Rogers, Douglas Ignite Crimson

It’s the top of the 10th inning in the second game of the Harvard baseball team’s Monday doubleheader at Penn. Two outs, nobody on, senior outfielder Matt Rogers at the plate.

Rather than attack the slugger or even pitch him carefully, the Quakers opt to hand Rogers a free pass—a dangerous move considering Rogers went 12-for-12 in steal attempts last season.

But who could blame them? After all, Rogers had already belted two home runs in the game and knocked in five RBI over the course of the day’s twinbill.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen this in a Harvard uniform before,” Crimson coach Joe Walsh says. “I don’t think you’d see that unless you’re a San Francisco Giants fan in 2007, if you know what I mean.”

The allusion to Barry Bonds—for slugging, not juicing, of course—is indicative of the sort of year that the Paoli, PA, native is having so far.

After a slow start, Rogers has been on an absolute tear over the past few weeks. His slugging percentage stands at a whopping .729. He’s hit five homers and has driven in 19 runs. He leads his team in every major hitting category.

But Harvard’s opponents can’t get too comfortable walking Rogers. That’s because hitting right behind him is captain Harry Douglas.

The Crimson’s cleanup slugger has been putting together quite a season himself.

After Rogers nailed his second home run of Monday’s game in the ninth to pull the Crimson to within one, Douglas managed to single to left field, maintaining momentum and keeping the rally going. While it may have been less flashy, the senior would go onto score the tying run, sending the game to extra innings.

“He has no ego and just wants to be a contributor on the team,” Walsh says of Douglas.

Douglas’s contributions, though, have often been far from quiet. He’s hit 3 home runs, knocked in 14 runs, and was named to the Ivy League honor roll last week.

Together, Rogers and Douglas form a terrifying proposition for any pitcher facing the third and fourth spots in the Harvard order.

What a difference a year can make.

The entire squad struggled substantially in 2008, and Rogers and Douglas were no exception. In fact, the duo had the two lowest batting averages of any of the team’s regulars.

Rogers was expected to build off his strong 2007 campaign and help the Crimson push for the Ivy League title. It didn’t happen.

Meanwhile, after an arm injury kept him out of most of his sophomore season, Douglas announced his inclusion as an every-day player with a bang, hitting two homers—including a grand slam—in a season-opening series at then-16th-ranked Wichita State. Unfortunately, that would be as good as it would get for the South River, N.J. native. Douglas trailed off dramatically, finishing the season below the Mendoza Line with a .194 batting average.

“Obviously last year was disappointing, so you look back and try to learn from it,” Rogers says.

It’s a completely different story in 2009 for the two veterans.
Rogers has raised his average by more than 200 points, while Douglas has raised his by over 100. Already, each player has either equaled or surpassed his 2008 mark for home runs, RBI, and hits.

Until now, neither had really put together the type of season he knew he was capable of producing. But while the players have both made huge strides this year, their improvements have been the result of two very different approaches.

Rogers says that he looks to stay relaxed and let the power come naturally.    

“I really try not to overthink it,” he says. “I didn’t really revamp my swing or the way I play, but I just try to slow it down and work on little things, like hitting the ball the other way. Then everything else sort of falls into place.”
According to Walsh, Rogers has also gotten better at prolonging at-bats, giving himself more opportunities to crush one over the fence.

“He used to have trouble with offspeed pitches, but now he’s battling those off” Walsh notes. “He’s also gotten much better at fighting when he’s behind in the count. He’s figured it out, fouling off some pitches...I always felt he was on the verge of putting it together.”

Rogers tries to sit back and let the pitch come to him. He then uses his quick hands and tremendous bat speed. But for Douglas, a change in mindset was necessary for his renaissance.

“Last year I was passive, waiting for the perfect pitch to hit,” he says. “This year, I’m trying to really go after pitches when I feel I can drive the ball.”
Combine this new aggressiveness with more at-bats and a countless number of hours spent in the batting cages, and you get a whole new threat in the middle of the Crimson lineup.

“The way he’s hitting right now sets a tone for the rest of the team,” Rogers says of Douglas. “I give him a lot of the credit for the way I’ve been hitting. It’s going to rub off on the other guys and we’ll see a lot more wins out of it soon.”

After his sluggish end to last season, consistency has also been a focus for Douglas. He is the only player to start every game and continues to lead by example with his work ethic.

When the Crimson takes on Holy Cross in its home opener this afternoon, the Crusaders will be hoping to slow down a Harvard offense that has been producing runs almost at will. When they do, there is little doubt where they will direct their attention; the focus will be on two seniors who have had an incredible first half of the season.

“If you’d have told me those guys would be in the heart of our lineup a couple years ago, I might not have predicted it, but they’re really proving themselves this year,” Walsh says.

For a Crimson squad with a depleted pitching staff and a desperate need for wins, it’s a good thing they are doing just that.

—Staff writer Jay M. Cohen can be reached at jaycohen@fas.harvard.edu.