SPORTS
Friday, February 4.
Friday, February 4, 2(XX)
THE BATTALION
Page 7
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BY BLAINE DIONNE
The Battalion
As the member's of the Texas
A&M women’s tennis team prepared
for their matches with Stephen F.
Austin State University and Sam
Houston State University, intimida
tion was not a word that came to any
one’s mind.
In fact, some of them were not
even sure if they had played either
school in the past.
One thing the Aggies, particularly
A&M coach Bobby Kleinecke, were
sure about was the fact that they
should not have too much trouble van
quishing the Lumberjacks or the Bob
cats on their home court in front of the
Aggie tennis fans.
“It’s in our hands,” Kleinecke said.
“I told the girls that the other day. If
we play up in our game, we won't
have any trouble.”
While his confidence in his
squad to pull out the victory is high,
he said he was wary of the upset
factor.
“You've got to be careful with
[teams] like that," Kleinecke said.
“But I feel like the girls are ready to
play. We’ve been working out for
three weeks, and they're just excited
about playing.”
Junior Eva Marcial said she is def
initely ready to play and is looking
forward to seeing how the Aggies’
lineup fares against the Lumberjacks
and Bearkats.
“The past few years have been
pretty good, but 1 think it's going to be
so good this year." Marcial said.
“Anyone on our team can play,
're strong all the way through the
:up, one through eight."
The Aggies will be taking on SFA
10 a.m. and SI1SU at 3:30 p.m.
Saturday at the Texas A&M Varsity
Tennis Center.
Ags travel to face No. 13
Oklahoma State Cowboys
BY AL LAZARUS
The Battalion
They were 14-1, No. 12 in the nation
and fresh off a 73-65
victory over 14th-
ranked University of
Texas.
Tied for first
place in the Big 12
and looking to break
into the nation’s top
10, the Oklahoma
State Cowboys
probably figured
their Jan. 22 contest against Texas A&M
w ould be a mere speed bump on the road
to joining college basketball’s elite.
Instead, they ran into a roadblock.
The Aggies, who had not defeated a
ranked team in nearly 13 years, shocked
OSU, 64-59, before 5,563 stunned fans
at Reed Arena.
The 13th-ranked Cowboys (17-2, 6-
WATKINS
1 Big 12) will have a chance to avenge
their lone conference defeat when they
welcome the Aggies (6-13, 2-6 Big 12)
to Gallagher-lba Arena Saturday at 3
p.m. in Stillwater, Okla.
"The fact that we beat them [in Col
lege Station] will probably add a little
something to [Saturday’s game),"A&M
coach Melvin Watkins said. “We have to
go up there and try to play one of our bet
ter games.”
The Aggies topped the Cowboys
thanks to 10-of-12 free throw shooting
down the stretch, 31 points off the bench
and strong rebounding. A&M also ben-
efitted because Cowboys star Desmond
Mason, who led his team with 19 points,
w as forced to miss much of the second
half due to foul trouble.
Playing at home for the first time
since defeating OSU, the Aggies
dropped an 81-75 decision to Baylor
Wednesday night at Reed Arena. A&M
hit 13 three-pointers, including 10 in the
second half, but Baylor took advantage
of the Aggies’ lackluster defense
throughout the game, hitting 51.9 per
cent of its shots. Freshman guard
Bernard King led the Aggies with 20
points, and senior guard Tevis Strikes
poured in 23 for Baylor.
Baylor snapped an 18-game confer
ence road losing streak with the win,
while the Aggies dropped to 0-3 since
their Jan. 22 victory' over the Cowboys.
OSU came from behind to knock off
Texas Tech, 63-59, Wednesday in Lub
bock. The Red Raiders pulled to within
a point with a minute remaining, but
OSU made 7-of-8 free throws to seal the
victory over Tech, who remains winless
in conference.
Saturday’s game will mark the eighth
meeting between A&M and OSU as con
ference opponents. The Cowboys hold a
6-1 record in their previous conference
games against A&M and are 14-8 over
all against the Aggies.
SALLIE TURNER/The Battalion
Aggie guard Jamaal Gilchrist rolls in the uncontested breakaway shot
against Baylor on Wednesday.
w
at
Aggies try to end skid against ’Horns
GUY ROGERS'! ill »M fu in'
Texas A&M point guard Brandy Jones drives on
Texas Tech’s Amber Tarr.
BY REECE FLOOD
The Battalion
The Texas A&M women's basketball team has
traveled a long and difficult road this season
which has brought them to a 9-9 overall record,
1 -7 Big 12 Conference record and left them in the
midst of a seven-game losing streak.
Tomorrow the road will lead the team west to
Austin to take on the University of Texas in a 7
p.m. showdown.
A&M coach Peggie Gillom is expecting a
challenging game from the Longhorns.
“It’s a rivalry, and they come out to play,”
Gillom said. “Hopefully, we can come out to play.”
Gillom said the team is anxious for a win and
thinks emotion may be a factor in tomorrow’s game.
“Hopefully on our part, it [emotion] has a lot
to do with us just wanting to compete to beat
Texas,” she said. “It’s just a matter of us going out
and competing and thinking we can do it.”
The Aggies will be going for their second con
ference w in of the season. After opening confer
ence play w ith a victory over Baylor University,
the Aggies have lost their last seven.
Sophomore guard LaToya Rose said the rea
son for the losing streak is due to A&M’s inabili
ty to do “the little things” correctly.
“We’ve lost the last seven games, and we’ve
made the same mistakes in each game,” Rose said.
According to Gillom, one way to correct these
mistakes is to spend more time on them in practice.
Fortunately for the Aggies, they did not play a game
this week and have had a full week ofpractices.
Senior forward Kera Alexander said their
week oft'has helped the team prepare for the up
coming game and work out some of the kinks.
“Youget to work a little more on things you're
doing bad rather than just focusing for another
team,” Alexander said. “It gives you a little more
time to tune up the little things that are kind of go
ing wrong.”
The Aggies will have their work cut out for
them against the Longhorns, who have only lost
one home game this season. Leading the way for
Texas are Edwina Brown and Alisha Sare, both
averaging close to 23 points per game.
Ciillom coached Brown this summer in the Pan-
Am games and is familiar with Brown's game.
“She’s a player,” Gillom said. “She’s going
to score. She’s going to shoot; she’s going to get
her points.”
Ciillom said that giving Brown too much at
tention will give other Longhorns easy scoring
opportunities.
The Aggies wi 11 play a Texas team that has a bet
ter record and a three-game winning streak, but
A&M is not overly concerned. They feel they have
the ability to compete with the Longhorns and as
Ciillom said, "When you play Texas — it’s on.”
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Continued from Page 12
Third base is also a two man battle
between sophomores Greg Porter and Ty
Gamer. Porter was a designated hitter for
the Aggies last year, hitting .328 with
seven home runs and 26 RBI. Garner
only appeared in three games last year
for A&M but has impressed the eoaches
with his preseason performance.
The competition for the starting
center field job has come down to two
true freshmen. Eric Reed and David
Evans both will have a shot to start for
the Aggies.
Johnson said he thinks Reed has
what it takes to make a difference for the
Aggies.
“We are going to have some speed,”
Johnson said. “Eric Reed can really run.
If he can get on base, he’s going to steal
a lot of bases and has a chance to break
the stolen base record. That means he has
to get on base to do that though. 1 le also
has great jump on the ball and can run
down most balls.”
The situation in left field is slightly
murky, however. Senior Chad Hudson
started in left field for the Aggies some
last year and hit .265 with four home
runs and 29 RBI, but he has strong com
petition from two sophomores for the
starting job.
Neal Stephenson and Carlos Sepul
veda will challenge Hudson for the start
ing spot.
Stephenson had a great spring prac
tice and Johnson said he will try to get
him in the lineup somewhere. Sepulve
da, who sat out last season after trans
ferring from the University of Texas,
also was strong in the spring.
On the mound, the Aggies will have
three new weekend starters to begin the
season.
Sophomore Khalid Ballouli will step
up from the bullpen to take over one of
the starting spots. Ballouli appeared in
18 games last year for the Aggies, start
ing eight. His big moment came during
the College Station Regional when he
pitched a complete game against Long
Beach State University to force a second
championship game.
Along with Ballouli, junior college
transfer Grant Gregg and freshman Todd
Deininger will occupy the other two
spots in the starting rotation at the be
ginning of the season.
With a year of experience under his
belt, Ballouli feels he is ready to step into
a starting role.
“I’m ready to do it,” Ballouli said.
“With Gregg and Deininger and myself,
we’re all ready to go. It’s just about trust
ing yourself. I think pretty much the
whole staff is ready to go.”
While the rotation will be brand new,
the closer will remain the same. Senior
All-American Chris Russ will be the
main option for the Aggies coming out
of the bullpen. Russ led A&M in wins
(12), appearances (28) and ERA (3.27)
last season.
Johnson hopes the starters hold up in
order to keep his ace closer right where
he is.
“Chris Russ is a guy we hope to keep
in the bullpen,” Johnson said. “If those
three starters can keep us in ballgames and
allow Chris to come in and be a deciding
factor in some outcomes, we’ll do that,
but if those three can’t do that, Chris will
probably have to come into a starter role.”
A&M begins the season today at The
Baseball Fiesta Tournament in Albu
querque, N.M. against Washington State
University.
The Aggies hope to start off the sea
son winning in order to gain momentum
for later in the year.
“It’s important with a young
group,” Johnson said. "I don’t know
how we’re going to respond to negative
times but it’s a lot easier to build off of
some wins than it is off some losses for
a young team. So 1 think it’s important
we do.”
The Aggies’ first home game is Tues
day, Feb. 8 against the University of
Texas-San Antonio.
Newcomers
xfilii
Continued from Page 12
field as many as half a dozen freshmen against
1 many of the more seasoned and established teams
■ on the Aggie schedule. That will leave the new
| Aggies an early chance to solidify the line-up.
With such a young team, Johnson feels that
A&M needs to establish itself early.
“It’s important for us because they’re the guys
that are going to play because we haven’t got any-
i Ibody else,” he said. “I think they are talented, so
Hyou would hope they could figure the game out
5 T/”VTATtll fairly quick. They’re going to have to.”
V Vr ▼ f ill Johnson and the Aggies will use the 11 games
1 before conference action to sort out the battle for
""Vl starting positions.
i Oklahoma % Leading the newcomers’ charge to make an
! learly impact are a pair of transfers and a pair of
1 freshmen who are expected to see immediate time
■ on the diamond.
On the mound, A&M has found two-thirds of
■ the replacements needed to rebuild the abandoned
TEXAS
Aggie rotation in sophomore junior college trans
fer Grant Gregg and freshman Todd Deininger.
The two newcomers will join sophomore reliev
er and occasional starter Khalid Balouli as the
weekend pitchers.
“I don’t know how everyone is going to re
spond,” Johnson said. “Starting three guys on the
mound that have not been starters at Texas A&M
— that leaves me a little anxious.”
Deininger brings pure power to the Aggie de-
Tense. The young power-pitcher hurls the ball
over the plate above 90-mph, bullying his way
through opposing batters.
After a successful high school campaign last
year, the right-hander was named the Illinois
Gatorade Player of the Year and drafted in the
fifth round of the Major League Baseball amateur
draft by the Chicago Cubs.
During the summer of 1999, the then-17-year
old from Joliet, Ill. pitched on the USA Junior Na
tional Team that brought back the gold medal
from the Junior World Championships. In 3.1 in
nings on the mound for Team USA, Deininger
had five strikeouts.
While Deininger bullies his way through the
innings with speed and power, Gregg uses finesse
to return the Aggies to offense.
A sophomore out of McClennan Community
College, the lefthander finished 1999 with an 11-
1 record leading McClennan to win a conference
championship.
By working the corners and keeping his pitch
es out of opponents’ power zones, Gregg brings
the control necessary to keep the hits playable for
the Aggie fielders.
Gregg will be A&M’s opening day pitcher this
Friday against Washington State with Ballouli
and Deininger fielding the other two match-ups
this weekend.
“I’m ready to do it,” Ballouli said. “With
Gregg and Deininger and myself, we’re all ready
to go. It’s just about trusting yourself. I think pret
ty much the whole staff is ready to go.”
The newcomers are also looking to replace
some of the offensive power the Aggies lost in
1999.
Travis Wong, a freshman first baseman adds
brute power with the bat. Standing at an im
posing 6 foot 5 and 230 pounds, Wong was a
consistent power hitter throughout his high
school career.
The first baseman out of Boise, Idaho was in
strumental in his team's three Idaho State Cham
pionships.
Wong also joined Deininger on the USA Ju
nior National Team where he hit .320 with a pair
of homers and six RBI.
Also looking to add offensive strength to the
Aggies is one of only two newcomers with Divi
sion I experience — Carlos Sepulveda. The
sophomore transfer started his collegiate career
at the University of Texas in 1998. Sepulveda
started 44 games with the Longhorns while hit
ting .299. As a freshman, he posted an 11 -game
hitting streak along with 11 multiple-hit games.
After a falling out with the Longhorn program
during pre-season workouts in 1999, Sepulveda
took a year out of baseball before coining to
A&M. The transfer chose A&M with hopes that
the Aggies could go to another College World Se
ries. Despite the drastic changes on the A&M
bench, the newcomer is not prepared to wait.
“We’re not looking to the future; we’re look
ing toward now,” Sepulveda said.
The Aggies plan to utilize his previous expe
rience in the Big 12 to make an immediate offen
sive mark.
The Aggies’ early season games will be a
chess match as the 19 newcomers combine with
the returning members of A&M to find the per
fect starting line-up for the new, untested Aggie
squad.
“Until you bring an outside opponent in with
different uniforms and a crowd up there, I’m not
real positive how everyone is going to respond,”
Johnson said.
For A&M to have a successful year, the new
comers will have to adjust quickly and provide
production for the Aggies.
“We’re going to be realistic and see how the
season goes,” Heaney said. “Hopefully, we’ll start
off good and just get rolling.”
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LAW TALK
from STCL
Join Professor of Law Helen Jenkins
and a panel of attorneys
taking live call-in questions
Tonight
Friday, February 4,2000
at 8:00 p.m. on KAMU - TCA Channel 4
Each show in this monthly series will focus on a different topic.
This Friday, the program will deal with
Child Protective Services and Juvenile Law.