SECTION THE BATTALION Tuesday, April 16, 2002 -re not ready so aggressive! -rica, nearly dj n g prograniv d about 60 of.- ornia and nor. dd in the wild bird egg wav, e female motl: Ags host Bearkats in non-conference tilt By True Brown THE BATTALION As the Big 12 Conference bat tle heats up, the Texas A&M base ball team hosts non-conference opponent Sam Houston State at Olsen Field at 7 p.m. After a 2-2 record last week and a looming conference series against Baylor this weekend, Tuesday’s matchup has added importance as No. 16 A&M (28-13, 9-6 Big 12) needs a strong season finish to earn a regional host site. The Aggies’ two wins last week came in a conference series over Kansas State and lifted the Aggies into a tie for second place in the conference. “I think in our conference, anytime you win a series you’ve got to be happy,” said A&M baseball head coach Mark Johnson. “Sweeps are almost becoming uncommon in our conference. We had two one-run ball games, and both had run ners in scoring position (late in the game). I think its going to be that way every weekend.” In fact, there have been just live series sweeps in 26 Big 12 week end series this year, leaving the league with no team showing any sign of running away with the con ference title. Oklahoma State currently leads the league with a 7-4 confer ence record with A&M and Texas tied for second. Baylor, the only team with 10 conference wins, is not far behind the Longhorns and Aggies with a 10-7 record. In all, there are seven teams within five games of each other at the top of the league. While Tuesday’s game will not count for or against the Aggies’ conference record, it will serve as an important momentum builder for this weekend’s three-game set with Baylor. A&M has defeated Sam Houston twice this season, record ing wins in Huntsville and College Station. The Aggies rolled past Sam Houston on Feb. 20, 18-5, and then won 5-2 last month in a come-from-behind effort. The Bearkats (18-23) were swept last weekend in a Southland Conference series by Northwestern State. While the Aggies claimed the series win . over Kansas State last weekend, Johnson is hoping for a stronger showing from the plate by the Aggies, who were out-hit 36-27 in the series. “For us, we’re going to have to hit the ball,” Johnson said. “We've got to get that going. We look flat when we’re not hitting the ball. We’ve got to get more guys trusting their bats and going to the middle of the field and the opposite side.” Johnson will use sophomore left-hander Kyle Parcus in Tuesday’s matchup. Parcus owns a 2-3 record in 10 appearances with a 4.14 ERA. Parcus took a loss in his most recent outing, giving up five earned runs in three innings against Houston. JOHN LIVAS • THE BATTALION A&M junior outfielder David Evans slides into second base on Sunday during the Aggies’ 6-5 victory over the Kansas State Wildcats at Olsen Field. The Ags take on Sam Houston State at 7 p.m. at Olsen Field. KRT DIRECT The Stars’ Derian Hatcher tussles with San Jqsc’s Bryan Marchment luring a Stars~victory over the Sharks. Offseason of decisions awaits Stars DALLAS (AP) — After a rocky season filled with disappointment and departures, the Dallas Stars have their longest off-season in six years to try straighten things out. The Stars failed to make the playoffs for only the second time since moving to Dallas for the 1993-94 season. They had made the postseason five straight years, winning the division each time, plus advancing to the conference finals three times and the Stanley Cup finals twice. They got their names on the Cup three years ago. To get back to that level, owner Tom Hicks and new general manager Doug Armstrong must make some tough decisions. Among the top ones are whether to re-sign ;