Y
SPORTS
uesday, March 21,20(X)
THE BATTALION
Page 9
Ags split pair in tournament
First time baseball team finishes last in Continental Classic
GUY ROGERS/The Battalion
fielder David Evans slides into home against Oregon State University
in the Aggies 6-1 loss to the Beavers. Evans was called out on the play.
BY DOUG SHILLING
The Battalion
When all was said and done at the 2000
Texas A&M Continental Express Classic, the
Texas A&M baseball team found itself in a po
sition it had never reached in the eight-year his
tory of the tournament — last place.
The Aggies split a pair of games with Ore
gon State University and Ohio State University
Monday to wind up with a 2-4 record in the tour
nament and end up in last place for the first time
since the tournament’s inception in 1989.
The Central Michigan University Chippewas
took home first place with a 4-2 record in the
tournament. The Buckeyes and Beavers each
posted a 3-3 record, but Oregon State ended up
in second place because it held the tiebreaker
with Ohio State.
A&M junior right fielder Daylan Holt, who
was named to the All-Tournament team, said the
Aggies' poor play during the tournament has
been frustrating for the team.
“It’s tough,” Holt said. “The thing is that we
can't put a finger on what the problem is. As
soon as we do, it’s all going to work out. Right
now, if someone makes a bad play, everyone
drops their head.We can't have that.”
A&M used a strong pitching performance
from senior pitcher Chris Fulbright to salvage
the last game of the tournament, 2-1, against the
Buckeyes.
Fulbright (1 -0), making his first appearance
of the season, held Ohio State to one run on three
hits in seven innings of work, striking out sev
en and walking four.
A&M baseball coach Mark Johnson said
Fulbright, whose A&M career has been marred
by injury, helped lift the Aggies to victory.
“It’s heartwarming,” Johnson said. “It’s al
most heartwrenching. He hadn’t had a chance to
throw and he was geared for this game and want
ed this game. 1 thought he threw his heart out.”
The Aggies struck early when they tallied a
run in the first to take a 1-0 lead.
Junior third baseman Chris Russ led oft-the
game by reaching on an infield hit. After steal
ing second and third, Russ came around to score
on an infield single by junior first baseman Jeff
Freeman.
A&M tallied another run in the top of the
fourth when senior catcher Joe O’Jibway sin
gled home sophomore shortstop Ryan
Wardinsky to stretch the lead to 2-0 in favor of
the Aggies.
The Buckeyes answered with a run in the
fifth, but would not get any closer as Fulbright
kept them oft'balance the rest of the game.
Ohio State pitcher Greg Prenger took the loss
for the Buckeyes. Prenger (0-1) allowed two
runs on eight hits in six innings of work.
The Aggie bats were silent in the first game
against the Oregon State. A&M managed only
seven hits as the Beavers downed the Aggies 6-1.
The game stayed knotted at one until the fifth
inning when Oregon State used a two-out rally
to pull ahead of the Aggies.
Beaver left fielder Josh Carter hit a bases
loaded, two-run single followed by a run-scor
ing single from third baseman Tim Dryden to
give the Beavers a 4-1 lead.
Oregon State kept the pressure on the next
inning as they once again capitalized with two
men out.
Beaver catcher Bryan Ingram slapped a two-
run single to center field to increase the Oregon
State lead to 6-1.
The five-run lead was insurmountable for
A&M as the Aggie bats went quietly in the sixth
and seventh innings to end the game.
Holt said the Aggies need to start perfonn-
ing better for things to start looking up for the
team.
“We have to get the whole team clicking on
all cylinders,” Holt said. “Until we get that go
ing, it’s going to be tough. The sooner we get
that done, the better.”
sident for research!
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the Vice President
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lose up to 30 percent ofis
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nr 1
1:
g, Fizer taking same path in college
BY JASON LINCOLN
The Battalion
hey knew they were the best
from their days growing up in
northern Louisiana.
Nobody in the bayou could come
lose to playing at the same level on
te basketball court. They attended ri
al schools, but that didn’t matter
icy were friends.
Marcus Fizer and Bernard King
ormedabond because they were the
est. Each would lead their team to
iplement the loss of natun ^ Louisiana IA State Champi
on we need to preserve no mship game. Each would earn her-
nd recognize and compel aided postseason honors a Me
ier, the landowner, andt '
ic for this conservation e
y said.
Donald's All-America nomination
for Fizer and a Louisiana Mr. Bas
ketball title for King. And each would
pass up the chance to play for college
basketball’s top contenders — rolling
their dice instead on programs with a
history' of basketball mediocrity.
The reason — they wanted to be
the impact player, the one that
brought their school to the forefront
of NCAA hoops and the front page of
the nation’s sport sections.
It worked.
By the time their inaugural sea
sons were over, small-town northern
Louisiana could boast of not one, but
two Big 12 Freshmen of the Year in a
three-year period.
In 1997, Marcus Fizer went to
Iowa State — a Big 12 program con
sistently ranked toward the bottom.
He quickly took the team on his
shoulders, seoring a conference
freshman record 14.9 points per game
and 447 on the season and earning the
Big 12 Freshman of the Year crown.
However, the young forward still
did not have a team capable of win
ning consistently against some of the
better Division I schools.
Coming into his junior year at
Iowa State, it was the same story as
critics claimed Fizer had made a mis
take choosing the Cyclones. Much to
the chagrin of those cynics, Fizer
proved them wrong.
Five months after the start of the
season, Iowa State, a team with a 15-
15 record in 1998-99, has captured
the Big 12 regular season and tourna
ment titles, dominated in the NCAA
tournament — earning a trip to the
“Sweet 16.”
And in the middle of all that, Fiz
er was named Big 12 Player of the
Year.
So was Iowa State the wrong
choice — obviously not.
Two years after Fizer made that
See Duo on Page 14.
HOW BIG 12 FRESHMAN OF THE
YEAR BERNARD RING S SEASON
COMPARES TO IOWA STATE
JUNIOR AND BIG 12 PLAYER OF
THE YEAR MARCOS FIIERS
FRESHMAN SEASON.
BERNARD KING
ARCRS FIXER
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JP BEATO/The Battalion
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one!
15, 2000
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Vote Vm\
How Does a $7 fee increase benefit TAMU students?
Students will be voting Mar. 29 & 30 on whether to increase the Recreational Sports Fee. The
Department of Recreational Sports and Student Government leaders have recommended a
net $7 increase. The increase will preserve what Aggies have now. Specifically, the Rec
Center and Department of Recreational Sports programs will be maintained and operated in
the same high quality and accessible manner that they are today. The Department will be
able to replace old equipment and keep it in good working order. The Rec Center will con
tinue to be open from early morning to late evening, and will be able to continue to offer the
programs and services students have come to expect and enjoy. A vote of "yes" will ensure
that future Aggies have the same opportunity to recreate, socialize and be exposed to a
healthy lifestyle in well-maintained and beautiful surroundings.
Polling Sites: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March 29 & 30
MSC Rec Center
Kleberg Zachry
Evans Library Bush School
Duncan Dinning Hall outside All Faith Chapel
Blocker
Wehner
Commons
Referendum information available at
recsports.tamu.edu