Seniors Look to Return Baseball to Glory Days

Three seasons ago, the members of Harvard baseball team’s senior class began their careers as baby-faced rookies. Eight teenagers from six different states converged at Harvard ready to build on the Crimson’s successful 1998 campaign that had concluded with an Ivy League title, an NCAA regional berth and a No. 24 national ranking.

The class was as star-studded as any Harvard had seen, featuring a Baseball America “Top 100” prospect, two USA Today honorable mention All-Americans and a future Cape Cod Pitcher of the Year.

The boys had big dreams.

“I remember way back in the fall (of 1998),” senior pitcher Justin Nyweide said. “We were Coach Walsh’s first real recruiting class. There were a lot of big names, and we were from all over—Miami, San Diego—so that might have added to [the hype].”

Their careers started strong, as the Crimson raced to its third consecutive Ivy title and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament regional hosted by USC. But Harvard lost both of its regional match-ups, and after consecutive disappointing seasons, has not played in the postseason since.

During the last two seasons Harvard has struggled with inconsistency, showing flashes of brilliance amid stretches of mediocre play. The program that dominated the league in the late 90, compiled just a 21-19 conference record and back-to-back third place finishes in the Red Rolfe division to begin the new millennium.

Harvard has fallen back into the pack.

“The Ivy League finally caught up with us and we realized that we had to work that much harder, that we had to put in that extra effort,” Nyweide said. “It’s been a two-year process.”

With an experienced core of returning position players and a pitching staff anchored by senior ace Ben Crockett, the team—especially the senior class—expects the hard work to pay off this season.

“Our expectations are definitely very high,” Crockett said. “We are the most experienced we’ve been in a while, and probably have the most talent we’ve had in a while, too. We are very excited about our chances to win the Ivy League.”

Another league championship would bring the senior class back to where it started—on top of the Ivies. Only this time, it would be their title.

“We have the ring (from 1999), but there is this feeling that it wasn’t really our team and that it was not our class that was contributing,” said senior shortstop Mark Mager. “It’s important to get our own ring, especially with the last two seasons being so disappointing.”

A Pair of Aces

In the college baseball world of small parks and aluminum bats, solid starting pitching is hard to find. Sixth-year Harvard Coach Joe Walsh, however, has two proven weekend starters in right-handers Crockett and Nyweide.

Crockett, a preseason third-team All-American selection by Baseball America, returns to the club after declining to sign with the Boston Red Sox, who selected him in the 10th round of June’s amateur draft.

Hampered by a shoulder injury at the beginning of last season, Crockett posted a respectable 4-4 record and a 4.04 ERA. Once healthy, though, Crockett returned to his dominant form. The Crimson captain followed up a no-hitter in the season finale against Dartmouth by posting a 1.67 ERA in 59 innings for the Cape Cod League champion Wareham Gateman over the summer.

Crockett feels no lingering effects of the injury.

“My arm feels great, actually,” said Crockett after throwing 119 pitches in his first outing of the season, a 2-1 loss to No.4 Rice. “I felt pretty comfortable in that range.”

Though Crockett and All-Ivy hurler John Birtwell ’01 headlined the staff last season, it was Nyweide that led the Crimson with a 2.70 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .231 batting average. Similar production this season should see Nyweide improve on his 2-4 record from 2001.

“I certainly hope to improve my won-loss record, but really I want to keep us in games,” Nyweide said. “I want to beat the Ivy League teams and stay close against the top teams we play.”

Emerging as the Crimson’s third starter could be any of thee juniors—Barry Wahlberg, Madhu Satyanarayana and Kenon Ronz. Wahlberg appeared in a team high 13 games last season while posting a 3.99 ERA, Satyanarayana was 0-2 with a 3.32 ERA and Ronz, the lone left-hander of the group, was 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA in 10 appearances.

Wahlberg, a former Crimson quarterback that can light up the radar gun with a 90-plus fastball, got the early nod as the third starter in Harvard’s opening series.

Around the Horn

No matter who is on the mound, he will be pitching in front of the most experienced Crimson infield in years, which boasts a returning senior starter at every position.

First baseman Josh San Salvador, second baseman Faiz Shakir, third baseman Nick Carter and Mager each started at least 30 games last season.

“Having our infield back is a huge thing for all the pitchers,” Crockett said. “A lot of the senior guys have been pitching with this infield for a couple of years. The pitchers have confidence in the infield to make plays.”

The left side features a pair of returning honorable mention all-Ivy players in Carter and Mager, the only Crimson players to appear in every game last season.

Carter led Harvard in virtually every offensive category in 2001, including batting average (.380), hits (60), runs (41) and homeruns (8). Mager, who spent the summer with Crockett winning a Cape League title, posted a .343 average and a team-high 33 RBI.

Perhaps more important than the offensive production to this year’s club is the comfort level that the infield has with each other.

“Nick and I are on the left side together and we have fun,” Mager said. “One of us will make a play, and we’ll look at each other and give a high five. It’s the same with the other guys. I’m playing with my best friends, so I almost always have a smile on my face.”

Shakir should provide the Crimson with both speed on the base paths and smooth fielding at second base. He led the team with 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts last season, while making just four errors in 126 opportunities.

San Salvador posted a team best .993 fielding percentage at first, but will be competing for playing time with sophomores Trey Hendricks and Marc Hordon.

Hendricks batted .300 last season to receive honorable mention all-Ivy honors. Hordon showed flashes of brilliance in limited action, posting a .354 average in 48 at-bats.

Freshman shortstop Ian Wallace and freshman first baseman Rob Wheeler will provide depth in the infield.

Losing Lentz

Anchoring the infield this season should have been Brian Lentz, an all-Ivy First Team selection in 2000. Lentz, though, chose not to return for his junior season, leaving a battle between a trio of underclassmen—sophomore Mickey Kropf, junior Brent Chalmers and freshman Schuyler Mann—for the starting catching position.

All three, according to Nyweide, have proved themselves as capable replacements.

“Coming into the season everyone had pretty high on their list of concerns filling the hole [left by Lentz],” Nyweide said. “He had been such a force on the bases and a leader behind the plate. But I couldn’t have asked for more from Mickey and Schuyler and Brent. They have answered those concerns.”

Kropf, who at 6’5 is Harvard’s tallest player, started five games last season, but struggled to a .208 average in his limited plate appearances. Kropf is the only potential backstop with any collegiate baseball experience.

Chalmers, a former football player who switched to the diamond this season, broke his leg shortly before opening day, leaving Kropf and Mann splitting time behind the plate in the Crimson’s season-opening series at No. 4 Rice.

Mann was the only freshman to see extensive action against the Owls.

Outfield

Besides the loss of Lentz, the biggest hits to the Crimson’s lineup came in the outfield, where Scott Carmack ‘01 and Joe Llanes ’01 combined to start 76 games last season.

Lopez, the most experienced Crimson outfielder, returns for his senior season after starting two-thirds of the games in 2001. Last season Lopez batted .314 to lead all outfielders. The Miami native—now three years removed from a near career-ending eye injury—could break out in his senior season.

Playing next to Lopez in center field should be junior Bryan Hale. Hale struggled at the plate early last season, but decisively ended his slump with torrid hitting in the season’s final weeks. Hale blasted four homeruns in a one-week span and raised his average to .270 for the season.

Battling for time in right field will be senior Chaney Sheffield and Hordon.

Sheffield spent his time exclusively on the mound last season, but transitioned to the outfield during offseason workouts and will split time in 2002.

Hordon, who may be the team’s most versatile player, is also a pitcher, and could potentially see time in the outfield, infield and on the mound.

Two other returners—junior Nick Seminara and sophomore Johann Schneider—could also see time in the outfield. Walk-on Andrew Brunswick and freshman A.J. Solimine will provide depth.