Crimson Baseball Squad Chooses Bernhard, Varney as Co-Captains

Seniors Pete Bernhard and Pete Varney will co-captain next year's varsity baseball squad. Following the decision of the fencing team to elect co-captains, the Crimson nine will be only the second squad in Harvard athletic history to have co-captains.

In its May meeting, the Faculty on Athletic Sports overruled a traditional Harvard policy that stipulated that no team could elect co-captains.

There was no particular reason for the previous ruling," Assistant Director of Athleties Eric Cutler said yesterday. "It's just been a tradition ever since Harvard athleties began. I suppose we were the only college in the country that still disallowed co-captains."

The traditional practice was first challenged in 1966. but the Harvard Undergraduate Athletic Committee defended the ruling at that time. In April of this year the Undergraduate Committee reviewed the practice again and this time recommended to the Faculty that a change be made.

"There was no real immediate cause for the change." Cutler added. "I think it just reflects a general change in attitudes toward athleties on campus."

Under the previous ruling, a tie in the election of a team captain was broken by the manager. "It was a real onus on the manager. Someone was certain to see him as a stinker," Cutler said.

Now, a team must decide, after nominations and before the vote, whether it wishes to elect a single captain or cocaptains. If they choose to elect a single captain, the manager will still cast the deciding vote. If they choose to elect cocaptains, the top-two candidates are declared co-captains.

In addition to the election of the captains, the baseball team also presented several awards. Senior captain Jack Turco received the Wingate Bat as the team's most valuable player. The Coaches Award. presented for extra-effort and improvement. went to senior Neil Hurley.

In the Eastern League. Dan DeMichele won the Charles H. Blair Bat. emblematic of batting superiority in the league. Harvard has now won the batting championship three consecutive years.

Pitcher J. C. Nickens became only the second Harvard pitcher ever to lead the EIBL with the lowest earned run avergae.