Hendricks Out for Rest of Regular Season

Junior Trey Hendricks will be out of action for the next two weeks of the season and perhaps much longer, Harvard coach Joe Walsh said yesterday.

Hendricks, who had been battling patella tendonitis, has suffered further complications of an unclear nature and will miss at least this weekend’s Ivy League series at Brown and next weekend’s games against Dartmouth, in addition to today’s Beanpot Championship game. Hendricks did not play yesterday.

For the Crimson, Hendricks’ injury is a major setback. The 6’3 senior leads the team in batting average (.387) and RBIs (29) and has been the team’s most reliable starting pitcher with a 2-1 record and a 2.86 ERA. The next two weekends constitute the remainder of the regular season.

“It’s like losing two guys,” Walsh said. “Not only because he can pitch and swing the bat, but he’s a switch hitter. You don’t see many people who do that well in college baseball.”

Walsh did not know whether Hendricks had sustained an actual muscle tear, but the coach acknowledged the possibility that Hendricks’ tendon difficulties could sideline him for the Ivy League Championships and NCAA Tournament, should the Crimson make it that far. Hendricks could not be reached for comment last night.

Harvard will have to scramble to fill the void heading into the most important part of its season. Brown, last year’s Red Rolfe Division runner-up, has struggled this season, bringing a 4-8 Ivy League record into the weekend. However, the Bears have played well of late, recently sweeping Maine, one of the best teams in New England, in a doubleheader. Dartmouth is also a threat, lurking just a game behind Harvard in the Rolfe Division. With six of the remaining eight games against these teams on the road, the loss of Hendricks cuts especially deep.

Yesterday, starter Jason Brown exited the game after only two innings. While he was in, Brown threw a lively fastball for strikes consistently, though he only faced eight batters. With Hendricks out of action, Brown will be needed on three days rest for the games that count.

The same could be said for everyone who pitched yesterday.

“They wanted to get everyone in there a couple of innings,” Brown said of himself and freshmen Wes Cosgriff, Javier Castellanos and Morgan Brown. All four could be called upon on Sunday.

Walsh did not reveal his plans for whom would replace Hendricks in the rotation this weekend.

“Captain Hook,” Walsh said when asked who would supplement senior Kenon Ronz, sophomore Mike Morgalis and freshman Matt Brunnig this weekend in Providence. “I’ll go with my gut feeling, bring guys in for a couple of innings and go from there.”

Senior Matt Self started earlier in the season and could be called upon in a pinch, but the senior does not seem to have a leg up over the younger pitchers for playing time.

“We don’t necessarily have someone who can step right into that four-spot,” Walsh said. “But I’ll tell you one thing, we’ve got a lot of good fives.”

Brian Lentz, who caught the final out of yesterday’s game at first base, will continue to play first in place of Hendricks. Walsh said yesterday that sophomore Rob Wheeler and freshman Mike Dukovich could also play first if Lentz is catching.

Wheeler has played mostly DH in the past few weeks, usually hitting towards the end of the lineup against right-handed pitching. Dukovich took the field when Hendricks left Sunday’s game against Yale early. Walsh also allowed for the possibility of moving freshman Josh Klimkiewicz to first and inserting Morgan Brown or another infielder at third.

The decisions will be made a lot easier if Harvard hits the way it did yesterday, of course. Harvard chased UMass’ most effective starter, Mike Crane, out of the game with a 14-hit barrage. Streaking junior Bryan Hale led the way with a 4-for-5 outing. Walsh singled out Lentz’s at bat in the top of the ninth with two men on as evidence of how much confidence the offense has instilled in the coaching staff.

“Lentz is down 0-2 in the count and I’m thinking about having him bunt, and he’s drives the ball to right,” Walsh said. “That’s a hell of a job battling.”

Without Hendricks in the lineup, Harvard will have to battle even harder the rest of the way.

—Staff writer Martin S. Bell can be reached at msbell@fas.harvard.edu.