allow for better cir-
mlation into his pitching arm. He answered a lot of
luestions on opening day, getting the win in a com-
jined no-hitter against UT-Pan American. Coinci-
lentally, one of the other pitchers who threw in that
lame was junior Shane King who missed all of last
leason after undergoing “Tommy John” surgery on
pitching arm.
The emergence of junior pitcher Matt Ward as a
olid number-three starter has also been big for the
Pggies. Ward, a transfer from Rancho Santiago Junior
tollege in California, has been impressive in each of
lis starts. None, however, were bigger than Sunday’s
[-2 win over Ole Miss in extra innings. Ward went
line innings, striking out seven Rebel batters to keep
]ie Aggies in the game.
range You Glad You Came to Aggieland
The Aggies may have finally found the closer they
lave been searching for in the form of senior Eric
french. While French is new to A&M this year, he is
jyno means new to the Big 12. Last season, French
as the closer for the University of Texas where he
dthe nation in strikeouts per nine innings and lead
ie Longhorns in saves with 10. A&M had only seven
s a team and four of those came from sophomore
itcher Casey Possum, whom the Aggies would much
ther see in a starting role.French has compiled a 1-
record with two saves through 13 games.
feme is Where the Games Are
The Aggies are in the middle of a stretch which
rill see the team play 15 of 16 games at Olsen
ield. A&M will not go on the road again until Mar.
3 when they travel to Stillwater, Okla. to face
erennial power Oklahoma Sate. So far the Aggies
e 4-1 at home. Over the past decade A&M has
on about 80 percent of their home games, a
umber that could prove big for A&M with Tech
oming to town this weekend.
By Philip W. Peter
Staff writer
The Texas A&M Women’s Basketball
Team (7-17,3-11) faces Kansas State (10-
14, 4-10) Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the fi
nal women’s home game played in G.
Rollie White Coliseum.
After beating the University ofTexas last
week, A&M traveled to Texas Tech and de
spite losing 77-65, they seem to be gaining
momentum with contributions from
eveiyone. Sophomore Kera Alexander said
that is why they are starting to play better.
“Everyone on our team has to do
something each game," Alexander said.
“If it’s not scoring, then we try to re
bound or try to play defense and I think
that is how everyone has to be. Wlien we
start playing like that is when we start
playing well and getting wins.”
Sophomore forward Prissy Sharpe,
whose playing time has been limited
due to injury, said after a good showing
in the last couple of home games, they
are ending the season on a positive note.
“It shows the team’s positive attribut
es when you have players who can step
up when someone gets hurt,” Sharpe
said. “When you know that someone can
pick up the slack, it’s a good feeling.”
With only two games left before the
Big 12 Conference Tournament in
Kansas City, Mo., Texas A&M Coach Can-
di Harvey is happy with the team’s play.
“They’re starting to click,” Harvey
said. “They’re starting to play well as a
team and it couldn’t be happening at a
better time. Hopefully we’ll be able to
sustain that through tonight, Saturday
and on to Kansas City.”
Kansas State, which has lost seven of its
last eight games, is coming off of a 78-47
loss to Oklahoma State. Sophomore Ang
ie Finkes led Kansas State with a team-
high 17 points and nine rebounds. Harvey
said that Finkes is yet another in a long
line of great post players in the Big 12, but
is confident about defending against her.
“We have made some adjustments as
a coaching staff and as a team, with the
way we defend the interior in the last
few games,” Harvey said. “We’ve been
pretty successful with it. We’ll come out
and do the same thing and hopefully
we’ll be able to keep some of their oth
er players in check too.”
For A&M center Kim Linder, the
game will be extra special. Linder is the
only senior on the A&M team, and said
she is sad that her time at A&M is over.
“I can’t believe it has gone by this
fast,” Linder said. “It has been four years
and it seems like yesterday I was playing
my first game here.”
However, Linder is not upset that she
will not get to play in the new Reed Arena.
“I thought I was going to get to play at
least my senior year there,” Linder said.
“But it’s kind of nice to go out here and
be the last senior to play here.
“I just want to end the season on a
good note,” Linder said, “not just feeling
good about how I’m playing, but about
how the team as a whole is playing.”
^ 41
11
RYAN ROGERS/The
Kera Alexander and the Aggies will
their final home game against KSU.
Battalion
play
Hard work keeps Alexander ahead of the game
-4 :
&',
BRANDON BOLLOM/The Battalion
Sophomore Kera Alexander takes a shot against Baylor.
By Colby Martin
Staff writer
N o matter who you talk to about sophomore for
ward Kera Alexander, one comment is always
made about her — she is a hard worker. Team
mates, coaches and fans alike are all adamant about
the work ethic exhibited by the Texas A&M Women’s
Basketball Team’s “spark plug.”
“Kera is a blue-collar kid,” Coach Candi Harvey said.
“I can’t remember one practice or game that she is not
going all out.”
Junior guard Kerri Patterson said she is also im
pressed with the sophomore’s work ethic.
“Plain and simple, Kera works hard every day,”
Patterson said.
Harvey said Alexander’s unique combination of de
sire and talent makes her an asset to the team.
“She gives her all whether she is coming off the
bench or starting,” Harvey said. “When you put talent
on top of that, you have a special player.”
Alexander has had to adjust to a starting role this
year, but said she has not let it affect her.
“The only difference for me when I am starting is
the fact that I have to be ready to go from the start,”
Alexander said. “When I was coming off the bench I
could sit and watch the flow of the game, but as a
starter you are the one setting the tempo.”
Alexander has been hot of late, but says her success
is not as important as the team’s.
“As a team we have really started to put it together
the last two games against Texas and Tech,” Alexander
said. “We beat Texas pretty well, and we played Tech
extremely tough at their place.”
Harvey describes Alexander as a player who puts
the team first, not her personal goals.
“Kera is one player that will scrap and hustle in
every situation,” Harvey said. “She is a player that is not
worried about just scoring.”
Alexander attended Whitesboro High School where
she excelled in everything she did. She was valedicto
rian as well as a National Merit Scholar. Along with bas
ketball, she also lettered in volleyball, cross country,
track and field and tennis. She was the district’s bas
ketball MVP her junior season, but a knee injury her
senior year kept her from repeating.
Please see Alexander on Page 10.
Young guns step up for Texas A&M Softball Team
the Softba^
iii* &
■■in ■Ill i
Chris Ferrell is a sophomore
journalism major
T he Texas A&M Softball Team (11-3) continued to
rack up the wins last weekend, posting victories
over UTSA 4-0, New Mexico State 3-2 and Penn
State 3-2 and 7-0 in the Aggie Invitational.
Offensive Firepower
The Aggies have put on a hitting clinic so far this
season. They have out-hit their opponents by 53
points and have outscored their opponents 49 to 29.
Freshman second baseman Rachel Lewis currently
leads the team with a .333 batting average and a .333
slugging and on-base percentage. Freshman outfield
er Tiffany Esters is second on the team with a. 324
batting average and on base percentage and leads the
team with a .382 slugging percentage. The two have
combined for 17 hits, 10 runs, five RBI and nine stolen
bases so far.
The Keys To Success
When this season began, the main question for the
Aggies was how their pitching staff, which is com
posed of one sophomore and three freshmen, would
handle the pressures of collegiate competition. So far,
those questions have been answered.
Freshman pitcher Ashley Lewis has been the
most dominating, starting the season 5-0 with a
0.33 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 42.1 innings. In all
five of her wins Lewis has gone the distance, in
cluding two shutouts. Also, opponents are only hit
ting .128 against her.
Freshman pitcher Amy Vining is second on the
team with a 3-0 record and a 2.02 ERA. Freshman
closer Kristina Gandara leads the team with two saves
to go along with a 1 -2 record and a 3.07 ERA.
In all, the pitching staff has a 1.34 ERA, eight com
plete games, 65 strikeouts and opponents are only
batting .178 against them.
For The Record
During the Aggie Invitational Tournament last
weekend, freshman outfielder Amy Lawler hit her
first collegiate home run against Penn State in a 3-2
victory. Also, senior outfielder Tanya Klecker has
five stolen bases this season and is only 10 away
from tying the all-time career record of 45 held by
JudyTrussell (1984-87).
Next weekend, the Aggies will continue their tour
nament play when they to Columbus, Ga., to partic
ipate in the NFCA Tournament.
— Robert Hollier is a junior
journalism major
iAaron Jack fills difficult role for men’s team
By Colby Martin
Staff writer
Sometimes your life does not follow the
path you expect it to. Different factors that
arise can change the course of plans you
have set out. No one knows this fact better
Hi than Aaron Jack, a sophomore forward on
the Texas A&M Men’s Basketball Team.
Jack was born and raised in Tlilsa, Okla.,
but transferred to a prep school in Con
necticut before his senior year of high school.
T was a 6-foot-7-inch, 195-pound kid
who needed to go to a school like Loomis
Chaffee (the prep school) in order to play
Division I basketball,” Jack said.
The decision definitely paid off for Jack
as he signed to play at Penn State. After
being recruited mainly by eastern
schools, Jack said attending Penn State
was an easy choice for him.
“Penn State was a great school, and I still
have a lot of friends that go there,” Jack said.
Jack ended up wanting to leave Happy
Valley, but not because of any reasons such
as homesickness or disagreements with the
coach. After Penn State doctors would not
clear him to play because of three concus
sions he had suffered between December
1995 and October of 1996, Jack decided to
take his talents elsewhere.
Jack was cleared by three separate doc
tors after making his decision to leave, so he
decided to follow former Penn State Assis
tant Coach Frank Haith to College Station.
“Coach Haith knew my game and knew
what I could do as a player,” Jack said.
So after all of the road blocks and setbacks.
Jack was an Aggie. Even though it has been
tough, he said he does not regret his decision.
“I love it here, the team is extremely
close and we all would go to battle for
each other,” Jack said.
The 1998 season has offered one hard
ship after another for Jack and the rest of the
Aggies. After the loss of All-Big 12 forward
Calvin Davis, Jack was forced into a more
critical role for the team. He was thrown into
the fire immediately and has performed bet
ter than anyone could have expected.
“I just tried to stay within myself, and do
what I could to help us win,” Jack said.
“Coach Barone stressed that with the loss
of Calvin, somebody new was going to have
to step up, and I just tried to do that.”
However, Coach Tony Barone said Jack’s
ability to step in and fill a starting role for
the Aggies was no surprise to him.
“Aaron is absolutely, totally fundamen
tally sound,” Barone said. “He’s a guy who
can pass, dribble and shoot.”
Unfortunate circumstances led to Jack’s
insertion in to the Aggies’ starting lineup,
but he has made the most of the opportu
nity and shown he deserves the spot. Be
fore the season, Barone said that if Jack was
not included in the Aggies’ starting five,
that they will have an outstanding team be
cause Jack is an outstanding player.
Jack’s maturity and natural leadership
abilities have been impressive this season
for the Aggies. Jack said he has tried to pro
vide some leadership on the court in the
wake of the all of the Aggies’ injuries.
“I try to be a calm influence on the court,
especially with the loss of a talent like
Calvin,” Jack said.
Although the Aggies have endured a
disappointing season, Jack said the Aggies
have the talent when healthy to be a com
petitive team in the Big 12. Jack knows what
it takes to make it to the NCAA Tournament
because he went to one while at Penn State.
“We feel like we can win every one of our
upcoming games,” Jack said. “We are not
overmatched by any means. Once we get
that first taste of winning a conference
game, I think things will get easier.”
*i§
Sill
RYAN ROGERS/The Battalion
Making the most of his opportunities, Aaron
Jack has been a force in the Aggie lineup.