The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 89, No. 11, Ed. 1, Thursday, March 7, 2002 Page: 4 of 8
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Cowboy Baseball Sweeps LeTourneau to Start ASC Play;
At 5-5 on the Season
The Hardin-Simmons University
Cowboy baseball team had a rough start
that head coach Steve Coleman said was
"disappointing" but has won their last
three games to get to .500 on the year.
HSU swept LeTourneau this weekend to
jump out to a 3-0 ASC start and get to 5-5
on the young season.
HSU thumped National Christian 20-0
to get their first win of the year as Cody
Bob Williams threw a three-hitter over six
innings and Chris Shannon worked the
seventh for the save. Barry Janisse had a
big day at the plate going three for four
with four RBPs and Ryan Devere had
three hits including a triple. Michael
Popino added a home run in this one.
A double-header with the University
of Dallas was next up for the Cowboys
and the two teams came away with a
split. UD won the first game 10-4 as
Kyle Tabor gave up eight runs and nine
hits in four and a third. Popino went
three for three as both he and Nick
Larson played hard for the Cowboys
but it wasn't enough.
The second game was all HSU as
the Cowboys won 9-2. Spencer Nemer
got the nod for the Cowboys and gave
up only one run and scattered six hits in
six innings of work. Popino had another
big day going three .for five with anoth
er homer and five RBPs while Marty
Smith and Barry Janisse each picked up
two hits. David Schillings swiped two
bases to help the cause.
A disappointing loss to Wayland
Baptist came up next for HSU as the
Cowboys fell in ten innings 8-7. HSU
exploded for four runs in the top of the
seventh to go up 6-2 only to see Wayland
score five of their own in the bottom half
to take a 7-6 lead. In the top of the ninth
the Cowboys had two outs as Chuy
Rodriguez doubled and then John
Schlaffer doubled him in to knot the game
at seven. But the Cowboys couldn't score
in the extra frame and Wayland did com-
ing away with the win. Rodriguez took the
loss for the Cowboys as he wasn't able to
get out of the tenth inning. Popino picked
up three more hits and two RBPs while
Schlaffer also knocked in two.
ASC play started with the Cowboys
hosting LeTourneau. The first of a three
game set saw LeTourneau leading 4-3 in
the fourth before HSU exploded for eight
in that inning two in the fifth and one
more in the sixth en route to a 14-4 win.
Spencer Nemer went the distance for the
Cowboys and gave up nine hits while
striking out six. Marty Smith Nick
Larson Ryan Devere Jeremy Smith and
Barry Janisse each had two hits for the
Cowboys as Devere knocked in three and
Chuy Rodriguez hit his first homer of the
year.
Game two saw a dominating pitching
performance by Freshman Kyle Tabor as
he went the full seven giving up only two
hits and one run while striking out six.
Popino had two hits four RBPs and his
fourth home run of the year; while Bryan
Hollis Devere and Rodriguez also hit
homers in a 9-1 Cowboy win.
The final game of the series was a
slugfest in which the Cowboys came out
on top 21-7. HSU scored eleven runs in
the first inning alone and added three in
the second three in the third and four in
the fourth in their impressive offensive
showing. Hollis hit his second homer of
the year and had four RBPs while
Popino who was named ASC West divi-
sion hitter of the week had two hits and
knocked in five. Jeremy Smith and Nick
Larson each had two hits and three runs.
Cody Williams took the win for the
Cowboys improving to 2-1 on the year in
giving up three runs and seven hits over
five innings.
Some of the names mentioned above
may not be familiar and that is because
the roster is loaded with newcomers. As a
matter of fact 13 of the 30 Cowboys on
the team are new this season including
starting pitchers Kyle Tabor and
Spencer Nemer third baseman Barry
Janisse infielder Chuy Rodriguez and
outfielder Ryan Devere to name a few.
Although Hardin-Simmons and
McMurry were voted in the preseason
coaches' poll as the two teams most
likely to take the ASC West coach
Steve Coleman had a short list of other
teams to watch out for.
"Concordia-Austin Texas Lutheran
and Howard Payne should have good
teams too. They'll all be in the hunt for
the conference tournament" said
Coleman.
For those of you not familiar with
the format the top two teams in the
ASC's East and West divisions meet in the
post-season tournament to decide the ASC
champion. This year Texas Lutheran's
games in the ASC count in the standings
but they are not eligible for the ASC tour-
ney as they are still in the process of
becoming a full-fledged non-scholarship
school. LeTourneau the University of
Texas-Dallas and Louisiana College are
not eligible in the East as well.
As of now HSU is in a four-way tie
based on winning percentage in the ASC
West with TLU (6-0) Concordia (6-0)
and Sul Ross (3-0). Howard Payne is at 4-
1 and McMurry at 3-3.
- CODY COIL
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The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 89, No. 11, Ed. 1, Thursday, March 7, 2002, newspaper, March 7, 2002; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth97710/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hardin-Simmons University Library.