Maturity helping slumping Tech ace By JOE BURCHICK The Times ASC pairings For about the last two weeks of the regular-season, Louisiana AT NEW ORLEANS TODAY'S GAMES Tech senior third baseman Ken 'Shamburg experienced some- 3 p.m.: Southwestern Louisiana thing he had not done during the (49-11) vs. Lamar (25-29). earlier part of the season .. . a ana 7p.m.: Tech New (35-15). Orleans (27-28) vs. Louisislight slump. Sham. • FRIDAY'S GAMES burg, who Noon: Thursday's losers (loser of this in two game eliminated). years at 3 p.m.: Thursday's winners. Tech 7 p.m.: Noon game winner vs. 3 p.m. had game loser (loser of this game set a ca- eliminated). reer record SATURDAY'S GAMES for home runs (39) 1 p.m.: Friday's 3 p.m. game winner and who vs. Friday's 7 p.m. game winner. 4 p.m.: If necessary. this season had led the Shamburg NOTE: Tournament tickets are team in hitting (.399), hits (67), available at Ticketmaster of New Orleans (504-888-8181) and daily at UNO's runs scored (52), home runs (18) Privateer Park. ticket Six-game packand runs batted in (63), had not age is $18. Individual day tickets are $8 homered in two weeks. for today, $10 for Friday and $4 for one game Saturday. If a second game is Also, his batting average - at needed Saturday, ticket price will be $4 one time near .500 - had stead- for that game. ily declined. Batting •399 might not be too bad, but when you reach it by slipping - not im- Calif., Shamburg, a 22-year-old from Redding, Calif., has indeed proving - in average, there i is made work. Last he reason for concern. things year, hit 21 home runs and knocked in Concern, yes. Panic and frusa school record 72 runs. tration, as may have been the case several years ago, definitely He set higher goals this year. But while his home run and RBI not. "It has taken me four years to production fell, his batting averrealize that if you screw up, age improved. you'll always get another at- "I'm happy with my batting bat," Shamburg said. "I finally average," Shamburg said. "I got to realizing that. This year, I wanted to get above" .350. "The got frustrated some I home runs, you always think launched my batting helmet once back and feel that you can hit - but one of the biggest things more." I've learned about this game is The key, Shamburg said, to hityou'll always get more at-bats. ting it out of the park is patience. Why let one at- ruin the rest of "They (pitchers) have got to your game?" throw the ball over the plate This approach to baseball is a sooner or later. You've got to be reflection of Shamburg's at-' patient, swing at strikes. It gets titude on life: loose and carefree., hard after a while. You get If things don't work out right greedy. You want to swing at all away, there's always a time' that garbage. You have to be pawhen things will get better. tient." Shamburg's slump appears to Shamburg, who is about a year be ending. shy of getting a general studies be ending. "Every year, everyone goes through times where you don't feel well at the plate," Shamburg said. "For me, it came during the last two weeks. But now, I'm feeling better. "As a hitter, you know what happens. You can tell, when you're on deck, if you're going to hit the ball. At least I can. You know when you get in there (batter's box), you'll do what you can to make it work." Tech (35-15) begins the American South Conference doubleelimination tournament tonight at 7 against host New Orleans (27-28) in the second game of a first-round double-header. Southwestern Louisiana (49-11), No. 23 nationally, meets Lamar (25-29) in today's opening game at 3 p.m. Tech, 8-7 during the ASC regular season, is the tournament's No. 3 seed. USL, 11-4, is No. 1; UNO, 10-5, is No. 2 and Lamar, 8-7, is No. 4. The tournament runs through Saturday. The winner goes to the NCAA tournament. Since coming to Tech two seasons ago as a transfer from Butte Junior College in Chico, shy of getting a general studies degree in wildlife management, wants a shot at pro baseball. He had a chance after his freshman year at Butte when he was drafted by Seattle. He still wonders whether he made the right decision to pass on the Mariners and play college ball. "I don't know why I passed. I listened to too many people and I didn't realize what I wanted," he said. "Regret? Yeah, in a way. I think about what would have happened if I had gone then. "I know now I want to play (pro ball)," he continued. "I've always wanted to play, no doubt about it. I hope I get drafted." He has had contact with Kansas City, San Diego and the New York Yankees. Shamburg, who considered playing at UNLV after Butte, made his only recruiting trip to Tech, fell in love with the school's facilities and the area and decided Ruston was where he wanted to spend the next two years of his life. "I still like Northern California better, but this will work for the time being," he said.
