Baseball Splits Sunshine State Roadtrip

The Harvard baseball team made a truncated spring swing through Florida this weekend and returned with mixed results.

In Saturday’s and yesterday’s twinbills against Bethune-Cookman (11-16) in Daytona Beach, Fla., Harvard (4-3) won the opening games and lost the finales, finishing with a 2-2 weekend split.

“We’re a little disappointed that we went out and won the first two games and couldn’t finish,” said junior starting pitcher Frank Herrmann, who earned his second win of the season yesterday. “It just shows you have to keep the focus. You have to stay sharp for seven or eight hours. Hopefully, it’s a lesson for us.”

Junior infielder Zak Farkes, who led the Crimson in home runs in 2004, sat out during the weekend to nurse a strained right shoulder, a measure Herrmann deemed “precautionary.”

In his place, freshman Steffan Wilson provided all the offense the Wildcats could handle. Over four games, the infielder went an astounding 10-for-17 with 10 RBI, four runs scored, and four extra-base hits—including the first two home runs of his collegiate career.

“Even the outs he made were hard outs,” Herrmann said.

With the effort, Wilson raised his average to a team-leading .444 and wowed observers with his quick adjustment to the college game.

“It didn’t take him too long to take his strides,” junior outfielder Lance Salsgiver said.

“Steff,” Herrmann added, “is a force in our lineup.”

The Crimson doesn’t resume play until spring break, when it will split time between Long Island, N.Y., and South Florida, and then open the Ivy League season at Penn.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN 7, HARVARD 2

Freshman Brad Unger, a 6’7, 240-pound righthander who transitioned to the baseball team after the varsity basketball season wrapped up, made the start for Harvard on Sunday afternoon.

He received little help from the defense behind him, however, as five Bethune-Cookman hits and three Crimson errors led to seven unearned runs in the second inning for the Wildcats.

It was the second straight day in which a mistake-prone loss followed a clean Harvard win.

“We weren’t really making the plays and the hits weren’t falling,” said Salsgiver, who had a solid 3-for-4 day at the plate.

Freshman Taylor Meehan and sophomore Jason Brown finished the game with 4 1/3 scoreless innings for the Crimson, which dropped its record to 4-3.

HARVARD 3, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 2

In twirling a five-inning, one-hit gem, junior Frank Herrmann (2-0) brought the number of innings he has started the season without yielding an earned run to 11.

“He was just lights out,” said captain and catcher Schuyler Mann.

Herrmann mixed a fastball and slider for strikes, even as the home plate umpire gave pitchers little to work with.

“The umpire was pinching the strike zone pretty good,” Salsgiver said, “and Frank had to make an adjustment. He was hitting his spots, mixing his pitches.”

“Sometimes all he has to do,” Mann added, “is throw hard for strikes and challenge hitters.”

Wilson continued his hot hitting with three hits, including a first-inning RBI triple and an RBI single in the fifth.

“He made real solid contact,” Salsgiver said, “and his timing was good. We all know he’s a good hitter.”

BETHUNE-COOKMAN 8, HARVARD 6

Not long after cruising to an opening-game blowout, the Crimson dropped an 8-6 decision to the resurgent Wildcats in a Saturday nightcap.

Harvard’s continuing freshman magic—Wilson clubbed his second home run of the weekend—was interrupted by a rash of errors and an uneven start by rookie Shawn Haviland (0-1).

Bethune-Cookman rapped 11 hits, only two for extra bases, and chased Haviland from the game with a 5-2 lead after three unlucky innings.

“I thought Haviland was a little wild,” Herrmann said. “But he was throwing well.”

More encouraging for the Crimson was senior Mike Morgalis’ performance in relief. After an offseason marred by a foot injury, the 6’5 pitcher tossed five innings, allowing five hits and only one run.

“I think for him it was just getting out there,” Herrmann said. “We’re definitely not worried about him.”

Wilson finished with three RBI and junior Josh Klimkiewicz went 2-for-4.

HARVARD 17, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 3

A Friday storm in rainy Daytona delayed the Florida arrival of Harvard’s much-hyped offense, but not for long.

Mann got things started Saturday with his first home run of the season—a third-inning three-run blast following a Griff Jenkins RBI single—and Wilson delivered four RBI in a 3-for-5 breakout performance.

Klimkiewicz added three hits and two RBI—and in the process, raised his early-season batting average to .500.

“He’s coming around,” Herrmann said. “He hits it hard.”

Starter Javier Castellanos (1-1) coasted through four innings, yielding one unearned run and only two hits for the Crimson. It was his first start since No. 17 Louisiana-Lafayette roughed him up in Minneapolis last weekend.

—Staff writer Alex McPhillips can be reached at rmcphill@fas.harvard.edu.