The Sporting Scene

"Better than average, although we didn't beat Yale" is the way Coach Adolph Samborski aptly described the past freshman baseball season.

After rallying back from two disappointing abysses, the '62 team finished with a respectable 9-4 mark for the year and uncovered some talented prospects for Norm Shepard's varsity nine. Samborski called this year's team inconsistent and not as good as last year's, but he was quick to add that the Yardlings were very impressive when at their peaks.

The Crimson Freshmen probably worked best as a unit in the Boston College game, after they once got started, and in the Holy Cross and Dartmouth contests, both of which they won by a lone run. Against B.C. the Crimson fell behind, 7 to 2, after four innings but rallied to an eventual 16 to 7 romp.

In the season's climax against the Eli yearlings Saturday, the Yardlings picked a poor time for their low point of the season. During the game the freshmen committed four very costly errors that let seven runs score. Yale took advantage of these gift runs and held fast behind pitcher Bob Carpenter to win, 13 to 6, over the Yardlings who were also not up to their usual hitting strength.

A stunning upset by Northeastern in the opener was the first disappointment to the confident freshman nine. The team came back, won six straight, then was upset at Brown by a weak team with a good pitcher. After another upset by Cushing Academy, the Yardlings picked up three more victories, then ran into the Yalies.

The end of any freshman season brings to mind the possible prospects for future varsity positions. Just about everybody who has seen the team, including Samborski, agrees that infielders Mike Drummey and Dave Morse should be starters for Shepard next year.

Morse, team captain, has been consistly phenomenal in his defensive play and rates a fine chance to take senior Mouse Kasajian's shortstop slot. Drummey, too is a fancy fielder with a good arm and will probably be among the varsity regulars. Drummey, who batted .319, and Morse, batting .312, were one-two in the line-up this year.

Although careful not to eliminate any prospects, Samborski ventured to say that his second baseman, Jim Dwinell, is a definite prospect for the varsity, as is Phil Bernstein. The latter hit twice Saturday and passed Drummey as top hitter on the team with 17 hits and a .326 average. Dwinell and Tom Boone are the other members of the select ".300 club."

Boone, winner of four games this spring, may be a valuable lefthanded addition to the Crimson varsity pitching staff. He has a good curve and fast ball, and is also effective as a batsman. Coach Samborski thought that Al Yarbro and Roy Williams, in addition to Boone, would rate a chance on the varsity mound staff, which will lose two good righthanders this June.

Individually, then, several good prospects, including some not named here, turned up this year on the freshman baseball team. Let's say that as a team, the Yardlings were very good at times and came back after two disappointing losses--and also they lost to Yale.