Senior Superstars

Jeff Musselman could have pitched three innings at Fenway Park this afternoon. He's going to listen to Commencement speaker Paul Volckerin instead.

As one of two Harvard players named to the All-New England baseball team. Musselman could have joined classmate Scott Vierra and Coach Alex Nahigian in today's all-star game.

But if things went according to plan this week. Musselman may get another chance at Fenway, this time as a major leaguer. A week before the pro draft, several scouts had called the Crimson hurler to ask if he was interested in a baseball career.

"His phone's been ringing off the hook," Nahigian says. "I think he deserves an opportunity I think the market, too, is there for lefthanders."

"I'm very anxious to play," Musselman says. "The odds of me getting drafted are pretty good."

The Economics concentrator from Lanoka Harbor, N.J. just might be the best Harvard pitcher in 10 years.

Musselman went 9-2 this season, winning more games than any Crimson hurler since Larry Brown '79 went 10-1 in 1978. Musselman's 77 strikeouts in 70 innings is one better than Brown's '76 in frames. Musselman allowed only 48 hits and walked just 28 batters, 10 of them in his first game of the year.

"He really came into his own this year," Nahigian says. "He pitched with confidence, maturity."

His teammates voted him the MVP of this year 29-10. Harvard squad, and with good reason. Musselman threw a no-hitter against Penn and a two-hitter at Princeton.

More important, he came through in the clutch winning key games in Harvard's successful drive to force a playoff with Princeton for the league title.

The two biggest victories came in relief. At Cornell he pitched 5-1-3 innings as Harvard stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to grab a 5-4 victory. At Dartmouth, he struck out 10 and walked none in six shutout innings as the Crimson rallied for a 2-1 decision.

"He was out stopper," says Nahigian.

The 6-ft., 175-lb. Musselman has a three pitch repertoire: a bread-and-butter slider ("My best pitch"), a curveball ("My out pitch") and a fastball ("I've been clocked up at 88 [m.p.h.] before")