PRACTICE GAMES WILL ENGAGE NINE

After two weeks of hard practice in the new Le Baron Russell Briggs baseball cage Coach F. G. Mitchell has pronounced the University baseball squad ready to take part in practice contests, beginning next week. The pitching staff has been rapidly rounding into shape, and yesterday for the first time this season the pitchers began to curve the ball. As a result the batting, which has been hard and continuous to date, fell off a bit.

The first practice game will be held at the beginning of next week in the cage, and will probably last about six innings. These practice contests, made possible this year by the new cage, have been inaugurated by Coach Mitchell to give the squad more experience and practice before the first game, with Boston University on April 7. Elaborate ground rules will be in force, and the outfielders of the opposing nines will not take their place in the field, confining their activities to work with the bat.

W. W. Lord '28, the foremost candidate for the catcher's berth, has been taking his turn regularly behind the bat with a recently-formed first-string infield, made up of R. E. Durkee '29, and J. A. Prior '29 alternating at the first-base position, J. J. Carver '30 at the keystone sack, R. C. Sullivan '28 at shortstop, and G. E. Donaghy '29 at the hot corner.

With the appearance of Captain H. W. Burns '28, who reported for practice yesterday, the entire University squad, with the exception of J. N. Barbee '28, first-string pitcher, Willard Howard '28, another regular on the hurling corps, and J. P. Chase '28, second baseman, is working out in the cage, and having regular batting and infield practice.

Coach Mitchell has allowed these three veterans a week's rest after the strenuous hockey and basketball seasons, which have just been completed, but it is expected that they will report at the beginning of next week.UNIVERSITY PITCHER WHO WILL REPORT NEXT WEEK WILLARD HOWARD '28