Ignacio Receives MVP Awards; Five Named as GBL All-Stars

While the Crimson nine celebrated weekend victories over Dartmouth and Yale, several Harvard players received individual recognition for outstanding performances during the season.

At the annual team banquet Saturday night, two seniors, captain John Ignacio and Bob Kalinoski, and two other players, Jack Turco and Dan DeMichele, were honored for their achievements. Last night, the Greater Boston League named thirteen players, including five of the Crimson nine, as League All-Stats.

Ignacio, recipient last week of Harvard's Jack Fadden Award, annually presented to an outstanding athlete who overcomes physical adversities, added the Dana J. P. Wingate Memorial Trophy to his list of awards. The trophy designates the most valuable player of the Crimson squad.

Hitting at a 320 clip, Ignacio finished fourth in team batting statistics while tying the Harvard record for most doubles in one season (9). The left fielder also leads the Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League batting standings with a 448 average. His nearest competitor for the EIBL's Charles H. Blair Bat is teammate Pete Varney, who hit 423.

Senior hurler Kalinoski is the first recipient of a new honor awarded on the basis of the individual's hustle and spirit in making an outstanding contribution to the team. Kalinoski, who began the season as a relief pitcher, won the three games he started, going the distance in two performances. He led the pitching staff with an earned run average of 2.56 while allowing only 30 hits in 38 2/3 innings.

Safe Arrivals

Dan DeMichele narrowly edged sophomore teammates Varney and Pete Bernhard for Harvard's Wendell Bat. The Bat is awarded on the basis of points for safe arrivals at first base, sacrifice hits, stolen bases, runs scored, and RBI's. DeMichele, who finished the season hitting .342, set a Harvard record for fewest strikeouts (3) in a single year.

Coach Loyal Park also announced that junior Jack Turco will captain next season's Crimson squad. As a sophomore, Turco was the starting catcher, but at the start of this season, Varney was the number one catcher.

Coach Park needed a strong right fielder, though, so he moved Varney to the outfield, and replaced him behind the plate with Turco. The strategy worked perfectly.

Final Crimson statistics reveal that Varney led the Harvard attacks in five different hitting categories. With 29 hits including two home runs, Varney finished at .377, Harvard's highest season batting average since 1955. He also scored 18 times while driving in 17 more tallies.

All-Stars

Undefeated in the Greater Boston League, the Crimson nine dominated the balloting for a GBL All-Star team. Ignacio, starting left fielder on the league line-up, tied Boston University pitcher Bob La Sorsa as the GBL's Most Valuable Player.

Right-hander Bob Dorwart, 6-2 for the season, was one of three selections joining LaSorsa on he mound, while Turco completed the battery. First baseman Pete Bernhard was also picked, and Varney, who played both catcher and right field during the season, was named as a utilityman.

These awards helped to offset the disappointment of the NCAA selection of teams for the District I playoffs. Coach John J. Connelly, chairman of the selection committee, announced yesterday that Boston University and the University of Massachusetts will play each other at Amherst the weekend of May 31 for the right to represent New England in the NCAA World Series in Omaha.

At the moment, the playoff will be a best of three series between the Terriers and the Redmen. Should Dartmouth beat Cornell this Saturday for the Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League title, the Indians will be added to the double-elimination contest.

All this indecision seems absurd from the Crimson's perspective. Harvard beat both B.U. and Dartmouth and compiled the best record in New England competition, but the selection committee has decided to take only the EIBL champion into the playoffs.