Improved Nine Will Battle With Bengals

Harvard's Varsity nine will attempt to pull itself out of the hitting and fielding rut it is in, and haul itself from fourth position in the League at the expense of a Princeton team tomorrow at Soldiers Field at 3 o'clock. Another pitching duel, similar to the one fought last week between Bud Waldstein for the Crimson and Dan Carmichael of the Orange and Black, is expected.

Sophomore southpaw Waldstein has been outstanding in his appearances thus far this season, and should turn in an equally good game tomorrow against the third-place Tigers. The Crimson will be at a serious disadvantage, according to the statistics, for they are now in last place in the league both at the plate and in the field, whereas the Bengals stand fourth in hitting and second in fielding.

However, in the contest with the Indians last Wednesday, both the slugging and the fielding had improved to a surprising degree. Three scintillating double-plays were pulled off by the infielders, and at bat the team chalked up ten good wallops, so there is hope that the Crimson has finally broken the jinx, and is on the upgrade. If Waldstein continues in his present form, and if the fielding and batting up-swing continues, the home forces have an excellent chance of adding another tiger-pelt to the one they have already snagged this season.

After the game with the men from Nassau, ten more encounters are on the docket, including the two climax scraps with Yale. For these, Coach Floyd Stahl will have to rely on Burgy Ayres, who is not quite as hot as he was last year, but who is coming all the time. Charlie Brackett, who turned in a humdinger of a game against Tufts, and Jack Schwede who hasn't seen much service thus far this year as well as lefty Bud for his hurling.

Providing that the hitting and fielding splurge of last Wednesday was not merely a freak, but a real indication of an improvement, Harvard may end up in a good position in the league, and will have a 50-50 chance to clean up in the remainder of the season. To do this, they will have a reliable, steady fielder on third base in the person of veteran Gil Whittemore, and an outstanding Sophomore in Bart Harvey, to start with.

They will also have a good man on first, Bill Tully, who has until now been hitting hard, and straight into the hands of an opposing fielder, but is now lamming the grapefruit away from the eager mitts of the enemy. The outfield made up of Lou Clay, Ed Buckley, and Bill Parsons, is not as fast as last year's--they miss Torby MacDonald's speeding legs in center field--but they are fair.

Captain Fred Keyes always seems to come through in the pinches with a necessary hit, and is plenty hot in his short stop spot. Center fielder Lou Clay is the most consistent hitter on the squad, while basketballer Ed Buckley, who led the team at the plate last year, but has been in a slump so far this season, has started on the up-swing.

All in all, the sun is coming out from behind the very black clouds for the Varsity baseball team, but it remains to be seen whether it will pop right back in again, after a stay of only one game, or whether it is now out for good, and will shine with a bright Crimson hue for the rest of the campaign