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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1998)
^itlay Apt ie ers 150 the iro tre ve he 3d )W LAUND||riday • April 3, 1998 Continued t Christie Pel; h ,r custoniej Scru b Pub, sai ■ s much easif| the dorms. "i lived on ft. first t\vo years, hiick and fortli laundry room hard. Hei Anders resigns Texas coach LTCVOli an*) hawampliiversity of Texas waves goodbye to andhaveafeoach with large monetary settlement honomorer ° J washing c | ( AUSTIN (AP) — Tom Penders, weeks. Get so wbmingest basketball coach in together and twsity of Texas history but the ing out at it3 et l ()f a player revolt, resigned mat. Andr ay '.., • , , to wor > It is with mixed emotions that ' " ssign,” Penders told a news laundr y mat inference. : | |UM . 1 * 1 " ‘Idedicated the last 10 years of !' u s 111,0 'I life io bringing the university a u 1 s<>lne D a "'ik e tball program that everyone lid be proud of,” he said. ■ 111 QjPenders, 52, who had four years UdPiog on his contract at $550,000 Npok at the tenure Penders In 10 seasons, Penders averaged arly 21 wins per year. The Longhorns, 16-13 in 1987- ,went 25-9 in Penders’ first sea- n and advanced to the second jnd of the NCAA tournament. It Btheir first tournament ap- arance since 1979. t Average attendance rose from )28 in 1987-88 to 10,011 in Pen- rs’ first season. Entering this sea- n, Texas had averaged 12,409 is per game under Penders. Texas went 24-9 and advanced the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tour- iment in 1990. • Penders was the first Texas ach to lead the Longhorns to a Wthwest Conference Tournament le (1994 and 1995). •The Longhorns have been invited the NCAA tournament in eight of epast 10 seasons. rryear. will be paid $643,000 from diversity as a settlement. The settlement also includes an Bment that neither Penders nor ■chool will take legal action lainst the other. Penders’ assistant coaches will finite to be paid through the ids of their contracts in August. The outgoing coach, who had a ifibrillator and pacemaker im- anted in his chest to monitor an tlarged heart at the beginning of eseason, said he hasn’t yet decid- Iwhat to do next. fTt is the time in my life to pur- ie other options,” Penders said, Iding that he is considering radio id television jobs and possibly ladling again. The news conference announc- g Penders’ resignation had an al most surreal feel to it. Penders and Texas athletic di rector DeLoss Dodds hadn’t spo ken for nearly three weeks in the wake of four players going to Dodds’ home on March 8 to say that they had lost faith in Penders and his program. Yet on Thursday, Penders and Dodds were sitting side by side, praising each other and patting each other on the back. Junior co-captain Kris Clack, a Penders supporter who repeated ly has said Penders’ departure would send a signal that players could run off a coach, shook his head in disbelief. “I just heard everything, and I don’t have any answers right now,” Clack said. “Everybody has ques tions and doubts about all this.” Penders’ resignation came 3 1/2 weeks after freshmen Luke Axtell, Chris Mihm and Bernard Smith as well as sophomore Gabe Muoneke — all starters and corner stones of the team — met with Dodds and com plained about the program. Axtell and Muoneke have said they will transfer. Axtell’s mother, Mollie, said Thursday night that her son wasn’t ready yet to comment about whether he has had a change of heart. Muoneke attended Penders’ news conference but declined to be interviewed afterward. Mihm and Smith said Thursday that they plan to stay. “We have not been working to gether to conspire to take coach Penders out,” said Mihm, a star 7- footer. “A lot of us are strong, opin ionated people. “Luke (Axtell) took the brunt of it, and that’s unfortunate. I hope we can work everything out and that Luke will remain a part of the team.” Dodds said it would be wrong to assume that a player revolt drove the coach out. “I think that’s absolutely false,” he said. “This is not a players issue. This is Tom making a decision about his career.” Penders echoed that sentiment, saying, “I don’t want turmoil. This is about me wanting to make a change. I don’t have any animosity toward anyone.” 2AE HILIFEST ‘98 featuring JERRY JEFF WALKER try Buffet c AtiYp lay & Sunda) APRIL 4,1998 STARLITE BALLROOM • SNOOK, TX. RAIN OR SHINE DOORS OPEN AT 11:00 AM • TICKETS $10 ADVANCE $15 AT THE DOOR AVAILABLE AT CAVENDAR’S • MSC TEXAS AGGIE BOOKSTORE PARK AND RIDE AVAILABLE AT ZACHRY PARKING LOT 11:00AM 6:00 PM DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE! PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE STILL CREEK BOYS RANCH OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINK PROHIBITED • CONCESSIONS AVAILABLE opy: FOR MORE INFO. CALL: CARE STANSBERRY AT 409/268 4145 CORNER ce & Technology CODY DURHAM AT 409/821 7153 OR VISIT US AT www.geocities.com/eureka/gold/9979/chilihom.html Big 12 Conference play heats up for Aggies Softball team returns from lengthy road trip to face Kansas, Missouri on Saturday BRANDON BOLLOM/The Battalion Sophomore shortstop Jamie Smith and the Aggies need to build confidence after losing three games to Big 12 Conference competition Nebraska and Iowa State. Errors have been a reason for the losses. By Philip W. Peter Staff writer After a six-game, two-thousand mile road trip, the Texas A&M Women’s Softball Team returns home this weekend to take on Kansas and Missouri. A&M lost two games to Nebraska and split a double-header with Iowa State last weekend, then swept Stephen F. Austin in a double- header Wednesday. With 16 games left in the season, 14 of which are in conference, Coach Jo Evans said she is looking forward to playing this weekend’s home games, which are pivotal points in conference standings due to the strength of the competition. “We need to play ranked teams,” Evans said. “It’s the only way we are going to earn our way into the post season, so every chance we get to play them is good for us. We just need to have some success against those teams and we know we can.” That confidence is echoed by senior catcher Marianne McGuire who said she is looking for ward to seeing more Big 12 opponents. “I think we’ve played so many good teams this year that I would be really surprised to see any better competition than we’ve faced,” McGuire said. “We’re going into it anticipating seeing some good competition, but as far as talent versus talent, we can match any team in the country, if we just play ball.” Just playing ball lately has been more difficult than it may sound though. In A&M’s three losses to Nebraska and Iowa State, they committed eight errors while Iowa State committed one and Nebraska was error-free. But on Wednesday, A&M only committed three errors to SFA’s 10. Al though Nebraska is ranked No. 12, Missouri is ranked No. 8, and Evans said A&M will need every advantage they can get. “We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Evans said. “We’ve got to be more consistent defen sively and offensively too. We’ve got some goals that we’ve set for ourselves in conference. We’ve just got to come out and take care of the basic, little things you do everyday, making the routine play, putting the ball in play and making things happen. I think well be fired up.” The Aggies will face Kansas on Saturday and Missouri on Sunday. Both match-ups are double-headers at noon. Texas A&M takes hot streak on road to slumping ISU Cyclones By Travis Harsch Staff writer The Aggie Baseball Team hits the road this week end for what will be the first series of an extended conference road swing after winning six straight games and nine out of ten. A&M will travel to Ames, Iowa, to take on the Iowa State Cyclones in a three-game series, with a game Friday af ternoon and a double- header Saturday. Iowa State has played just seven con ference games due to weather cancellations, compiling a 2-5 record in those games. Coach Mark Johnson said he was concerned about the weather this weekend, and said that A&M will have an edge because of the number of games the Aggies have played. “I hope we’re going to get to play,” Johnson said. “They haven’t gotten off to a really good start. They haven’t played a lot of ballgames, so I think we’re at an advantage because we’ve played more games.” This weekend’s forecast calls for a 40 percent chance of showers Friday in Ames, but the sky should be clear for the Saturday twinbill. A&M will put its usual trio of weekend starters on the mound. Ryan Rupe, Casey Fossum and Matt Ward have been outstanding, with a combined 17-5 record, combined ERA of 3.18 and only 37 walks to go along with 172 strikeouts. The Aggies will be trying to continue the roll they have been on as of late. After outslugging Kansas State a combined 29-11 in the three-game series, A&M mauled UT-San Antonio 18- 4 in a game that was called on the mercy rule after sev en innings. John Scheschuk home- red in each of those games and counting his shot in the second game of the Houston doubleheader, has now gone deep in five straight games, a new A&M record. A&M leads the all-time series against Iowa State 12-1, with the Cyclones’ lone win coming in 1973. Last season, A&M took the three games at Olsen Field, winning 19-4,8-7 and 5-4. Steve Scarborough said the road trip this year would be important in the team’s chase for the Big 12 title. “We did what we wanted at home, and now we’ve got to go prove ourselves on the road; champions win on the road,” Scarborough said. Scarborough also said the team is coming out pre pared for this weekend’s series. “We have to be ready to play every game, to win every game we play and we want to do that this week end,” Scarborough said. The Friday game will start at 3 p.m., with the first game Saturday getting underway at 1 p.m. 44 T xttrpi*vt* n e weVe played more Johnson games yy Spurs snap Heat undefeated streak SAN ANTONIO (AP) —Tim Dun can had 22 points and 14 re bounds as the Sam Antonio Spurs won their fourth straight game and stopped Miami’s seven-game winning streak by beating the Heat 103-89 Thursday night. David Robinson added 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs, and Jaren Jackson added 15 points. Miami was led by Tim Hardaway with 21 points. Mark Strickland added 16. Leading 63-60, San Antonio end ed the third quarter with a 9-4 run to lead 72-64 entering the final period. Consecutive baskets by Duncan to start the fourth quarter gave San Antonio a 76-64 lead with 10:59 to play. After Miami closed to 92-81 on a Hardaway basket, San Antonio put the game away with a 6-2 run, capped by Vinny Del Negro’s jump shot which gave the Spurs a 97-82 lead with 3:35 to play. Jackson had 10 of his points in the fourth quarter for San Antonio. The Spurs ended the first half with 10 straight points to lead 51- 45 at the break. Robinson led the Spurs with 15 first-half points, while Hardaway had 16 for Miami. Playing without injured center ; Alonzo Mourning, sidelined with a * fractured cheek, Miami tried 24 3- ! point field goals, but made just six. ; Tjt:*r*rin^r t Jnfxsr^rsfty Drive Visit our web site: http://www.howdyags. com SCIENCE MON Apr 6 TUB Apr 7 WED Apr 8 THU Apr 9 RHYS 201 4-6 PM PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 CHEM 101 6-8 PM PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 CHEM 107 8-10 PM PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 RHYS 218 10 PM- MID PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 RHYS 208 9-11 PM OR 11 PM-1 AM PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 FINC 341 BEGINS ON SUNDAY!!! FINC 341 WILL ONLY BE OFFERED THIS WEEK! BEGINS SUN SUN Apr 5 MON Apr 6 TUB Apr 7 WED Apr 8 BIOL 113 10 PM- MID PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 BUSINESS SUN Apr 5 MON Apr 6 TUB Apr 7 WED Apr 8 FINC 341 6-8 PM OR 8-10 PM PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 Congratulations to Former Judge Wesley Hall The System Works! Political Ad Paid By Hank Taylor Spring ‘99 INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS in 154 Bizzell Hall West -Monday, April 6 10:00-10:30 AM -Wednesday, April 8 8:30-9:00 AM Pick up an application at the meeting or drop by the Study Abroad Program Office. Study Abroad Program Office, 161 Bizzell Hall West, 845-0544 Phone your classified ad in AAonday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and charge it- What could be simpler? The Battalion 8^^-0369 i
