AGGIELIFf
THE BATTALIOll
tos.com
card through e-mail isa
our affection. Bristos.com
xls for every possible occa-1
ash to make them at
ng and receiving cards via
>st importantly, free,
rs ;i great service, it is
rp-up ads — thanks to its
istantly closing these v
ne annoying.
.ending an electronic
ing. visitors need toei
riendly Web site or headn I
s.com. and its manv ads,is
Denise Sc/iopp
e of Cyberspace
jn Surfing
>r thy
.0 Stay Logged On
it outi bookmark it.
ryone on your
List
This has been one i
difficult weeks of my life.'
nson said he was return-
) Germany from a meet-
a Switzerland when the I
ils made a routine ch
car.
:oms spokesman Wolfgi
tz said the officials returned |
apers after making
rre continuing to review
He said there was no ini
of any illegal transactions,
ison said he thought noth-
the incident at the time,
igned some autographs,
ked around," he said o' |
me he spent with cus-
officials.
tight!
ms&sa
tm
I »
3PAS
Sports
The Battalion
Page 5 • Monday, March 17, 2003
No. 22 Aggies win two in series with Nebraska
Ruggiano drives A&M offense past Big 12 opponent
By Troy Miller
THE BATTALION
JOHN C. LIVAS • THE BATTALION
Texas A&M center fielder Justin Ruggiano belts one of his four hits on
Sunday. Ruggiano went 4-4 and drove in two runs in Sunday’s victory.
The No. 22 Texas A&M baseball team
continued its strong start to the season as it
opened Big 12 Conference play by taking
two of three from No. 12 Nebraska over the
weekend at Olsen Field.
After dropping the opening game of the
series 3-2, the Aggies rallied to win 5-1 and
then 6-2 in the third game.
The Aggies (19-5 overall, 2-1 Big 12)
proved that they are a serious threat this
season in a Big 12 Conference that boasts
the defending national champions and six
current top 25 teams. Nebraska (11-4, 1-
2) has appeared in the last two College
World Series.
“To come back and win the next two I
thought was huge,” said A&M Head Coach
Mark Johnson. “I was really pleased with
the guys. We have so many new guys they
don’t know what the Big 12 is.”
Junior center fielder Justin Ruggiano led
the Aggies in their Sunday afternoon 6-2 vic
tory as he hit 4-4 with two singles, a double
and a home run with two runs batted in.
After five and one-half innings, the game
was deadlocked at 2-2. With two outs and
Aggie junior right fielder Cory Patton on first
base, Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson
decided to bring in freshman reliever Tim
Schoeninger for senior starter Jamie
Rodriguez (0-1). Schoeninger’s first pitch
was a slider to Ruggiano, who sent it over the
left field fence for a two-run home run in
what proved to be the game-winning play.
“We faced (Schoeninger) Friday night,”
Ruggiano said. “He had a good slider and I
was just looking for it the whole time and
he threw it to me on the first pitch.”
The Aggies were down two after
Nebraska senior first baseman Matt Hopper
hit a two-run home run over the left field
wall off A&M junior starter Matt Farnum in
the top of the first inning.
The Aggies used a run in the second
inning and another run scored by freshman
catcher Craig Stinson on junior shortstop
Matt Alexander’s RBI single in the third to
even the score.
“Obviously you hate to start off a ball-
game 2-0,” Johnson said. “I thought we
hung in there. Nobody had their head down,
nobody was mad, and we just kept plugging
along. We did hit pretty good this week
with men in scoring position.”
Nebraska received its offense from
Hopper, who went 2-4 with two home runs
and three RBI’s. His second home run came
in the eighth inning off Aggie junior relief
pitcher Kyle Parcus. Hopper hit three
homers and brought in four RBI’s as he hit
6-13 in.the three-game series.
Farnum (5-0) gave up two earned runs in
six and one-third innings to earn the win for
the Aggies. Parcus earned his first save of the
season in two two-thirds innings of relief.
“It’s a different mind-set starting than
coming in in relief,” Parcus said. “You have
to come out ready throwing strikes.”
The Aggies will try to continue their hot
streak when they go on the road Tuesday to
take on the University of Texas-San
Antonio at Wolff Stadium in San Antonio.
The Aggies won the first meeting between
the teams 8-5 at Olsen Field.
A&M teams make early exits from Big 12 tournaments
By Michael Crow
THE BATTALION
After entering their respective Big 12
Tournaments with high hopes, the A&M
men’s and women’s basketball teams
each made first-round exits last week in
Dallas. As a result, the women’s team
now has a coaching vacancy, while the
men’s team awaits word regarding a
potential postseason berth.
Following an 80-61 defeat at the
hands of Baylor University in the confer
ence tournament, A&M women’s Head
Coach Peggie Gillom found out that her
contract would not be renewed. The
Aggies surrendered a nine point halftime
lead against the Lady Bears on Tuesday
in Gillom’s final game.
A&M Athletic Director Bill Byrne
said the search for Gillom’s replacement
would begin immediately.
“Tve only known Peggie for a short
time,” he said. “I think she is a wonderful
person, but I feel like we need to go in a
different direction with our women’s
basketball program.”
Frequent injuries limited Gillom’s
team throughout the 2002-2003 season.
Overall, Gillom compiled a 53-86 record
during her five year tenure during which
the Aggies failed to finish better than
ninth in the Big 12.
“This is not the
kind of season I had
hoped for,” she said.
“We set several goals
when we came here
five years ago, and
I’m disappointed that
we did not accomplish
all of them.”
The loss to Baylor
ended the A&M women’s season, giving
them a 10-18 mark for the year.
Meanwhile, A&M men’s Head
Coach Melvin Watkins and his team
had an equally short stay in the Big 12
Tournament, largely resulting from a
first-half surge by the Iowa State
GILLOM
Cyclones. The Cyclones jumped out
to a 29-11 lead midway through the
first half that the Aggies were unable
to overcome.
“This was one of our most fun
games this year,” said junior ISU
guard Jake Sullivan. “Getting out and
playing with a lead...we wanted to
prove something.”
Sullivan scored 17 points as one of
six Cylcones in double figures. Tim
Barnes’ 21 points led all ISU scorers
and included five three-point shots.
“We got outplayed in every aspect of
the game,” Watkins said. “Right across
the board, we didn’t make plays, a lot
of mental mistakes, all those things
went into this type of performance.”
A&M senior guard Bernard King
led the Aggies with 20 points in what
was likely the final game of his colle
giate career. King and the Aggies are
now left waiting for word on a possible
bid to the National Invitation
Tournament. A&M (14-14, 6-10 Big
12) has not reached the postseason
since 1994.
“It’s one of those things where we’d
like to continue to play, and hopefully
the phone call will come,” Watkins
said. “Six wins in the Big 12, I think
that’s got to be impressive to the com
mittee there, but it’s out of our control.”
Make your mark on the A&M campus before you graduate!
Aggies get your discounted Walk of Champions brick for
$100 before you leave Aggieland. For more information on
ordering your personalized brick, visit our web site at
http://recsports.tamu.edu. Order forms are available.
Live the Excitement with Sports Clubs
W. Rugby vs. Baylor, March 22, 1 1:00 a.m. @ Rugby Pitch
W. Lacrosse, League game, March 22 @ 12:00 p.m., Penberthy 8
W. Lacrosse, League game, March 23 @ 11:00 a.m., Penberthy 8
M. Lacrosse vs. UNT, March 29 @ 12:30 p.m., Penberthy 7
Racquetball, Aggieland Open, March 28-30, all day @ Rec Gs 1-12
Play a round at the A&M Golf Course
• Ifs a great time to play! So many changes are under way
at your A&M Golf course-paved cart paths, full practice facil
ities, improved course conditions, and a new driving range
to open soon! Come by and find out why this tradition will
continue on for another 50 years. Student and twilight rates
available, along with a full line of golfing apparel in the Pro
Shop. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Call 845-1723 for tee times.
•PRIVATE LESSONS—Whether you want to learn the game or
improve your stroke, our golf pro can get you on track with pri
vate lessons for one or many. Discounts available for larger
groups. Call 845-1723 for more information.
rec sports, tern, et/u
Upcoming Events
Rock Climbing 201
Women's Rock Day Trip
Kayak Roll Clinic
Fly Fishing Day Trip
Backpacking Trip
Women's Rock zOI
TAMU Outdoors is located
Olsen Field. Call 845-451 1
Registration
Jan. 21-March 19
Jan. 21-March 1 8
Jan. 21-March 24
Jan. 21-March 25
Jan. 21-March 25
Jan. 21-March 26
behind the Rec
for information.
Event Date
March 22
March 23
March 25
March 29
March 29-30
March 30
Center, facing
MAY BREAK TRIP
• SEA KAYAK ALASKA—Explore a portion of the northern wilder-
ness-Alaska's Prince William Sound and Harriman Fjord.
Registration ends April 1. $1,765*/$ 1,950**
(Attend an Informational Meeting March 1 8 at 6:00 p.m. in
room 272 Rec Center or March 19 at 5:30 p.m. in room
707 Rudder Tower.)
AUGUST BREAK TRIP
SAIL & SCUBA the Bahamas—Sail on Blackboard's cruise
and trace the historic route of pirate ships and treasure
• FREE Healthy Living Lecture: BODY IMAGE. Wednesday,
March 19 at 5:30 p.m. in room 281 of the Rec Center.
Don't miss this interactive discussion of body image per
ception in today's culture.
• FITNESS INSTRUCTOR TRAINING—Registration begins
now for this 6 week program that starts March 18 at
5:30 p.m. in room 304. Sign up until March 17th at
Member Services.
• SALE! UNLIMITED Aerobics Passes—Half Price Sale begins
Sunday, March 16. $25.00 pass is good until the beginning
of Summer I Semester. Get yours now at Member Services.
• Group Exercise Instructor Auditions! Get ready to show
your stuff Saturday, April 26 from 10:00a.m.-2:00p.m. Sign
up at the second floor reception desk or call DeAun Woosley
at 862-3995.
AQUATICS-make a splash
p 1
galleons. Registration ends June 9. $819
Spring Fun with Intramurals
Sports CLOSING:
Golf
Penberthy CoRec
Softball Tournament
Registration ends
March 25
March 25
Cost
Greens Charge
$20/team
Join the Lifeguard Challenge or r ' p R-Rescuer Challenge
Program. Courses are designed to renew certifications for
existing lifeguards.
Registration
Jan. 13-March24
Jan. 13-March27
Jan. 13-March31
Jan. 1 3-March 31
Program
LIFEGUARD TRAINING
LIFEGUARD CHALLENGE
BASIC SCUBA
ADULT LEARN TO SWIM
CPR-Pro Rescuer Challenge Jan. 13-April 3
AED/PDT/OA Training Jan. 13-May 3
Water Babies Jan. 13-May 1 2
Cost
$110/$130
$25/$35
$225/$245
$25/$35
$25/$35
$50/$75
$25/$35