By Adam Vilfordi Skiff staff Redshirt freshman quarterback Tremaine Butler threw a two-point conversion to freshman tight end Ted More to propel the White team to a 8-7 victory against the Purple team in the annual spring Purple-White scrimmage Saturday. Coaches said the scrimmage was an adequate gauge for evaluating each player going into this fall. However, while there were many standout performances, passing coordinator Les Koenning Jr. believes that there is still room for improvement. "The team has gotten better, but we're going to have to work on our red-zone offense," Koenning said. "We've improved in some areas, but we're still holding on to the football too long for me to be satisfied." Although Koenning wants to get rid of the ball faster, all three quarterbacks who played Saturday performed well, he said. In a game where Heisman Trophy candidate LaDainian Tomlinson did not play, quarterbacks Butler and sophomores Casey Printers and Sean Stilley combined for 294 yards passing. "At the quarterback position, even though they played rather well, they needed to be put into some situations where they can't afford to take a sack, throw an interception or throw the ball away," Koenning said. "In the scrimmage we got those situations, and for the most part, we didn't throw interceptions, and occasionally, we did make plays." Koenning said the quarterbacks have done well learning the new passing game in a short period of time and he is especially happy with only one interception being thrown in the game.
Butler, Printers and Stilley completed 24 of 41 passing attempts for 294 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Koenning said they also combined to throw passes to 16 different receivers and each quarterback did a good job of reading defensive coverages and not throwing into double or triple coverage. The receivers also did well, Koenning said. The 77-yard touchdown pass that freshman receiver Ahmed Kabba caught on the first play from scrimmage was an eye-opener, he said. Koenning also said he liked what he saw from senior receiver Tim Maiden. "He has been awfully consistent, and out of all of our receivers, he seems to do things right every time," Koenning said. With receivers like Maiden and a strong supporting cast, he said that if they continue to remain consistent in their efforts and performances, they will give TCU fans something to be excited about this fall. "Anytime that you have a large amount of competition at one position, you are going to get better," Koenning said. "I don't want to leave anyone out, but when you compete at a high level, you raise the standards to a high level and hope that everyone can keep up." He is not worried about complacency on the team because with walk-ons making plays in the scrimmage, he said the ones who play will be the ones who consistently make plays. Koenning said another element that adds to the receivers' depth is the amount of repetitions they get in practice. "Allowing players time to make mistakes in practice helps us because we can correct the error in practice and we hope we won't see them in the game," he said. "We have gotten to show our quarterbacks a lot of different looks." Although the scrimmage was no shoot-out, Koenning said he has the personnel in place to be successful in the fall. Anchoring the Purple defense in the scrimmage was junior linebacker Chad Bayer, leading the team with four tackles. For the White team, redshirt freshman LaMarcus McDonald led the team with six tackles. The Frogs open their season on September 9 in Reno, Nev. against Nevada-Las Vegas. TCU also travels to Anapolis, Md., to play Navy. The Frogs end their regular season against Southern Methodist on Nov. 25 in Dallas.
Adam Vilfordi
By Chris Ray Skiff staff The TCU women's tennis team won two matches this weekend in New Orleans in non-conference games against Tulane and the University of New Orleans, giving them nine victories in their last 10 matches. The Frogs defeated the Tulane Green Wave 8-1 and New Orleans 7-2, holding onto their No. 25 Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranking. "The girls played extremely well this weekend, and I couldn't be prouder of the progress we are making with the WAC tournament so close," head coach Roland Ingram said. "The best is yet to come from this team, and I feel confident about the postseason." In the Tulane match, the Frogs won five of six singles matches. Key wins came from senior Lucie Dvorakova as she took a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Anna Monhartova. Sophomore Leoni Weirich allowed only one point throughout her match, defeating Jessica Kessler, 6-1, 6-0 in straight sets. TCU picked up all three wins at the doubles positions, en route to taking the doubles point in the match. The "Euro Duo" of seniors Dvorakova and Daria Zoldakova, earned an 8-2 win over Tulane's Julie Morris and Olga Mikhailova. Against New Orleans, the Frogs took five of six singles matches and won two of three doubles matches in the win. The Frogs were paced by the play of Dvorakova, as she was victorious in the No. 1 singles spot. Despite the absence of the "Euro Duo" in doubles, the Frogs stepped up and took control of the match. The team of senior Stacey Sabala and Weirich picked up a 8-2 win against the team of freshman Wiebke Ruhl and senior Sylvia Lokollo. In doubles competition, sophomore Jessika Kjellgren and freshman Brenna Shackelford defeated the team of sophomore Julia Schade and freshman Ulrika Ericsson, 8-4. The Frogs snapped a five-match winning streak by the New Orleans Privateers. TCU picked up wins from Dvorakova, as she defeated Sofia Hallstrom, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in a three-set match. "I am playing well and am comfortable on the court. When the tournament rolls around, I feel that the team will play well, and whatever happens, happens," Dvorakova said. "I would like to go out with a win, it is something I have worked on for the past four years, and I am ready." Freshman Dorrit Huppes continued her winning ways as she made quick work of Isabelle Benoit 6-2, 6-2 winning in straight sets. Ingram said Huppes has been impressive for the Frogs this season, stepping into the lineup as a freshman and playing well. "She is an extremely good player, and I am glad to have her on the team. She is one that will only get better as she gets older," Ingram said. The Frogs improve to 16-4 on the season and have two matches remaining in the regular season. They look to close out with two wins at home over Santa Barbara on Friday and WAC rival Rice on Saturday. The Frogs host the Western Athletic Conference tournament April 28 to 30.
Chris Ray
By Chris Ray Skiff staff Opening Western Athletic Conference play Saturday, the No. 15 TCU men's tennis team made quick work of the Rice Owls, taking the match 6-1. The Frogs surrendered one singles match and one doubles match to the Owls. TCU improves to 14-3 on the season and now holds a 1-0 WAC record. The Frogs are moving into WAC play on the winning track. Big wins and outstanding play from the team as a whole have the Frogs in position to compete for the conference championship, head coach Michael Center said. "This is that time of the year - it's getting down to crunch time, and we are reacting well, I feel," Center said. "The team is coming together, and we are rallying around Esteban (Carril) and the team of (Scott) Eddins and (Jimmy) Haney."
At the No. 2 doubles spot, the No. 36-ranked team of redshirt freshman Jimmy Haney and junior Scott Eddins shut out the Owls' team of Kevin Hargrove and Fabian Gero, 8-0. With the win, Eddins and Haney improve to 16-7 overall and a perfect 4-0 at the No. 2 spot. At the No. 3 doubles spot, the tandem of junior Sebastian Iannariello and freshman Antonio Gordon defeated the team of Rafiel Rayz and Ramez Quwaymar, 8-6. In singles action, Carril, ranked No. 8 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association polls, defeated Rice's Alexi Porsche in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. With the win, Carril improves to 22-4 on the season and holds a 12-2 record at the No. 1 spot for the Frogs. This also was Carril's 16th win where he has won in straight sets. "The whole goal is to play well and win the WAC tournament and advance in the playoffs, that's why we play," Carril said. "The No. 8 ranking is nice, but it doesn't mean anything without a title." At the No. 2 spot, Fielding dropped a three-set match to Prakash Venkataramin, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. The loss drops Fielding to 21-10 on the year. Freshman Antonio Gordon, ranked No. 99 in the ITA, recorded a straight-set victory over Fabian Gero, 6-4, 6-2. This marked Gordon's 19th win of the year, and his third straight win at the No. 3 singles spot. Gordon is 19-6 on the year and 3-0 at the No. 3 spot. Eddins sustained an injury prior to his singles match, causing a shift in position for the Frogs. The Frogs responded well, winning all three lower-seed matches in straight sets. The Frogs picked up key wins from Haney, junior Petr Koula and Iannariello. The Frogs now have four matches remaining until TCU hosts the WAC tournament April 27 to 30. The Frogs are on the road Thursday, as they travel to Dallas to take on cross-town rival SMU at 2 p.m. "SMU is a tough team. The rivalry is there, and it would be great to beat them," Center said. "They are highly ranked, and we will see them again before it's all over." TCU takes on California-Irvine on Saturday and then looks to revenge a controversial loss earlier in the season to Baylor on Sunday, before wrapping things up on the road against WAC opponent Tulsa April 22.
Chris Ray
By Rusty Simmons staff reporter
In his first season with the Frogs, the freshman infielder has adjusted to playing in front of a slightly larger crowd at the TCU Diamond. But Settle still cannot fathom the sight awaiting him tonight. TCU plays No. 2 University of Texas in the fifth annual Battle at the Ballpark at 7:05 tonight. In the past four meetings in Arlington, the teams have drawn over 14,000 fans for each game, including the 1996 game which attracted a NCAA regular-season record crowd of 21,043. "I cannot wait to play," Settle said. "I am so pumped. I think this is the coolest thing I have ever gotten to do." TCU players said the game creates excitement, and TCU officials said it creates revenue. Redshirt freshman outfielder Jeff Reed said he has listened to all the veterans tell their stories of excitement about past games. "(Chris Connally) tells us about how exciting it was to play at the Ballpark in front of all those people," he said.
But senior left fielder Mark Hamilton said it is important not to get caught up in the lure surrounding the game. "(The attendance) will be just like playing in front of 3,000 people at Waco or Austin," he said. "The 3,000 people packed into the stands at one of those ballparks looks the same as 25,000 at the Ballpark in Arlington because it so big." Hamilton said the Frogs need to focus on the team that lines up across the field from them. "The real pressure is not playing in front of fans, but playing the No. 2 team in the nation," he said. "I don't look at it as an opportunity to play Texas. I hate that team, and I want to beat them." Hamilton transferred from Texas to TCU, and has a 0-3 record against his ex-teammates. "When I transferred from Texas, I wanted to go to a team that played them," he said. "So I really want to beat them this time." Reed said he thinks TCU has a chance of beating the nation's No. 2 team tonight. Texas defeated the Frogs 17-5 on March 7.
TCU players said they do not know what to expect from the Texas coach. "I don't think we have much of an idea of what (Texas is) going to do," Hamilton said. "Last year they threw their top three pitchers at us, and we did not pitch any of our first three arms." Texas' trickery resulted in a 3-0 win for the Longhorns, including only 10 combined hits between the teams. "Last year, we played a 3-0 game, and I was bored out of my mind, but it is a blast just playing there," Hamilton said. The Rangers' public relations department aired a TV commercial featuring ex-Frog and current Ranger pitcher, Jeff Zimmerman to inform fans about the game. Also, 20 TCU players passed out fliers to Ranger fans at the second game of the season. Assistant Media Relations Director Trey Carmichael said both TCU and the Rangers benefit monetarily from the game at the Ballpark. "The Rangers get all the proceeds from parking and concessions," he said. "Then they take a portion from the gate receipts." In 1996, TCU got a check for $102,000 from the gate receipts, Carmichael said. "More than the money, though, this game is about giving players a chance to play in a major league ballpark."
Rusty Simmons
By Rusty Simmons staff reporter Senior third baseman Levi Groomer moved three inches closer to the plate this year, and his new batting stance raised his average 61 points in a single season. Head coach Lance Brown had to make more drastic changes to get similar success this weekend. He changed the lineup in the final game of the series, and the Frogs gained a victory. But it wasn't enough to win the series. The Frogs dropped two of three games to the Fresno State Bulldogs at the TCU Diamond this weekend. In the series finale, Brown opted to start junior pitcher David Tombrella, freshman infielder Mike Settle, freshman outfielder Jeff Reed and senior designated hitter Cade Harris. "I think it was just time to get a different look," Reed said. "This team has a lot of players who can play numerous positions, and Brown gave some of us a chance this weekend." Tombrella, who had pitched 26.2 innings coming into the series, made his first start of the season. Settle, Reed and Harris, who had combined for 15 at bats before playing No. 17 Fresno State, almost doubled their season output with 12 at bats in the game three start. The result of the changes was the Frogs' lone win of the weekend, 10-1. Tombrella pitched seven innings, allowing only one run while striking out three batters. "(Tombrella) really got my attention in fall practices because of how awesome his stuff is," Settle said. "He had all of it working (against Fresno), and he was just confusing the batters all game." Reed reached base in all five of his plate appearances getting two walks, three hits and driving in two runs. "I'm just a redshirt freshman, so I know I'm not going to get a lot of playing time yet," Reed said. "I just try to take advantage of it when I get the opportunity." Settle also had two RBIs, and Harris added a run and an RBI. Settle said he has been waiting all season for his chance to play. "It has been tough (to have to sit on the bench)," he said. "I was getting down, but I knew I would get a chance at some point. Now I just have to take advantage of the opportunity and show what I can do." The game started as a pitchers' duel, as neither team scored in the opening three innings. But TCU started the scoring in the fourth inning when junior outfielder Jason Price drew a two-out walk, and junior center fielder Marshall Wilson and Settle followed with consecutive run-scoring doubles. The Frogs took a seven-run lead in the fifth inning, highlighted by Price's two-run double. Harris, Wilson and Reed all added RBI singles in the inning. TCU added three insurance runs in the seventh inning before junior pitcher Stan Newton took over for Tombrella. Newton struck out four batters in two innings of scoreless relief. Game two was more of what Brown, who has never won fewer than 24 games as head coach, has seen all year. The Frogs (14-25), gave up eight runs, left 11 runners stranded on base and made three errors in the 8-3 loss. "We have been playing at the level of our competition all year," Settle said. "We had a chance to win this game even though we didn't play nearly as well as we can." The Bulldogs scored in the first inning on a two-out single by Brandon Gemoll. Neither team scored again until the fifth inning when Fresno State grabbed a 2-0 lead on Tom Creighton's RBI single. The Frogs tied the score in the sixth inning on a two-run home run by Harris. But as TCU began to strand more and more runners in late innings, the Bulldogs pulled away. Anthony Acevedo's two-run double and another RBI by Gemoll sparked a four-run eighth inning for the Bulldogs. Fresno State added two more runs in the ninth inning but did not need them as insurance because the Frogs could score only one more run against the Bulldogs' relief pitchers. Although senior pitcher Shawn Thompson took his fourth loss of the season in the second game, he broke two school records. Thompson broke Frank Johnstone's record for career starts, set in 1974, with 48. He also broke Scott Atchison's record for career strikeouts, set last year, with 310. "I wasn't aware Thompson had a chance at the (strikeouts) record until after the game," Reed said. "That's just one of those things that is kept quiet. You focus on the game, and then you celebrate afterwards." The Frogs tied a school record with four triples in the series opener but wasted their 12 hits by committing six errors in the 9-7 loss. TCU held a 7-6 lead going into the ninth inning, but four hits and three runs later, Fresno State had pulled out the win. Acevedo doubled home Creighton to knot the score, and his RBI ignited the Bulldogs' rally. TCU scored runs in four of the first six innings, including two RBI triples by senior left fielder Mark Hamilton and a run-scoring triple by sophomore shortstop Erick Macha which led to a 7-4 lead. Despite allowing only four earned runs in eight and 2/3 innings pitched, Bradshaw suffered his fourth loss of the season as Fresno State made five runs in the final three innings to beat the Frogs.
Rusty Simmons |
"In the throwing game, that's what
you look for - some consistency and spreading the ball around the field,"
he said.
TCU started the match by winning the doubles point, taking
two of three doubles matches. The Owls picked up the lone doubles win at
the No. 1 doubles spot, as Alexi Porsche and Prakash Venkataramin knocked
off juniors Trace Fielding and Esteban Carril, 8-4.
During his four years at Country Day High
School in Fort Worth, Mike Settle got used to looking at the bleachers
and seeing seats more empty than full.
Connally, now a coach at TCU, hit a game-winning
home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to edge Texas 8-7 in the 1998
game.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |