Crimson Batmen Visit Omaha

Omaha jokes aside, the Harvard baseball squad is hoping to spend some time in the Nebraska home of Wild Kingdom, starting this Friday. Despite the shortcomings of the city itself, last year's two-day visit was disappointing for the Crimson nine and the team would like a few more days to take in the sights.

Coach Loyal Park thinks that this season he has the answer to a longer stay in Omaha and the College World Series, which brings Harvard all the way out to the Cornhusker state for an opening-round game Friday against the University of Miami, District III champions.

"The secret of going to Omaha," Park said after his club won the District I championship over New Hampshire, "is to have a team that has been there the year before."

Disappointing Trip

Last year the Crimson diamondmen went out to the World Series for the first time since 1971 with a 35-3 record, outstanding pitching--especially from ace Roz Brayton--and a team average over .300 on the season. All that got them was a 4-1 loss to powerhouse Southern Cal in the first game and a 7-0 drubbing by Georgia Southern in the double elimination tourney. Harvard tied a World Series futility record for scoring only a single run in two appearances. The Crimson bats managed a mere seven hits total.

This year, the credentials going to Omaha aren't quite as impressive as last season's, when the team breezed through its schedule. The 1974 squad had to struggle from a mediocre start and a mid-season hitting slump to take the Eastern League title to earn a berth in the NCAA district tourney and the District I crown to earn a spot in the Series.

Harvard posts a 31-9 record (not quite as awesome as the Southern and Western powerhouses that have lost as few or fewer contests on schedules that are 20 or so games longer), three good starters (but certainly no Braytons) and a less-than-terrifying hitting attack.

But the stats are deceptive: the Crimson squad has been hot down the stretch when it counts. Everything is falling together for the team that started on a dismal note, losing two top hitters before the season even started and seeing the pitching, notably Mike O'Malley and Don Driscoll, run into some hard luck in the early going. Now, O'Malley and Driscoll are among the best in the East.

And Harvard has the advantage of having been to the prestigious event before. Most of the team remembers last year's humiliation and if revenge isn't a factor, experience and pride certainly will be.

The Sights of Omaha

Miami, which downed South Carolina in the NCAAs, will be viewing the sights of Omaha for the first time, since Georgia Southern took the district last year. The Hurricanes, however, have the advantage of 17 more games in the regular season to polish up the defense and execution.

But Park is not worried about how his defense will stack up against the opposition. The infield of Jim Thomas, Ed Durso, Ric LaCivita and Leigh Hogan, as well as the strong arm of catcher Dan Williams, have been impressive and Park sees the defense and team speed as the keys to success this year.

Maybe this season the Harvard hardball heroes will get a chance to see all the attractions of Omaha they missed last year.