Varsity Nine Travels to Cornell, Penn For 2 Crucial Eastern League Games

The varsity baseball team will travel almost 1000 miles this weekend in a search for two Eastern League victories that would make Harvard's first league title since 1957 almost a certainty.

The Crimson takes a 5-0 conference record into this afternoon's game with Cornell (1-3-1) at Ithaca. After playing the Big Red, the team travels to Philadelphia for a game Saturday afternoon with Penn (2-3-1).

If the travel doesn't affect the squad, Harvard should win both games. That's a big if, however. Travel tightens up muscles, and gives hitters, especially, trouble. And the varsity is going to need all the hitting it can get Friday against one of the league's best pitchers.

Tough Guy

Cornell's Ray Ratkowski has completed all of his five starts, has three wins, an 0.80 earned-run average, and only six walks in 43 innings. In addition, he pitched 13 innings against Princeton before settling for a 2-2 tie.

In back of Ratkowski, Cornell has some pretty fair hitters. Shortstop Tony deLaurentis leads the league with a .522 average and third baseman George Norman is .407 on the season. Behind the plate for the Red is one Jim Konstanty, whose father used to pitch relief for the Philadelphia Phillies' "Whis Kids" of 1950.

Against Cornell, the varsity will be starting Paul Del Rosel, now 25-3 over his three-year Harvard career, 6-1 on the season and 3-0 in league competition. Del threw one of his best games Saturday, a 1-0 shutout over Army that kept the Crimson on top of the league.

Luther Comes Back

Against Penn, righthander Andy Luther, the loser against Holy Cross Tuesday, will probably go back to the hill. The loss was Luther's first this season after five wins. The burly righthander has been troubled by wildness at times during the year, but he has pitched intelligently in jams, and kept out of trouble until Tuesday.

Penn's starting pitcher could be Pat Procacci, a lefthanded slowballer with a 1-0 league record, or Chuck Miller, who has lost two and tied one. Jeff Neuman, the best basketball guard in the Ivy League, pitches relief. Neuman's basketball cohort, Ray Carazo, is rightfielder, captain, and leading hitter for the Quakers.

Harvard's hitting strength is beginning to be somewhat suspect; with sophomore Jim Tobin out of the lineup with mononucleosis, only centerfielder Neville is over .300 among the regulars. The team has produced only two runs in its last two games.

After the weekend's games, the varsity has only games with Dartmouth and Yale (1-2) remaining on the League schedule. There is also a Greater Boston League game with Brandeis Tuesday.

In G.B.L. competition, Harvard, Boston College, and Northeastern are currently tied for first with one loss apiece. The game with Brandels is the Crimson's last, and if either B.C. or Northeastern finishes without another loss, Harvard will lose the title on a percentage basis.