BASEBALL SEASON GETS UNDER WAY

The 1926 baseball season was officially opened yesterday afternoon in the cage on Soldiers Field when a large squad of diamond aspirants greeted Coach Mitchell for a short session of batting and infield practice. The University and Freshman pitchers and catchers are rapidly rounding into early season shape after two weeks work and should be able to keep pace with the remainder of the squad which was called out for the first time yesterday.

The Crimson mentor plans to put the University ball tossers through their paces in the case until April 1, before taking them outside. The first game of the year will come a week or ten days after the team steps on the diamond behind the Stadium. In commenting on the first day's turnout Coach Mitchell said: "With the exception of the pitching department the team shows promise of shaping up well this season. We were hard-hit by graduation in this department. I expect to try to make a pitcher out of Lord and the addition of Barbee to the squad will strengthen the hurling corps to a considerable degree."

Hockey Players Excused For Week

Among the veterans of last year's University and Freshman nines who did not report for the first practice were J. P. Chase '28, W. P. Ellison '27, and Isadore Zarakov '27, of the Crimson hockey squad, and J. N. Barbee '28, who has two games yet to play with the University basketball five. The three members of the ice team will be given a week's rest before they are called out for the diamond sport.

Among the veteran infielders, who reported at the cage for the first time yesterday were, W. W. Lord '28 and J. E. Tobin '27, first basemen; J. A. Nordberg '28, R. C. Sullivan '28, and William Ullman '27, infielders. Captain C. L. Todd '26, W. B. Jones '28, last year's Freshman captain, and M. F. Amsden '26, were the veteran outfielders to report.