Batsmen Parry Sox

While their parent club was struggling against the rest of the major leagues in the Grapefruit League, Red Sox minor league squads were struggling against a different kind of opponent--the Harvard baseball team.

The batsmen travelled to Florida for eight games against Sox minor leaguers, most of them from Double or Triple A.

And after a week in the sun, the Crimson emerged with an impressive 3-3-2 slate, and primed for its opener tomorrow against Tufts.

"Basically, it was a real successful trip," Harvard Captain Bobby Kay said. "The teams we played down there were excellent teams--we're not going to face any better. The fact that we held our own against them bodes well for the season."

After opening up with a 12-5 victory, and then dropping a pair to the junior Sox, 14-6 and 12-6, the Crimson bounced back to capture a 3-2 squeaker.

Harvard played to two ties, 5-5 and 4-4, and dropped a 7-2 decision in its seventh game of the trip.

Adding a touch of star quality, Jerry Remy took the field for the minor leaguers Saturday in Harvard's final game, but was just one of many Red Sox foiled by a spectacular one-hit effort on the part of Crimson hurler Mike Presz.

Remy went 0-for-3, as Presz (who missed most of last season with a sore arm) completed the seven-inning contest for the batsmen.

"Our pitching came through well in every game," said freshman Greg Ubert, a righthanded pitcher who performed well on the trip. "That's something we need, something we're going to continue to need through the season."

The Crimson lost the outstanding pitching duo of Jeff Musselman and Charlie Marchese to graduation, and will be looking for its remaining hurlers to fill the 15-win void left by their departure.

Harvard used the southern swing as a chance to test its depleted pitching staff and work out a couple of other questions in the lineup--including the situation at the corners. First sacker Elliott Rivera and third baseman Scott Vierra--who combined for 90 hits and a .356 batting average last year--both graduated, and the batsmen are still not set with definite replacements at those positions.

Kay, who was on the team two years ago when it made a similar trip to Florida, recalls that the 1984 Crimson squad "played [the Red Sox] tough but didn't end up beating them--but still ended up having a tremendous season.

"We have a very similar team this year," Kay added. "It's a very young team, but our young guys played with a lot of confidence and poise. When you play as many games as we do, you need that."