Baseball Team Plays B.U. Today; McCandlish to Pitch for Crimson

The baseball team plays B.U. at 3 p.m. today at Soldiers Field, and should be able to win its seventh game of the season.

Last year's team, with a 12-11 record, tied B.U. for the Greater Boston League Championship. The Crimson is stronger this year, and, with the Terriers hurting from graduation, will probably win.

Junior Jim McCandlish will start the game for Harvard. He led the staff in won-lost percentage (.714) and in earned run average last year (1.89). McCandlish will face B.U.'s Ron Giroliman.

So far this season the Terriers have an 0-1 record in Eastern play and a 3-4 record including their training trip South. Captain Bob Scanlon at first base and hockey stars Jim Wood at third and Tom Ross in left should provide some good hitting for B.U.

The Crimson has been strengthened by several talented sophomores. With the graduation of team captain Tom Bilodeau, the varsity was left with a gap at shortstop. But sophomore Jeff Grate has played good ball at short and seems to have the job nailed down.

Bob Welz, another sophomore, has filled the first base position. Bob Tobin and Neil Houston will round out the infield at third and second.

As usual the Crimson has a strong outfield. Captain John Dockery is the left fielder and will bat in the lead-off slot. Dan Hootstein, who hit .325 last year, will be in right. George Neville slumped some last year--he hit .345 as a sophomore--but he is still considered an outstanding centerfielder.

The Crimson's sucess this year will rest largely on its pitching staff. Senior John Scott and McCandlish are the two most experienced hurlers on the team. Two more sophomores, Bom Lincoln and lefty Tom Munzel, will provide additional depth. Lincoln averaged 13 strikeouts pernine innings in compiling a 5-0 record for the freshmen last year.