FIRST YALE BASEBALL GAME

Harvard and Yale will play the first game of their annual baseball series in New Haven, this afternoon. The second game will be played on Soldiers Field at 2 o'clock on Thursday, and the third game, in case one is required, in New York on Tuesday, June 28. This is a reversal of the usual order of the first two games. Frequently in the past the first game of the series has been played in Cambridge, but when the Yale Commencement was set one week earlier than usual, it was found desirable to change the order of the games.

McLaughlin will probably pitch for Harvard, and Murfey or Tommers for Yale. There is some doubt as to whether Philbin will be able to catch for Yale; he has been laid up most of the season with an injured ankle, which was further weakened in the game with Cornell last Saturday. Gardner may have a chance in right field for Harvard, but Chase will probably be first choice for the position.

Neither the Harvard or Yale nines are in the first rank of college teams this year. Harvard has lost nine games, won seven, and tied one. Yale's record is 12 games won, 13 lost, and three tied. The weakness of the Harvard team can be laid to two causes: up to the time that McLaughlin was first used as a pitcher there was a great weakness in the pitching department, for Hicks was the only man who could be depended upon; and about the time that McLaughlin was discovered, Aronson was injured and since then there has been little strength in the outfield. Aronson was by far the best of the outfielders, and his loss since the first Princeton game has made the outfield problem a difficult one. Babson, the best of the remaining outfielders, was shifted over to left field from right, and Rogers and Chase were brought up from the second team for the other two positions, Minot being displaced. Rogers has done very well indeed at the bat and now leads the team, but his fielding is but mediocre and his throwing poor. Chase has had very little chance to show what he can do.

The Harvard infield is a fair one. Potter at second is the most valuable man. McLaughlin and Hicks, interchanging at first, are both very reliable at the position. Lanigan is playing a good game at third base and his batting is better now than it was at the opening of the season. Marshall and Carr had an even competition for shortstop, and Marshall has won out by his cleaner fielding, though he is weak at the bat. Young has caught very well through the season, but in the last few games has shown the strain that the position makes on a man of light weight. Reeves or Brown may have to relieve him in the final games.

Yale likewise suffered heavily in the injury of one of her best players. Captain Philbin was injured at the very start of the season, and even now is not in condition to be of much help to the team. Yale has no dependable pitchers. Freeman, Tommers, Coy, and Murfey are all likely to be erratic though all have pitched well at times. The long Yale schedule has been a heavy tax on the pitchers, and they are not in the best of shape. This practice has given the team an unusual amount of experience at the bat, and the men, on an average, hit several points higher than the Harvard players.

University Team on Yale Field.

Yesterday afternoon the University team held a very satisfactory work-out practice on Yale Field. Most of the time was devoted to fielding practice to get the men well accustomed to the condition of the ground. It was not definitely decided whether Philbin will be able to catch for Yale today or not.

The batting orders:HARVARD.  YALE.Rogers, c.f.  c.f., BadgerMcLaughlin, p.  3b., LoganHicks, 1b.  1b., MurphyPotter, 2b.  p., TommersLanigan, 3b.  c., Philbin, CarhartGardner, Chase, r.f.  2b., McIntyreMarshall, s.s.  r.f., CoreyYoung, c.  s.s., MerrittBabson, l.f.  l.f., Steven