Crimson Nine, Del Rossi Will Oppose Experienced Tufts Squad at Medford

If the rain ever stops, the Crimson baseball team will kick off a weekend series against two Massachusetts teams with a game at Tufts this afternoon at 3 p.m.

The varsity, unable to squeeze in a game with Northeastern in three tries this week, will be opening the defense of its Greater Boston League title and trying to extend its absolute mastery over Tufts. The Jumbos last won back in 1957.

The last two of Harvard's wins over Tufts were turned in by Paul Del Rossi, who will go back to the hill this afternoon to try for three in a row. In 1962 Del Rossi beat the Jumbos 6-1; last year it was 5-2.

Tomorrow the nine travels to Spring-field for a non-league game against a team that lost to Harvard 8-0 last year.

The victim last year was a left-handed fastballer named Miles Nogelo, and he too is likely to be on the scene in Medford today. At Kindlestick Park last year, Nogelo issued seven walks and disappeared when the Crimson won the game with a three-run rally in the eighth.

Del Rossi's pitching statistics recently have, as usual, been impressive. In 15 innings this year the stylish lefthander has given up just six hits and one earned run. In his last outing at Richmond, Del Rossi turned in one of his best games ever; he threw a one-hitter, fanned 15 men, and didn't issue a walk, while beating the Spiders 2-0.

It's beginning to look like Del Rossi will have to be that good every time in order to win, because Crimson bats have been awfully cold this spring. After a 15-run outburst at Lynychburg (on 12 singles, seven walks, and five errors) the Crimson attack was noticeably absent down south. In their last three games. Harvard hitters have brought in just five-runs--one of the games went 16 innings.

Infield Back

Quieting the Tufts bats is no easy matter, either. The entire Jumbo infield is back, led by the first baseman Vandy French, a former Little League teammate of Del Rossi who looks like he still might to be in the little leagues (5 ft., 7 in., 148 pounds). All French did last year was hit .368, steal 20 bases, and pitch relief.

Back at second is Bob Guidi, a .306 hitter in 1963. Dale Grinnell (.266) holds down the shortstop spot, with Wally Rogers (.273) rounding out the infield. Steve Karp, team leader in RBI's, is behind the plate.

In the outfield, though, it's a different matter. The only returning letterman hit .187 last year and Jumbo fans are hoping sophomore Dennis Orpen, reputedly a hot major-league prospect, can take up some of the slack.