Baseball Ivy Preview

Princeton

The Tigers—whom Harvard swept in last year’s Ivy championship series—are in prime position to win their eighth consecutive Lou Gehrig division title. Ten of their top 11 hitters return, but it’s their pitching that should seperate them from the pack. Junior righthander Thomas Pauly won the Cape Cod League’s post-season MVP this summer and should be the first Ivy player selected in this year’s draft. Sophomore right hander Ross Ohlendorf—last year’s Ivy Freshman of the Year—may be the league’s top starter. Senior catcher Jon Miller (.351-1-18) has been their best offensive weapon this season.

Penn

The Quakers are a team on the rise. All eight starting position players return from a 2002 squad that finished second in the Lou Gehrig division with an 11-9 record. Led by All-Ivy seniors Andrew McCreery and Nick Italiano, hitting will be Penn’s strength. McCreery—who batted an Ivy-best .419 in league competition last season—may be the league’s best pure hitter and was named the Great Lakes League MVP this summer. Meanwhile, Italiano is on the verge of becoming Penn’s career hits leader. To topple Princeton, though, the Quakers will have to get solid pitching from someone besides McCreery.

Columbia

One of only two squads to not place a player on the 2002 All-Ivy team (Yale was the other), Columbia has more talent this season. The Lions’ best veteran player is probably junior shortstop Jorge Livermore. An honorable mention All-Ivy honoree last year, Livermore is batting .320. However, Columbia’s offensive star has been freshman third baseman Mike Baxter, who leads the Lions in batting average (.374) and hits (32). Though the lineup has some pop, it would be surprising if the Lions were able to finish higher than third in the Lou Gehrig division.

Cornell

Gone is 2002 Ivy Player of the Year Erik Rico, the Big Red’s two-time All-Ivy First Team outfielder and offensive machine. And without Rico’s .380 batting average and 11 homeruns, Cornell doesn’t have that much. Senior righthander David Sharfstien—an Honorable Mention All-Ivy honoree last season—is expected to anchor a mediocre pitching staff. He should be helped by a pair of junior righties, Chris Schutt and Dan Gala. But probably none of the starters will get much help from what may be the league’s worst lineup. It will be hard for the Big Red to improve on its 6-14 league mark from a season ago.

Dartmouth

Led by junior pitcher Tim Grant and junior outfielder Scott Shirrell, the Big Green should be a strong contender for the Red Rolfe title. Shirell—a two-time All-Ivy First Teamer—batted .369 last season (including a 14 RBI-performance in a 25-1 Dartmouth win over Harvard) and should be the the centerpiece of a dangerous lineup. Junior third baseman Ed Lucas and senior first baseman Mike Mileusnic are both All-Ivy quality hitters. Grant, Second Team All-Ivy in 2002, is a Pitcher of the Year candidate, but after that the rotation is shaky. If Dartmouth can develop a functional weekend rotation, it should improve greatly.

Brown

Last season, the Bears recorded the most wins in the program’s history and finished with nothing to show for it. After both teams posted 13-7 league records, Brown lost 2-1 to Harvard in a one-game playoff for the Red Rolfe title. Led by junior outfielder Matt Kutler—an Ivy Player of the Year candidate—the Bears are looking for revenge. A young but talented infield, highlighted by sophomore third baseman Jeff Nichols and junior second baseman Rob Deeb, should help Kutler anchor a solid offense. Senior Dan Spring will anchor the bull pen, but the Bears will miss right hander Jonathan Stern, last season’s Ivy Co-Pitcher of the Year.

Yale

In a year when three squads have a legitimate shot at the Red Rolfe title, Yale is the odd team out. Senior outfielder Chris Elkins—a Second Team All-Ivy honoree last year when he batted .374—will be asked to once again shoulder the team’s offensive load, but he may not get that much help. The strength of the Yale squad that finished a league-worst 5-15 last season was its starting pitching. But both Matt McCarthy (21st round) and Craig Breslow (26th round) are now playing minor league baseball. For the Bulldogs to improve on last year’s record it would take impact play from freshmen.

—Staff writer Lande A. Spottswood can be reached at spottsw@fas.harvard.edu.