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TUESDAY
6:30 p.m.
vs. Texas State
Aggie Softball Complex
The Battalion
Page 5 • Tuesday, March 2, 2004
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By Brad Bennett
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M senior point guard
occara Williams is the undisputed
style]! eavyweight champ of A&M women’s
erandili asketball. She led the Aggies in points
2outofthe last 16 games, is the Big
iicallyJ 2all-time leader in steals and has had
his tin |Nless number of accolades,
iportamii “When we started out, 1 thought I
ad one of the best point guards in the
larpenj] Big 12),” said A&M head coach Gary
ir. ’Now 1 say 1 have one of the best
nt guards in the country.”
But like all Aggie student experi-
nbow milnces, Williams’ time in Aggieland is
igtoanend. Her final Big 12 home
ante is Wednesday against Missouri.
Williams, set to graduate next
Jecember. said she plans to finish school
lie playing professional basketball.
"Hopefully (next year) 1 will be
laying in a league somewhere and
ken be back to graduate in December,”
Hams said.
said in his 20 years of coach-
ng, he has seen several women go to
kenext level and that Williams will
y"l|ontinue to play.
Williams is the all-around player the
iggies were lucky to have. Her defen
ce prowess was a perfect fit with
s aggressive game plan, and she
dBig 12records while on a team with
losing record, which brought atten-
iontoA&M basketball.
with Williams leaving at sea-
1 lion's end. the stage is set for a new
Iletder lo emerge.
Idon'tknow (who will lead next
year)," Blair said. “Leadership is
imperative. Whether you are doing it
from ihe bench or doing it from off the
couttordoing it by outstanding plays.”
The two A&M juniors this season,
ards Charlette Castile and Mindy
irrison. have had impressive show
ings recently.
Garrison hit two three-pointers in
minutes of the Aggies’ 69-63
miilst the University of Kansas
on Feb. 21. Castile led the team in
scoring against Baylor University in
the loss on Saturday.
“It will be good to be a senior next
year, and maybe I can take after (Williams
and senior forwards Lynn Classen and
Janae Derrick),” Garrison said.
Garrison said she likes to keep an
aggressive outlook on offense.
“I keep shooting no matter what,”
Garrison said. “You have to keep
shooting.”
Blair said that with only two sen
iors returning, that he may look else
where on the team for leadership.
“Your leadership does not need to
come from your senior class,” Blair
said. “It can come from the bench;
sometimes it can come from freshman
or (junior college transfers). It takes
that right person.”
Sophomore forward Tamea Scales,
who came off the bench during Big 12
play to become a starter, is a likely and
willing person to fill the void.
Scales leads the team in shooting by
shooting 47 percent from the field.
“I am going to see if I can be up at
the top," Scales said. “It’s going to be
one of my (goals) to play that leader
ship role on the team.”
Blair said he wanted to start her to
see what she is made of. Scales
answered by leading the team in
rebounds seven of the last 11 games.
What is most impressive about
Scales is her size. She is six feet tall and
skinny, not the typical build for a dom
inant force in the paint.
While no player will look too far
into the future. Scales is confident
about her place with the team.
“1 had to work my way up to this
level,” Scales said. "Next year I’m tak
ing it to ‘em.”
Williams said there may not be a
single leader on the team next year, nor
does there need to be only one.
“Everybody is contributing in differ
ent ways,” Williams said. “(Garrison)
can lead from the guard and (Scales.)
can lead from the center.’,’
)P Beato III • THE BATTALION
Texas A&M senior guard Toccara Williams brings the ball up the court during A&M's 72-62 win over North Texas on Dec. 6. Williams j 1
owns the Big 1 2 all-time steals record and leads the Aggies in scoring, assists and steals.
Aggie softball takes on Texas State in midweek game
By Ryan Irby
THE BATTALION
The No. 23 Texas A&M softball team will wrap
up a two-week, 12-game homestand Tuesday
when i! hosts the Texas State University Bobcats at
tkeAggie Softball Complex.
,&M (11-8) is coming off a successful, yet
shortened Aggie Invitational II in which it
Penn State twice. Southern Mississippi
dropped one game to No. 17 Oregon,
ay’s game with Southern Mississippi was
to standing water deposited by storms
tkatswept through early Sunday morning.
Texas State (15-5, 3-0 Southland) completed a
three-game sweep of Southland Conference rival
State over the weekend. The Bobcats
will bring Southland Conference Co-Hitter of the
Week Kristin Zaleski to College Station in hopes
ofcoming away with a win. Zaleski hit .600 for
series with Nicholls State, including a game-
home run in the seventh inning of the
give the Bobcats a 4-2 victory,
head coach Jo Evans said she hopes her
offensive scheme on the base paths will contain
the surging Bobcats.
love this ball club because of the balance
behave and the speed we have,” Evans said. “We
are given opportunities where we can steal a base
instead of giving up an out.”
Evans’ tactics are built around the blistering
speed of freshman centerfielder Sharonda
McDonald. She leads the team in stolen bases
with 14 on 15 attempts and has conquered batting
from the left side of the plate under Evans’ guid
ance after hitting from the right side during her
career at Dobie High School in Houston. Her
blazing speed is more effective from the batter's
box closest to first base.
“This is my first year to be on the left side of
the plate,” McDonald said. “I am getting a lot
more comfortable with that.”
McDonald has earned the dangerous reputa
tion of being able to beat out ground balls in the
infield. However, McDonald's “slap” style of hit
ting aggravates foes on a smaller scale; of the 21
hits she has this season, all have been singles.
A&M, which leads the series with the
Bobcats, 50-8, will bring a modified lineup into
the game as freshman outfielder Joy Davis was
lost for the season after injuring an elbow. Evans
said her team will march on.
“You can see us trying to settle in and get
comfortable with a lineup,” Evans said.
Senior Sherah Atkins has moved to second
base from the outfield to replace Davis, allowing
■ . " V
|P Beato III • THE BATTALION
Texas A&M sophomore outfielder Rocky Spencer slides behind the tag of Penn State senior catcher Kate Gentile
Saturday in A&M's 8-0 win during the St. Joseph Aggie Invitational II.
sophomore outfielder Rocky Spencer to enter the
lineup in right.
McDonald explained that attitude is key.
“It’s about our attitude,” McDonald said.
“We go up to the plate thinking that no one is
going to get us out.”
First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the
Aggies Softball Complex.
ER,
223^
o o
GARY
BLAIR APPRECIATION NIGHT;
. ....
THIS WEDNESDAY AT REED ARENA
Weapp/aud the hard work that Coach Blair, his staff, and the women’s basketball
team are doing to build a strong foundation for the future of Aggie Basketball.
»«-*»- i ■ . r
f -it-
Jo help show our support, Campbell Custom Homes is buying YOUR TICKET to the
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■
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Wednesday - 7 p.m.
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Senior Recognition Night
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500 Slovacek Sausages
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