Indian Pitchers Challenge Nine

Baseball coach Loyal Park has a favorite saying: "Baseball is a funny game. On a given day a 'hot' pitcher or a 'hot' hitter can beat any team."

The Crimson, leading the Eastern League in the race for an NCAA invitation, today faces two of the hottest pitchers in the country: Dartmouth's famous Pete Broberg and, less known but equally respected, Charlie Janes.

Harvard needs to win both ends of the 1:30 p.m. doubleheader in Hanover, New Hampshire. Princeton and Navy trail the Crimson by only a single game, and the Tigers will be in Cambridge for a doubleheader next weekend.

Comparing records to date, Dartmouth is not as strong as the Crimson this spring. Hitting only 238 as a team, the Indians dropped out of contention for the League title with losses to Cornell and Army last weekend.

Passes Up Pros

But Broberg and Janes are "hot" pitchers. Broberg in particular. The Dartmouth right-hander passed up a huge bonus-contract with the pros to matriculate in Ivy halls. And as a freshman, Broberg attracted more attention than the Eastern League-champion varsity. He fired two no-hitters, a one-hitter, two two-hitters and averaged two strikeouts an inning.

But in his sophomore year, Broberg began showing signs of a weakness. He struck out 85 in 69 innings and established a 6-2 record, but the right-hander also walked 59 batters. Against the Crimson, Broberg struck out nine and held Harvard to three hits, but he barely escaped the loss when his team rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the final inning.

Velocity

Broberg has more velocity than any other pitcher in the Eastern League, but, unfortunately for the Indians, he does not have the finest control. This spring Broberg has struck out 59 in 37 innings, but he has walked 30 and is only 3-3 for the season.

On a "hot" day, Broberg is going to strike out the Red Sox. On a "cold" day? Baseball is a funny game. Broberg walked the first three Cornell batters he faced last weekend.

Janes is also one of the leading pitchers in the league. He has a 1.50 ERA and a 3-1 record. While Broberg is getting the headlines, Janes has been winning the second game of the doubleheader.

Dartmouth's pitching staff may be weak in relief pitchers, but coach Tony Lupien doesn't have to worry. Broberg and Janes are also both durable. In six starts, Broberg has gone the distance each time, and Janes has only been relieved twice in six games.

Since Thursday's game with B.U. was rained out, Park has several pitchers available today. Bill Kelly will definitely pitch in one game, and Park can pick from three undefeated pitchers-Phil Collins, Roz Brayton, and J.C. Nickens-for his second starter.

Dartmouth may be having a poor hitting year, but the Big Green have the potentially "hot" hitters. Leffielder Frank Mannarino hit .571 for the first six games of the season, and when he began to cool off, falling to .400, right-fielder Wayne Young picked up the pace and jumped his average to .471.

One at a Time

Reviewing the Dartmouth line-up, the Indians have nine starting lettermen from a team that finished fifth in the NCAA World Series last spring. The Big Green beat Navy, a team which held Harvard to one run, 9-8 last month, and Broberg and Janes can easily protect a nine-run lead.

At the start of the season, Lupien said "ten wins will take the Eastern League title." The Indians can still win ten games if they finish their season undefeated.

Coach Park doesn't think in terms of seasons. "You put your best material forward to win a given ball game on a given day," Park says. Today, Park will be hoping Broberg and Janes are not showing their "best material."

EASTERN LEAGUE

W L

Harvard 8 1

Navy 6 2

Princeton 6 2

Cornell 6 3

Dartmouth 5 4

Brown 3 5

Army 3 6

Yale 2 6

Penn 2 6

Columbia 1 7