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Sports
The Battalion
Softball drops to Texas State
By Jordan Meserole
THE BATTALION
For many people, roller coaster
rides are the biggest thrills at
amusement parks. The No. 23
Texas A&M softball team hardly
enjoyed its roller coaster ride that
came in the form of a 9-6 loss
Tuesday to Texas State University.
“We came out great (at first),”
said A&M head coach Jo Evans,
we realized quickly that
were going to match us at
ihe plate.”
The Aggies (11-9) started off
the game in promising fashion, as
A&M freshman starting pitcher
JillWeynand retired three Bobcats
(16-5) in order. Junior outfielder
Jana James helped Weynand
achieve the perfect inning by
making a hard diving catch on a
line drive to left field.
The Aggies scored the first
runs of the game in the bottom of
the first inning. With the bases
loaded and two outs on the board,
A&M freshman Laura Durham hit
a hard grounder through the
infield, scoring runners from sec
ond and third. A&M junior
Nicole Robinson’s single to left
field continued the rally, scoring
Durham from third.
Durham and Robinson put up
the high points of the Aggie
offense, both hitting two-for-three
on the night.
The Bobcats came to life in the
second inning, sending the Aggies
on the downward slide of the
rollercoaster ride.
With two runners on base.
Bobcat sophomore Katie Ann
Trahan hit a towering home run
over the left field fence, putting
Texas State within one run of the
Aggies. The go-ahead run came
to the Bobcats later in the same
inning, when they scored on a
wild pitch by Weynand.
Trahan said she wasn’t trying
tohita.bome run; she wanted to
Texas State sophomore third baseman Brittany Hodge slides into home on a wild
pitcher Jill Weyand awaits the toss in the second inning Tuesday night at the Aggi
move the runners up.
Trahan said the mentality the
team carries to the field and to
the plate has helped them win
many games.
“We try to come out thinking
that every game is the next step
toward the World Series,” Trahan
said. “We try to play every game
big no matter if it’s A&M or an
unranked oj winless team.”
The Bobcats remained hot
most of the night, including a
fourth inning grand slam by Texas
State junior Ashley Wilson, which
gave the Bobcats a comfortable
six-run lead.
Texas State head coach Ricci
Woodard said she expected the
score in the game to be high and
that the 3-0 lead the Aggies took
in the first inning didn't disheart-
Joshua L. Hobson • THE BATTALION
pitch as A&M freshman right handed
e Softball Complex.
en her team.
“It’s familiar territory for us,”
Woodard said. “We've had to bat
tle back in many of our games this
season - tonight didn’t really sur
prise me.”
The Aggie pitching settled
down in the last three innings
behind freshman Christina Smith,
See Softball on page 9
Women play last Big 12 game
By Brad Bennett
THE BATTALION
The Texas A&M women’s basket
ball team had to pull together after its
worst Big 12 defeat against Baylor last
e Saturday, 55-80, for its last game
J before the Big 12 tournament,
Wednesday in Reed Arena at 7 p.m..
The Aggies (9-17, 2-13 Big 12) take
on University of Missouri (15-1 1, 6-9)
at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Reed Arena,
and A&M head coach Gary Blair said
he talked to his team to make sure the
e bracelf women are ready.
“We got hammered (in the last
ne),” Blair said. “Sometimes it hap-
is. I want to make sure our kids are
omafp
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;cononi!
mand i
wereptf onthe right thought process.”
r* Blair said Missouri is fighting for a
idsaretl* jjjjtothe NCAA tournament, and this
will be a must-win for the Tigers, who
started the year a top-ranked team.
“If you go six and 10, you aren't
going (to the NCAA tournament)
unless you win the conference tourna
ment,” Blair said. “(Missouri head
coach Cindy Stein) knows the numbers,
and she will come in playing hard.”
Stein said she plans to play especial
ly hard, because of the importance of the
victory and for other reasons. She said
her team knows that in order to counter
the pressure defense of the Aggies it
must be equally aggressive on offense.
“Our kids understand that they have
to be extremely poised and they have to
be extremely aggressive themselves to
not get held back.” Stein said.
Blair said sophomore guard LaToya
Bond being healthy will be a great
advantage to them, and her being
injured is a reason Missouri does not
have a better record.
“When you look at her stats, they
were struggling earlier without her,”
Blair said.
Along with Bond, senior forward
Evan Unrau is the biggest threat to the
Aggies.
“Unrau and senior point guard
Toccara Williams are the two best under
rated players in our league,” Blair said.
Unrau is third in the Big 12 in scor
ing during conference play, with an
average 17.9 points a game. She is first
in offensive rebounds with 3.69.
The Tigers are winless at Reed
Arena in three tries, but Stein said her
team will not focus on road problems.
Missouri averages 43 percent shooting
with 70 points a game. The Aggies are
shooting 38 percent with 60.7 points a
game.
The Aggies are playing teams close
ly, with five of their nine conference
losses being by less than three points or
in overtime.
Blair said teams are starting to take
notice, which may be a reason that
Baylor won by 25.
“Maybe some of these other teams
haven’t respected us,” Blair said.
Wednesday will be the last home
game seniors, Williams, center Lynn
Classen and forward Janae Derrick
Classen, a Sports Management
major said she plans to work in Dallas
or San Antonio after graduation in
December.
“I don't really know yet (what I am
See Women on page 9
Page 7 • Wednesday, March 3, 2004
Basketball
to face OU
By Troy Miller
THE BATTALION
Being an NCAA tournament bubble team is a hard
life to live in college basketball. Every game is watched
closely, as if a scientist were looking at you under the
microscope.
For the University of Oklahoma (16-9, 6-8 Big 12)
men’s basketball team, it’s a new feeling as it is usual
ly a tournament lock at this point in the season.
A losing record in conference play means that each
of its last two games is a must-win. The first is at 8 p.m.
Wednesday against Texas A&M (7-18, 0-14) in
Norman, Okla.
“We haven’t had the whole day or whole weekend to
worry about (Selection Sunday), because we play
Friday, Saturday and Sunday (in the Big 12 tourna
ment),” said Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson.
“You sit there and think about it. Most of the time we
haven’t worried if we are going to be in it or not, but
even if you’re a one-seed, and you know you’re going
to be a one-seed, it’s still exciting to see who you're
going to play.”
A&M hasn’t had the excitement of watching its
name unveiled as the tournament brackets unfold on
Selection Sunday since 1987, when the Aggies won the
Southwest Conference tournament to gain the automat
ic bid into the NCAA tournament.
After a 14-14 campaign in 2002-03 in which
A&M freshman guard/forward Antoine Wright won
Big 12 Freshman of the Year, many believed that
2004 might be the year the Aggies would reappear in
the tournament.
“Coming into the season, I thought we had the right
type of kids, attitude-wise,” Watkins said. “Maybe we
lack the mental toughness and the talent that we need
ed. 1 think I've got to give credit to the kids because
they are listening and trying to carry out, but sometimes
we’re just not quite good enough to do what we need to
do to win the game.”
But with a zero in the conference win column, the
Aggies’ only chance at a postseason appearance is to
win the Big 12 tournament from the bottom seed.
The Sooners on the other hand are on the brink of
missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since
See Men on page 9
Senior forward Janae
Arena. Derrick and two
JP Beato III • THE BATTALION
Derrick pivots under the basket Feb. 14 against Texas Tech at Reed
other seniors will be playing their last game Wednesday at Reed Arena.
• w i. V"
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GARY BLAIR APPRECIATION NIGHT
THIS WEDNESDAY AT REED ARENA
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infcl
rZBBSk^ialOLianXzi
team are doing to build a strong foundation for the future of Aggie Basketball
To help show our support, Campbell Custom Homes is buying YOUR TICKET to the
final home game of the season. That’s right - it’s totally FREE and there will be
50(/; Slovacek Sausages available while supplies last
Join us us this Wednesday at Reed Arena in a show of support and appreciation for
Coach Blair, the women’s basketball program, and the future of Aggie hoops!”
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PpP' *
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.
Olivia Campbell
co-owner Campbell Custom Homes
(979) 828-5177
t| * ii ^!
FREE!
Courtesy of Campbell Costom Homes
Wednesday - 7 p.m
M VS.
n/iissoum.
Senior Recognition Night
-and-
500 Slovacek Sausages
(while Supplies last -10,000 QtyJ