University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 7, Ed. 1 Wednesday, October 2, 1991 Page: 5 of 6
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University Press
Sports
Wednesday. October 2. 1991
Lamar University
Page 5
; Gilligan enthusiastic about
jreturn to LU baseball post
LU defeats UNC-Greensboro,
falls to SWT, A&M in tourney
*■'_ By Don Norwood
>
UP sports editor
>
-r
. One of the most famous faces in
Lamar athletics, head baseball coach
Jim Gilligan, stole the show at
Monday’s Cardinal Club luncheon.
Gilligan was hired during the
summer, five years after resigning
from the position. He racked up a
record of 504-299 in 14 seasons at
LU, and had the distinction of man-
1 aging the team that owned the
l longest winning streak in profession-
al baseball history when he led the
f Salt Lake City Trappers, a member
t of the Class A Pioneer League, to 29
straight wins in 1987.
* The former LU pitcher remains
^faithful to his former position on the
mound, a philosophy that has caused
*some interestingly amusing situa-
i tions with new associate head coach
and former Rice coach David Hall.
* “David and 1 competed very hard
y against each other when he was at
Rice,” said Gilligan. “The only prob-
* lem we have now is that he seems to
$ think the hitters are the most impor-
tant part of the team and I think that
^ the pitchers are.”
y On the serious side, Gilligan said
that the new Sun Belt Conference
presents a season-ending inconve-
.nience, as well as a drastic lift in
competition.
■ “I think that our conference
.coaches made a mistake by having
the conference tournament two
jweeks after the season,” Gilligan
said, citing the NCAA restrictions
that have possibly hit baseball harder
ythan any other sport.
“You’ve got the American South,
4plus the good teams from the Sun
vBelt,” said Gilligan about the new
^league. “I look at the Southwest
^Conference and the Sun Belt
•Conference, and if I was looking for
an easier schedule, I would look at
the Southwest Conference.”
The conference features three
teams that advanced to the NCAA
Regionals a year ago, as well as an
improved UT-Pan American squad.
Add to that visits to Vinccnt-Bcck
Stadium by Texas and Texas A&M,
and you’ve got possibly the toughest
schedule LU has ever seen.
One project Gilligan has taken by
the horns is attendance, or lack there-
of, at Vincent-Beck. Judging from the
talent he has put together and the
promotions that are in store, Gilligan
intends to do away with that trend.
“We have to sell season tickets to
get fans in the seats,” Gilligan said.
“We have to do that for our program
to succeed.
“We’re going to get into baseball
in this community big-time. There’s
some real possibilities, but it’s going
to take some work.”
One promotion that is set is the
Oct 27 celebrity golf tournament and
banquet. Several local celebrities, as
well as members of the Houston
Astros, will be appearing at the morn-
ing tourney, which requires a $45
entry fee. The banquet, which will
be held that night at the Holidome,
will feature several entertainers, with
a $30 price of admission.
With the excitement over return-
ing to the job and getting the com-
munity involved with his program,
Gilligan appears most excited about
the players themselves, a squad that
will be long on youth and packed
with talent.
“When we started working out, I
was really nervous,” said Gilligan.
“But, we’ve been getting better.”
Gilligan had the most praise for
his pitching staff, where several
returners have been impressive this
fall.
“Steven Westbrook (Nederland
sophomore) and Dennis Everson
(Richmond junior) are our No. 1
pitchers,” Gilligan said. “I’ve never
seen a pitcher at Lamar who can put
the ball anywhere he wants to like
him (Westbrook).”
Other hurlers Gilligan singled out
are John Weglarz, Long Island, N.Y.,
junior; Martin Connor, Hitchcock
junior; Darren Printy, Groves fresh-
man; and Kyle Green, Nederland
junior.
Among position players, newcom-
er Brandon Hoag, Dallas freshman,
has caught Gilligan’s eye, as well as
his praise.
“He hit a line-drive home run in
our first scrimmage that sounded like
a cannon shot,” said Gilligan about
the Dallas Trinity Christian product.
“We have a lot of speed, but not a lot
of power. We’re going to have to play
this guy.”
Another prize newcomer is Bryan
Lovelace, Oxnard, Calif., junior, who
could possibly see action at third and
short besides starting at second base.
“He is our best fielder right now,”
said Gilligan of the juco transfer.
“He’s got the quickest hands and
feet of any player to play at Lamar.”
Despite the intimidation of an 11-
team conference loaded with proven
winners, Gilligan is confident that
the future is nothing but bright for
the Cards.
“Next year, we’re going to be real
good,” Gilligan said. “We’re going to
get some kids in here, and the kids
we’ve got will get better.
“Our success is going to be based
on our development.”
The Cards will end their four-
week fall season Sunday afternoon at
Vincent-Beck with their final
intrasquad scrimmage of the fall
practice season.
LU cross country teams finish third,
eighth in San Antonio Invitational
The Lamar cross country teams
faced their first major tests in the
Texas-San Antonio/Whataburger
Invitational Saturday, with the
men placing third overall and the
.women finishing eighth.
The LU men, who blew away
McNeese in their first event of the
year, had the handicap of compet-
ing without Ian Mullen, Ireland
senior, who had to sit out with an
illness. Paul McCreevy, Beaumont
junior, picked up part of the slack,
turning in a time of 20:11.1 to fin-
ish 12th. Ian McCormack, Ireland
senior, finished 20th with a 20:23.9
as the Cards had 98 team points,
finishing behind champion
Houston with 30 and UT-Pan
American with 58.
Roger Soler, running unattached,
took individual honors with a time of
19:36.5, followed by UT-Pan Am’s
Rene Guillen with a 19:39.2 and
Southwest Texas’ Trevor Renney
with a 19:49.5.
Mei Ling Perry, Waco sophomore,
was the top LU finisher on the
women’s side, ending up with a
21:30.9 to finish 37th. Teammate Kim
Kearns, Pasadena junior, added a
time of 22:20.6, with Tammie Ward,
Houston sophomore, finishing in
23:44.2.
UT-San Antonio’s Joanne Kineard
blistered the course in taking home
the individual title with a time of
17:34.1. Rice grabbed second and
third as Lady Owls Nicole
Aleskowitch and Candace
Lessmeister finished with times of
17:48.3 and 17:49.2 respectively.
UT-SA grabbed the team title with
44 points, followed closely by Rice
with 45 and UT-Pan Am with 91.
LU head track coach Barry
Collins, who will join basketball
coach Mike Newell as next week's
featured Cardinal Club speakers,
will lead the Cards in Friday's
North Texas Invitational in
Denton, followed by the Oct. 12
Northwestern Invitational.
iTo Advertise - Call (409)880-8102
I
' Graduating Soon ? December or Next May? '
► Contact Career Development and
* Placement Center
*
*
Sc:
Rm 102, Galloway Business Building
We have On-Campus Interview Opportunities
_for Students in Any Major -_
The following businesses will be interviewing on campus:
* Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, interviewing for Special Agents;
submit resume by October 7.
* Osmose Wood Preserving Co., New Orleans, interviewing for Crew Leaders;
submit resume by October 10.
* Waddell & Reed, Inc., Houston, interviewing for Financial Planner Trainees;
submit resume & Student Interview Request (SIR) by October 8.
* Luby's Cafeteria (TX, OK, AR, NM, AZ, FL, MO, TN), interviewing for
Management Trainees; submit resume & SIR by October 15.
The LU Lady Cardinals contin-
ued their reboqnd from a 0-4 start
last weekend by winning one of
three matches in the Bobcat Classic
at Southwest Texas State University
to raise their record to 7-8.
LU started the tourney slowly,
losing their second match of the sea-
son to Texas A&M 15-12, 5-15, 5-15,
6-15, and falling to host Southwest
Texas 8-15, 9-15, 15-11, 11-15 before
sweeping UNC-Greensboro 15-7, 15-
3,15-5 Saturday.
Jenny Heisler, Houston senior,
kept up her all-conference level of
play by making her second all-tour-
nament team of the young season.
Heisler had 51 assists over the two-
day tourney, chipping in 37 digs and
21 kills.
Hot hand Miriam Erickson,
Houston freshman, led the team in
kills and digs for the tourney with 25
and 39 respectivley, while Melissa
Miller, Grand Prairie sophomore,
racked up 85 assists and 19 kills.
Marianne Delfino, Miami, Fla.,
senior, pitched in with 14 kills and 35
digs.
With the weekend’s performance,
Erickson now leads the team in kills
with 146 and digs with 166. Heisler
leads the team in assists with a phe-
nomenal 462 for an 8.7 average.
The Lady Cards’ next home
appearance will be Tuesday, as they
look for revenge against Southwest
Texas in McDonald Gym.
“Southwest Texas did beat us in
four games,” head coach Katrinka Jo
Friday last day
for LU contest
This Friday at noon will mark the
deadline for the J.K. Isuzu-Paint the
Truck Contest.
Entries can be submitted to 100
Art Building or mailed to P.O. Box
10027, attention of Big Red Truck
Contest.
Crawford said. “But I think it will be
a better match at home, because I
think we play better at home.”
Crawford pointed out that three
of LU’s eight losses this year have
come at the hands of A&M twice
and Texas Tech, both members of
the NCAA's Top 25 volleyball poll.
LU continued their longest road
swing of the year last night in
Nacogdoches against SFA, and travel
to Waco this weekend to play in the
Baylor American Airlines Classic on
the Baylor campus.
Photo by Brant Guidry
LU's Miriam Erickson, Houston freshman
JTRIANfCte
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Casey, Jay. University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 7, Ed. 1 Wednesday, October 2, 1991, newspaper, October 2, 1991; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth499769/m1/5/?q=music: accessed July 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lamar University.