The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 15

X- i THE TIMES THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1989 3B AREA Maturity helping Ex-Tiger pitcher won't let rain wash out pinstripes Airline getting ready for state tournament slumping Tech ace ASC pairings By JOE BURCHICK The Times For about the last two weeks of the regular-season, Louisiana Tech senior third baseman Ken 'Shamburg experienced something he had not done during the earlier part of the season a nor (6-4) will start against St. Amant Friday. "I kind of know his tendencies and the way he thinks," Sharp said. "I know what he likes to throw and he knows what I like to call. The working relationship is most imporatant.

If you can get him to trust you and you trust him, you can work the batters any way you want." Sharp believes the key to the Vikings' success this season has been defense and clutch hitting. "We don't make many errors and we make the good plays," he said. "And the bottom part of our order is hitting. When we're all hitting you better watch out. If one person doesn't hit, the next person has to hit and he knows it." Gannett News Service NEW YORK A storybook setting for Clay Parker's New York Yankee debut with famed Yankee Stadium as the stage, and future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers as his opposite number on the mound was washed out by an all day rain Wednesday.

But the stormy weather could not cloud the spirits of the 26-year-old Pistolthicket native and former LSU pitcher from his first day in pinstripes. "This is great, there is no place where I rather would be," said Parker. "As a kid growing up, the Yankee tradition was what baseball was about and I feel fortunate to be here." Parker approached his starting assignment like a veteran, saying he "slept like a baby Tuesday." He figured that the people most worked up about the game were his parents Jim and Wanda and younger sister Dana back home. "They were pretty fired up about it. They have a satellite dish and were going to have a big party watching it," said Parker, who pitched in three games for the Seattle Mariners at the end of the 1987 season.

Seattle traded him to New York in December of that year. Parker figures that he will have to now wait his full five day turn in the rotation before getting his next start, which could mean facing the American League champion Oakland A's next Tuesday. The Yankees left for California Wednesday night and open a four-game set against the California Angels on Friday. Continued from Page IB them not to lose sight of their dream, to just play hard and make it to the tournament," Bohanon said. "After we lost that one, we were not really crushed but we were emotionally down," Sharp said.

"We got pumped back up, started winning a few more games and kind of got back in the groove and stayed with it. We're definitely in the groove now." Sharp and pitcher Glen May-nor have been in the groove for a long time. The two were teammates on Bossier City's Dixie League World Series' championship team in 1985 and have played together since then. May- slight slump. a burg, who in two years at Tech had set a career record for home runs (39) and who this season AT NEW ORLEANS TODAY'S GAMES 3 o.m.: Southwestern Louisiana (49-11) vs.

Lamar (25-29). 7d New Orleans (27-28) vs. Louisiana Tech (35-15). FRIDAY'S GAMES Noon: Thursday's losers (loser of this game eliminated). 3 o.m.: Thursday's winners.

7 p.m.: Noon game winner vs. 3 p.m. game loser (loser of this game eliminated). SATURDAY'S GAMES 1 p.m.: Friday's 3 p.m. game winner vs.

Friday's 7 p.m. game winner. 4 p.m.: If necessary. NOTE: Tournament tickets are available at Ticketmaster of New Orleans (504-888-8181) and dally at UNO's Privateer Park. Six-game ticket pack-oge is SIS.

Individual day tickets are $8 for today, $10 for Friday and for one game Saturday. If a second game is needed Saturday, ticket price will be S4 for that game. nBBOKBHBBBIBBHfllBHnBBBBBBBBBinBiiHB HI CELEBRATING 39 YEARS rrrx I IN THE TIRE AND CAR SERVICE BUSINESS WITH 31 LOCATIONS had led the Shamburg team in hitting hits (67), runs scored (52), home runs (18) and runs batted in (63), had not homered in two weeks. 1 Also, his batting average at one time near .500 had steadily declined. Batting -399 might not be too bad, but when you reach it by slipping not improving in average, there is reason for concern.

Concern, yes. Panic and frustration, as may have been the THROUGHOUT THE ARK-LA-TEX TIRE AND SERVICE CENTERS WHERE YOU ALWAYS GET THE BEST TIRE DEAL IN TOWN BARNEY MOORE I case several years ago, definitely Shamburg, a 22-year-old from Redding, has indeed made things work. Last year, he hit 21 home runs and knocked in a school record 72 runs. He set higher goals this year. But while his home run and RBI production fell, his batting average improved.

"I'm happy with my batting average," Shamburg said. "I wanted to get above .350. "The home runs, you always think back and feel that you can hit more." The key, Shamburg said, to hitting it out of the park is patience. "They (pitchers) have got to throw the ball over the plate sooner or later. You've got to be patient, swing at strikes.

It gets hard after a while. You get greedy. You want to swing at all that garbage. You have to be patient." Shamburg, who is about a year 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.

not. I "It has taken me four years to realize that if you screw up, you'll always get another at-bat," Shamburg said. "I finally got to realizing that. This year, I got frustrated some I launched my batting helmet once but one of the biggest things I've learned about this game is you'll always get more at-bats. Why let one at-bat ruin the rest of your game?" This approach to baseball is a reflection of Shamburg's at-' titude on life: loose and If things don't work out right away, there's always a time1 when things will get better.

Shamburg's slump appears to 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 (bat-' ter's box), you'll do what you can to make it work." Tech (35-15) begins the American South Conference double-elimination 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. 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, WJ I WHITEWALL RADIAL 1 ft 1 UUcrV3km Great Traction On 49- I 62. ill tCXtx stasias asr mm 1 11 TIEMPO RADIAL ARRIVA RADIAL G-METRIC RADIAL Rebate Buy Four and Save uumrFWALLNj fill Rebate Rebate When you buy any combination ot lour qualifying shock absorbers or special application When you buy any combination ol lour qualifying products and at least two ot the units are either struts or strut replacement cartridges." I EVERYDAY BLACKWALL L0W pRCE SIZE With Old Tire 155SR12 $35.65 155SR13 $37.75 165SR13 $41-95 175SR13 $44.06 185SR14 $50.35 165SR15 $48.25 17570SR13 $45.10 18570SR13 $47.20 18570SR14 $48.25 $34 BLACKWALL P15580R-13 WHITEWAU I WEEDED P16575R-13 $36 P13575R-14 $59 I $69 P15580R13 SOQ P16580R13 4Jl' P18575R14 P19575R14 JJl P20575R15 SIQ P21575R15 Pii THtwORLD tnr Details GIGANTIC LUBE, OIL CHANGE FILTER ROTATION BALANCE I Includes chassis lube, oil Includes 4 Wheal Rotation 4 Computerized Wheel Balances $1988 I filter and up to five quarts JJDQ mapr brand oil.

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