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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 2004)
ujhiiii LL. wSBSSSSSSm SSSSsSss mi n nil i mii ini' '(ilfl Hill Sports vs. Texas Tech Friday 7 p.m. Saturday 7 p.m. Sunday 1 p.m. Olsen Field The Battalion Page 5 • Friday, March 26, 2004 If , A&M takes to the I court against Sooners 'Texas,, ^ 1 40 de s md tliej like yo •hatliiK, iince ii lentsios crafty 'goio is pi i pa ots s to new it, espeti boots .even :or in a pat oil that inity. ckl gran - Emimn er Mao id outi (i. i jail Mat :onvicte: e Edi: rveSOs to an ir gram to rogratr her bao lander y. “For By Kyle Davoust THE BATTALION Since opening the Big 12 conference season with a couple of road victories over the University of Nebraska and the University of Colorado in late February, the Texas A&M men’s tennis team has played a string of non-conference oppo nents with mixed results. Since their last conference match, the Aggies (13-6, 2-0 Big 12) have dropped all the way from No. 9 in the rankings to No. 20, as they lost key matches against Louisiana State University and the University of California. “The road schedule was super challenging, and now as we are in the middle of our sea son I think there is a little bit of enthusiasm about the Big 12 race,” said A&M head coach Tim Cass. “1 think the realistic thing is that there is so much of our season left, and there should be a lot left from our guys.” The Aggies will enter the heart of their Big 12 schedule Saturday, as they take on the University of Oklahoma at 1:30 p.m. at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center, followed by an evening match with Tyler Junior College at 6 p.m. A&M represents the first Big 12opponent for Oklahoma (13-2). The Sooners have compiled an impressive non-conference record, but against weak opposition. “They’re a good team, and we can’t underestimate any scomJ teams right now,” said A&M junior Lester Cook. “We kind of two ye! underestimated (California), and Evan O'Connell • THE BATTALION Texas A&M sophomore Matt Loucks returns a backhand in A&M's 7-0 win over Lamar University on Feb. 1 5 at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center. look what happened there.” The Sooners are one of sev eral Big 12 teams whose improvement has made the com ference even stronger. “It’s a tough conference. Last year we weren't thinking about teams like Oklahoma State and Texas,’’ Cook said. "There are some tough teams, so we can't just think about Baylor.” After facing the Sooners, the Aggies will take a short break before facing the two-time defending junior college nation al champion Tyler Junior College. The Apaches have been dominant on the junior college level since the arrival of head coach John Peterson in 1987, winning 10 junior college national championships. The match against A&M rep resents a challenge that Peterson said his players embrace. “It's like the farm club in baseball ' playing the spring See Tennis on page 8 Sooners come to Aggieland for two games with A&M By Ryan Irby THE BATTALION It’s that time of year again; handfuls of colorful flyers and campaigning for student body elections have overtaken the campus. With nothing left to focus on this season but Big 12 opponents, the Texas A&M soft- ball team will begin a campaign of its own Saturday as it ushers in Big 12 play with a homestand against the No. 7 University of Oklahoma at 2 p.m. at the Aggie Softball Complex. Oklahoma (26-9-1) is com ing off a 2-3 showing in the Kia Classic, in which it defeated Big 12 rival Nebraska in a match-up of the predicted 1-2 finishers in the conference. A&M (18-15) set its sights on winning the Big 12 crown before the season began, and Saturday’s contest with the Sooners is the first step toward reaching that goal. “I certainly expect us to be battling for a Big 12 champi onship,” said A&M head coach Jo Evans. A&M continues to impress on the field, utilizing Evans’ speed tactics. Freshman out fielder Sharonda McDonald has already broken the A&M record for stolen bases in a sea son, racking up 30 steals on 33 attempts in just 33 games. “We know our capabilities and what kind of team we can be,” McDonald said. "We put pressure on the defense and make them make mistakes.” Forcing Oklahoma to make errors may be the Aggies’ key to victory this weekend, as the Sooners will bring a vicious battery into College Station. Oklahoma ace and All- American left-hander Kami Keiter will team up with junior catcher Heather Scaglione to thwart the Aggie attack on the base paths. Scaglione has allowed only two stolen bases in her past 36 games. However, A&M is confident about its ability to put the ball in play. “We’ve got the right kids at the plate,” Evans said. Saturday’s contest will be a chance for A&M to avenge past defeats in a bitter rivalry. The 2002 season was ended by the Sooners in an 8-1 loss at the NCAA Region Five Tournament, and last season the Aggies dropped all three games with the crimson and cream. However, Evans would argue that this year may be the one to elect a new champion. “We are as athletic as we have ever been,” Evans said. Lady netters travel to OSU By Jon Gilbert THE BATTALION The Texas A&M women’s tennis team trav els north of the Red River to take on Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma this weekend. The team has had an 11-day break and has not played a conference match since Feb. 29. The No. 16 Aggies knocked off No. 23 Indiana on March 16, before A&M head coach Bobby Kleinecke gave the team the rest of the week off to enjoy spring break. “I was disappointed with our doubles,” Kleinecke said. "We competed well in singles. They needed a break, and. hopefully, they will come back ready to play.” In the win over Indiana last week, A&M started slowly by losing the doubles point. The Aggies also lost the doubles point in their 4-3 loss to Louisiana State University on Oct. 11. The team's problems in doubles seem to be a common theme this year. Despite consistently losing the doubles point, the A&M doubles pair of senior Jessica Roland and sophomore Nicki Mechem have been on fire, winning seven consecutive doubles match es. Furthermore, Mechem has won 10 consecu tive singles matches and has been a solid player. Yet she wants the focus off her and on the team. 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