Tufts Hurler Blooms

Now its Bates College's turn.

Tie the blindfold, light the cigarette and ask for that last request. Jeff Bloom, Tufts' pitching ace who doesn't miss very often, is taking aim in today's game against the Maine school.

"He has the talent to go out and win every game he pitches," said John Casey, his coach. "He has perfect form. You don't have to teach him anything. He's a born pitcher."

He hasn't been far from perfect in his last three starts. All have been no-hitters.

"It's an amazing thing," Casey said. "I'd have to say the odds they'd give you on that would have to be one-million-to-one."

But before the sophomore from Commack, N.Y., could do what his coach has trouble believing, he had to believe in himself.

Casey reared back and fired at Bloom after the lefthander was roughed up for six runs and 10 hits in four innings in his first game this season. Wesleyan won 12-7 on March 29.

"I was trying to be too fine," Bloom said. "I wasn't throwing hard. He was yelling at me in the locker room afterward trying to drive the point in. I was a little shocked, but I guess it had to be done."

"I really went after him and he's gotten better," said Casey. "He's got to learn to throw every pitch as hard as he can. He's got to learn he's got enough stuff to challenge people. He's in charge."

Few batters would disagree.

In his second start of the season, Bloom pitched a no-hitter against MIT. In his third start, he did the same thing to Boston University. Trinity was the victim last Saturday.

Bloom's fastball travels at a crisp 85 mph. He can move it in or out on batters. When they prepare themselves for that, he'll fool them with a changeup. His curve was his best pitch in high school, but he never threw a no-hitter there.

"He's got three pitches that he throws consistently for strikes," Casey said.

"A kid gets a piece of his fastball and fouls it off," he added. "Then he'll throw a curve ball that drops off. The kid has no idea what's coming next. At that point, he doesn't want to be up there."

The batters from Bates don't have much choice. It's their turn Friday to flail away at Bloom when he goes after his fourth consecutive no-hitter.

"There's a little pressure," he said. "I'm going to be upset when I give up a hit. It's been so long."

The lanky, 6-ft., 3-in. pitcher from Dix Hills, N.Y., felt some pressure last Saturday with several scouts watching. He responded with a perfect game for six and two-thirds innings of the seven inning contest against Trinity.

Bloom and Casey thought a 3-2 pitch was a strike to nail down the perfect game, but the umpire disagreed. After the walk, the next batter popped up and Bloom settled for the no-hitter, 12 strikeouts and a 13-0 victory.

Bloom fanned 17 in a 7-0, nine-inning masterpiece against Boston University April 15. MIT managed an unearned run April 6 but still lost 9-1 in seven innings on a cold, rainy day. Ten of the 21 outs were strikeouts.

"It became evident that we were overmatched," MIT Coach Fran O'Brien said. "He has excellent control. He's not afraid to throw the breaking pitch. He has great determination."

There have been some tense moments.

One batter hit a hard line drive at Tufts' second baseman. A few hitters bunted but were thrown out. Not many others have come close to a hit.

"It's not like you're sitting there with your heart in your throat wondering if they're going to get a hit," Casey said.

Bloom did slip up once. With just two days rest after his MIT victory, he pitched three innings of relief and gave up four runs and four hits. He took the loss.

But that was an aberration.

"I went out the last game and felt in total control" against Trinity, he said.