SCRATCH-AND-CLAW BASEBALL

"Billy Ball" is back in Beantown.

No, five-time Yankee manager Billy Martin has not come back from the dead to inflict another painful wound in the souls of the faithful fans at Fenway.

Rather, it is the Harvard men's baseball team that intends to use its version of Martin's "scratch and claw" offense this year.

With the departures of power hitters Nick DelVecchio '92 (now a hot prospect in the New York Yankees organization), Jim Mrowka '92 and Dan Scanlan '92, Head Coach Leigh Hogan will have to rely on oftneglected plays like the hit and run, the sacrifice and the stolen base more often.

"You would get on base and feel as if you were on a deserted island last year, that is, until someone doubled you home," junior Dave Morgan said. "Now we have to generate every base we can get."

The Crimson comes into the 1993 campaign with five positions set: Captain Mike Hill in right field, senior Juan Zarate in center field, senior Phil Andriola behind the plate, Morgan at first base and junior Mike Giardi at shortstop.

Senior Ray Desrocher and sophomore Scott David son will return to the starting rotation, and will likely be joined by senior Chip Poncy and junior Jeff Mitchell to form the starting four.

Other keys to the pitching staff include sophomores Mike Cicero, Ben Allen and Jamie Irving. (Irving, by the way, is an ambidextrous switch-pitcher.)

In the field, sophomores Bo Bernhard and Bryan Brissette and junior Eric Weissman will view for the second and third base positions, while Brissette and sophomores James Crowley and Joe Weidenbach will compete for the left field job.

With so many young players, the key factor in Harvard's success will be whether the team can jell into consistent performers.

'We need to be a fundamentally sound team and do all the intangibles necessary for winning," Hill said. "We are promoting team unity this year, and people like [sophomore] Billy Madden and [freshman] Paul Levy-role players-are coming through."

Take, for example, the team's exhibition road trip through Florida last weekend. The Crimson had not come back from such a journey with a winning record in over eight years, but this year's squad posted a 3.2 mark.

Harvard split doubleheaders against Cleveland St. and Toledo on Friday and Saturday and then finished the trip with a win over Toledo on Sunday.

In fact, all three Harvard wins came on comebacks in the latter innings, including a five-run comeback in the bottom of the ninth in the trip's finale.

"There is so much parity in the Ivy League that it is good to see that we can come back from deficits late in games," Zarate said.

A strong confidence-building start is especially important because the team has suffered a couple of key injuries.

Senior Tony Lancette, who had a record of 2-0 and an ERA of 4.01 in 24.2 innings pitched last year, injured his shoulder over the summer and is out for the season.

Joining him on the DL with an ankle injury is senior Pat Hegarty, who started at third base last year and hit .272

"[Losing Hegarty] is a severe blow to the infield," Zarate said. "He was a great fielder and a good hitter."

Another adjustment will have to be made by Morgan, who will play first base for the first time in his career.

"I am a big guy, and it seemed logical that I would be chosen to play first base," Morgan said.

Stat Freaks

One of the team's problems last year was an overemphasis on statistics by the players, according to Hill.

And while last year's team was fifth in the nation in batting average at .317 and beat opponents by an average score of 7.6 to 5.5, Harvard cannot go in to games this year expecting one man after another to blast a pitch out of Soldiers Field.

The "scratch and claw" offense and a vastly improved pitching staff will be the keys to success-and the early returns are promising.

"Coming out of Florida, the pitching is our strong-point," Morgan said.

Desrocher, whose 1992 ERA was a rather high 7.62, looked especially strong in the games in Florida, as did Poncy, according to Zarate.

Harvard's hitting on the other hand, is still a little bit off, the result all the snow and bad weather this winter/spring has brought the region..

"We need to defrost," Zarate said. "Most of us haven't seen live pitching in quite a while."

S. Davidson (Sr., RHP)

Bats: R Throws: R

1992--1-2 1 Sv. 7.88 ERA. 14K

1993--one of top four starting pitchers

The Skinny: Continued improvement may determine success of team

Juan Zarate (Sr., CF)

Bats: R Throws: R

1992--327 BA. 5 2B, 4 3B. 9888 fld. %

1993--Leadoff hitter

The Skinny: Team MVP last year; "hustles well, does everything"--Morgan

Mike Giardi (Jr., SS)

Bats: R Throws: R

1992--.306 BA, 7 2B, 30 RBI, 25 runs

1993--bats fifth

The Skinny: Good production; adds speed element while on base and in the infield

Phil Andriola (Sr., C)

Bats: R Throws: R

1992--.235 BA, 5 2B, 7 HBP, .974 fld. %

1993--catcher

The Skinny: Consistency behind the plate; key to breaking in young pitchers

Dave Morgan (Jr., 1B)

Bats: R Throws: R

1992--327 BA, 5 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 28 RBI

1993--bats cleanup

The Skinny: Adds power in the batting order, must adjust to new position

R. Desrocher (Sr., RHP)

Bats: R Throws: R

1992--3-2, 7.6 ERA, 20K

1993--probable # 1 starter

The Skinny: Has shown great improvement so far; needs to be consistent