Lacrosse, Baseball Squads Hit Turf

After six weeks of darting around in the dusty gloom of Briggs Cage, three score and ten assorted baseball and lacrosse players surged out onto soggy Soldiers Field yesterday and threw the ball around.

Dolph Samborski has his work cut out for him, for the baseball mentor must fund a capable catcher to replace last year's most valuable player, "Hoss" Hamlen. At the moment Web Durant and Cliff Crosby are first in line for the post.

Samborski is also looking for a new keystone combine to replace Saul Mariaschin and ex-captain Jack Forte, and he will need a few more pitchers to supplement righthander Bill Connolly and fireman Ira Godin. New talent looks strong here, however, and the coach isn't worried as yet.

The rookie crop of outfielders has looked particularly ripe and Dolph thinks "there will be quite a battle there" for starting assignments.

Mid-field Shortage

It isn't that simple for Bob Maddux. He's in the market for good mid-field men. Every lacrosse team needs nine durable midfielders and Madux can only count up to six: Captain Hans Estin, Dave Abbot, Don Page, Don Louria, Bob Lang, and Austie Lyne. Between now and Saturday's scrimmage, with the Boston Lacrosse Club he hopes to unearth three more.

Both squads are off for the south at the beginning of next week with the nine squaring off against Johns Hopkins on Monday and the lacrosse team meeting Drexel. Bill Connolly will probably handle the starting mound chores.

But as in all spring trips the baseball and lacrosse men will be working under a handicap. Thanks to the warm sun, the southerners have been enjoying outdoor practice for two weeks more than the Crimson. With a fortnight's jump even a mediocre team can beat a better but unoriented group.