Nine to Meet Penn Today

WHRB will transmit the contest.

The Crimson nine will open its Ivy schedule and try to win its first Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League contest against Pennsylvania here this afternoon. The team dropeped the E.I.B.L. opener to Navy, 15 to 6, at Annapolis, and after losing its last two games to Northeastern and Springfield, a win in today's contest is a must.

Fireballer Ed Wadsworth will take the mound against the Quakers in pursuit of his third win of the spring. Wadsworth pitched very effective games against Quantico and Brandeis, and seems to have overcome for the moment his disastrous control problem of last year. At Brandeis he gave up only three runs and struck out four, although he tired in the late innings as he issued five walks, and often ran the count to 3 and 2. After a light workout Wednesday, and a rest yesterday, he feels fully recovered from his four inning relief stint Tuesday against Springfield.

Coach Norm Shepard was in a talkative and optimistic mood last night as he discussed the team's chances. Left hander Gerry Emmet, out of action so far this spring with a sore arm, was throwing hard in yesterday's practice, and his return to the active list would solve many of Shepard's worrisome pitching problems. Shepard's, "Boy, it looked good!" seems to express everyone's reaction to Emmet's recovery

Shepard was lyrical as he talked of the Crimson's hitting to date. "The team is hitting so much better than I thought we would. It's just like last year's team which was a really good hitting club." There are five players who are batting over the .310 mark, headed by third baseman Chet Boulris' .390 average.

First baseman Al Martin, the nine's outstanding sophomore, has been the only man to hit consistently in every contest, and has compiled a .380 mark since April 1. Martin is also another of Shepard's untried hurlers. Slated last week to pitch every three games, he will likely be Shepard's choice to relieve.

Captain and catcher John Davis, a .345 hitter until this week, is in the throes of a temporary slump, though he should snap out of it this afternoon, and give the Crimson added power.

Rambling on to the 12-2 shellacking the varsity received at the hands of Springfield Tuesday, Shepard noted that, "Springfield is perennially one of the three or four best teams in New England." He felt that the varsity has a good chance to pick up an important win this afternoon, if the Pennsylvania coach does not start his number one hurler, righthander Dave Weed. Otherwise, he feels the Quakers will hold a slight edge.