Musselman Named Player of Week

Junior Bob Kay tallied a personal coup Friday at Princeton, stealing a base off former Beverly Hills High teammate Craig Peters. While the Crimson was three-for-three running against Peters, Harvard's Jim DePalo gunned down three of four would-be basestealers...Kay had a couple of streaks broken over the weekend. After scoring a run in the team's first eight games, he failed to cross the plate in three of last weekend's league games. His hitting streak lasted a little longer, extending to 11 games before Drew Tanner held him hitless in three at-bats of the Navy nightcap...Mike Fiala, who beat Harvard in the Princeton nightcap, now has a 1.06 ERA. He has appeared in nine games and has three saves to go with his five wins. In 42 1/3 innings, he has struck out 37, while walking just 18.

On the subject of good pitching, Crimson hurler Jeff Musselman earned Co-EIBL Player of the Week honors for his two-hitter in the opener at Princeton.

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The steal watch: Entering today's game at UMass, the Crimson had 22 stolen bases in 12 games. This projects to a 68-steal season, seven shy of last year's total. Kay, eight of 11, and Chris McAndrews, six of eight, lead the team.

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After a disappointing weekend of splits at Princeton and Navy, the Harvard baseball team has eight non-league games to work out the kinks. The Crimson returns to Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League (EIBL) action April 20 and 21 when Penn and Columbia come to town for doubleheaders.

Army and Cornell opened their EIBL, seasons with a doubleheader at Ithaen yesterday. Navy and Princeton (6-2) sit stop the standings, with Brown (3-1) a game back. Penn (4-4) is tied with Harvard (2-2) for fourth, while Columbia (3-5). Yale and Dartmouth (6-4) bring up the rear.

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Crimson Captain Elliott Rivera welcomes the next two weeks of non-league play. "I think that's going to help us a lot," Rivera said Sunday. "It's going to give us time to get to know ourselves a little more, time to get."

Rivera himself galled at Navy, going five for seven. If he maintains his .462 average through the second two-thirds of the season, Rivera will post the second best single-season batting average in Crimson history. Mike Stenhouse '80 enjoyed Harvard's top year at the plate when he went, .475 in 1977.

Entering yesterday's game, center fielder Paul Vallone was batting, .400. Through he's played in every game, he has never had move these three at bats... Catcher DePalo leads the team is both walks and strikeouts, with 11 of each. Catcher Mickey Maspons, who led the team in Ks last season, struck out seven times in the first six games but hasn't fanned since. The team's best strikeout/walk ratio belongs to Rivera, who has drawn 10 free passes while fanning just three times. The team's most aggressive (or least disciplined) hitters: Scott Vierra (four walks/three strikeouts) and Kay (three/two).

Crimson starters have walked more than they've struck out in six of the team's 12 games-and Harvard is 3-4 in those games. Last year, Crimson pitchers struck out 30 percent move batters than they walked. This year, the figure is just 17 percent... On the bright side, Harvard allowed Princeton and Navy just three extra-base hits in four games. Over 12 games this season, the Crimson has yielded just four home runs.

Before the doubleheader at Navy, Harvard had a .327 team batting average, .001 better than the Mid-shipmen....Crimson Assistant Hockey Coach Kevin Hampe '73 played baseball as well as hockey. Hampe led the EIBL in hitting (.419) his senior year.

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The Crimson dropped from second to fourth in the New England baseball ratings this week. Maine (M.13) received there first-place votes, while second-remind UMass get the other coach's and for best in New England. UConn ranks third.