Hill's Triple Threat: Run, Hit and Lead

There are certain species of athletes. There are the talented, histrionic media-animals (the Deion Sanders/Keith Elias breed, given to uncontrollable yapping) and the rara avis. the gifted, modest, controlled class of athlete.

Senior Captain Mike Hill belongs to the latter. A low-key leader, Hill is quiet, but not withdrawn; friendly, but intense on the field.

Diverse yet unified.

Hill's dignified leadership draws praise from his coach and teammates as well as votes from his classmates-Hill is also a Senior Class Marshal.

"Mike is as fine a captain as we'll ever have," Harvard Coach Leigh Hogan says. "He's an outstanding player and an outstanding person."

Fellow outfielder senior Juan Zarate agrees:

"He is a quintessential leader. On the field he does his job extremely well. Off the field, he's a person you can approach with any kind of problem. He just does things right and makes people feel good about being on the team."

Hill's low-key leadership manifests itself in the values he impresses on his team; teamwork, unity and shared sacrifice.

"This is my last year playing, and I really want the team to do well," Hill says. "This year we don't have the same personnel we had in the past, and we just have to bring everything we have together and focus on winning. We're trying to promote team unity. If we don't get contributions from all nine players, we won't have an Ivy League title."

"Mike is talented, classy, and a very hard worker," junior first baseman Dave Morgan says. "He's real interested in making us a team and is doing a good job so far as Captain."

Harvard is at a cross-roads-lacking the bats of Jim Mrowka '92, Dan Scanlan '92 and Nick DelVecchio '92 as well as the strong arms of Tom Hurley '92 and Scan Johnston '92-the team must find a new persona, a new way to manufacture runs and win games.

Hill is the team's triple threat; he can run, field, and hit. The second leading rusher on the football team this year (averaging 4.2 yards per carry), Hill has stolen 28 bases in three seasons for the Crimson. A good glove in right field, the stalwart holds a remarkable .963 fielding percentage over the last two years-and he was errorless in league play last year.

As for Hitting

As for hitting, Hill batted .314 in 118 at-bats last year, with five home runs and 30 RBIs. He was also named Harvard's sole representative to the All-EIBL first-team.

"When he's on at the plate, it's scary," Morgan says.

Last year on a weekend road trip to Army and Brown, Hill went a phenomenal 10-for-15 with 10 RBIs and two homers. During the Beanpot tournament at Fenway, he drove a ball ten rows back into the rightfield stands.

"I try not to think to much when I'm up at the plate," Hill says. "When you start thinking, you get yourself into trouble-that's always been my history. Whenever I'm too tense at the plate, I tend not to do well. But whenever I'm relaxed, I just see the ball and hit it."

Hill hopes he can hit the ball well enough to catch the eyes of the major-league scouts. Like most kids, the three-sport high-school athlete grew up daydreaming of America's Pastime and would like nothing better than a chance to play his favorite sport for money.

"I really want to give a shot at playing professionally once I graduate," Hill says. "That's a dream I've had since I was a little kid growing up in Cincinnati."

If baseball doesn't pan out, though, Hill has a career planned in sports law so he can stay close to athletics.

"Basically, I've been blessed," Hill says. "The Lord has blessed me with certain talents and abilities and I really haven't had to face many hardships. Things have come to me and I just feel thankful for everything I've done and everything I will do."

Mike Hill (Sr., RF)

Rate: L Throws: L

1992--.314 BA, 8 2B, 5 HR, 30 RBI

11993--Captain; bats third

The Skinny: Adds leadership, power to the the team; solid all-around player