Lining Them Up

Harvard expects to have a good team and hopes to have a championship League baseball season this year. Can Coach Fred Mitchell find a pitcher to support his coming ace, the burly Sophomore righthander, Ed Ingalls? Can he find a hard-hitting outfielder to fill little Frank Owen's 1935 shoes in the right garden? Upon the answer to these two questions hang the rise or fall of the second Varsity nine to be led by the Second Marshal of his class, the peppery receiver, and inspirational leader, Dick Maguire.

The Infield, Adzigian to Colwell

Admittedly the Crimson has one of the strongest college infields offensively and defensively. John Adzigian, at third, was the leading Eastern player at his position last year, rating high on the Harvard team which finished second only to Dartmouth. Tom Bilodeau and Frank Owen around the keystone can play any position on any aggregation, at the same time able to swing the number 3 and 4 holes. Al Colwell, at first, captained, caught, and helped slug his 1938 Freshman team to 13 victories; with Maguire behind the plate he shifted to first where he has made rapid progress. After this big four Coach Mitchell has little proved infield material to look at. Carr, a classy fielder but weak hitter, who was with the Jayvees last year, Shean, a Sophomore, making the Princeton trip, John Sullivan, another second year man, steady but slow, and Mike Hovenanian, in and outer; these complete the roster of inner circle men.

But Lou Carr, utility shortstop, broke his leg the other day, and Dave Shean, reserve second baseman, still lacks experience or power at the bat. There is little possibility of sparing Bilodeau, a proficient hurler, for duty on the hill, or Frank Owen, an outfielder last season, for work in the outer cordon.

Outfielders, Mostly Braman Gibbs

Braman Gibbs is a veteran centerfielder and .300 hitter. Flanking him in left stands Ben Prouty, a left handed swinger who hits through third base, a natural second man in any batting order. But in right field there is a void. Jim Sullivan can field the position but can't hit. George Tittmann is erratic and further than that his services are needed with the pitching corps. At present that corps consists mainly of Ingalls; for Southpaw Dick Walsh has failed to live up to expectations, Tittmann is wild, Bilodeau is sequestered at short, and the hard working John Campana may probably never become a starting hurler because of his height, insufficient for that position.

Today the team opens its league schedule at Princeton on Monday it meets the Big Red at Cornell, tough games both in any League campaign. Mitch has a good team, perhaps a better team than that which finished second to Dartmouth last year. What its destiny is should depend on the two big question marks, the box and right field.