BASEBALL TEAM OPENS SEASON HERE WITH B.U.

The curtain rises on the local baseball season this afternoon when the Varsity nine engages the veteran Boston University Terriers on Soldiers Field at 4 o'clock.

It will be a coachless Crimson team that opens its campaign against the Boston collegians, for Fred Mitchell, Varsity coach, was stricken yesterday with a back ailment, and will not be able to direct the play of his charges in their first two games.

Mitchell's place on the bench during today's game with Boston University and Saturday's clash with Providence College will be taken by Dolph Samborski, Junior Varsity mentor and director of intramural athletics.

While the exact Harvard lineup was still in doubt after yesterday's practice, it seemed likely that Captain Eddie Loughlin, the Crimson's featherweight hurler, would go to the firing line against the Scarlet and White. In the event that Samborski elects to hold Loughlin in reserve for the hard-hitting Friars of Provi- dence College, Paul deGive, who showed fine promise in the closing stages of the 1933 season, probably will get the call.

Harvard has seven lettermen back from its 1933 season, and two of them are still handicapped by injuries. They are Captain Eddie Loughlin and Paul deGive, pitchers; Charley Nevin, backstop of last year; Frank Gleason, Charley Sargent and Craig Woodruff, infielders; and Johnny Ware, centre fielder. And of that group, only Ware is certain of starting this afternoon.

Nevin, his throwing arm still bothered by a football injury, is battling Gleason for the right to the first base job, and Woodruff and Sargent both are receiving stern competition for the shortstop berth from little Mike Hovenanian.

Dick Maguire, promising Sophomore, will start behind the bat today, with either Nevin or Gleason at first, Hayes or Fitzpatrick at second, Johnny Adzigian at third; and either Hovenanian or Woodruff at shortstop.

Johnny Ware and Braman Gibbs will patrol the stretches of center and right fields respectively. The left field duties are likely to be divided between Fletcher and McGoodwin.

CRIMSON BUDS

The baseball team has been meeting with hard luck in its attempts to get its season under way. It was rained out in its first two scheduled games with Columbia and Pennsylvania, and now when the weather man seems ready to furnish baseball weather, Coach Fred Mitchell is stricken.

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While the Varsity is entertaining B. U. this afternoon, the Freshman diamonders will entertain Thayer Academy. Tomorrow they will face B. U. at Riverside. Tom Bilodeau, heavy hitter of the yearlings, who can play almost any one of the nine positions of a baseball team and play them well, is the leading star of the yearlings at the moment. He's the best looking baseball player-to enter Harvard in several years.

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Opposing pitchers are likely to find it difficult to pitch to Mike Hovenanian. The midget, selected as a prospective leadoff man, won't offer at a ball unless it's right in the slot, and he's so small that the moundsmen haven't much of a target at which to peg.

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Henry Lamar, boxing coach, who also works with the Freshman football team, will handle the Junior Varsity baseball team while Samborski fills in for the ailing Fred Mitchell