NOTEBOOK: Douglas Continues Strong Play

BROCKTON, Mass.—While pitching has been an issue for the Crimson all season—with yesterday’s Beanpot opening round game against Northeastern as no exception—there has been little to complain about regarding the Harvard bats.

The team’s offense has scored 64 runs in its last eight games, generating significant fanfare thanks to the recent infatuation with the long ball on the part of Crimson slugging seniors Tom Stack-Babich and Matt Rogers.

But while the gazes of spectators in the stands have been set firmly in the sky, watching baseball after baseball soar over fences at an astounding rate, captain Harry Douglas—perhaps Harvard’s most consistent, if not its flashiest hitter—has been quietly piecing together a breakout season, which continued in yesterday’s contest at Campanelli Stadium.

Douglas went 3-for-4 against the Huskies with a pair of doubles, two RBI, and two runs scored.

“I will say that Douglas’ approach at the plate is just outstanding right now,” Walsh said. “He’s just jumping on fastballs.”

Douglas is hitting .363 on the season, with a .569 slugging percentage and 17 runs driven in over 26 games—quite a feat for a career .185 hitter prior to this season.

MUCH NEEDED RELIEF

Aside from Douglas, Harvard baseball coach Joe Walsh said after yesterday afternoon’s game, “it’s hard to find comfort in a 16-5 loss.”

And even if there was another positive to take away from a blowout defeat of that magnitude, logic would dictate that it wouldn’t come from a pitching performance.

But in the Crimson’s 11-run loss to the Huskies, one of the few bright spots for Harvard came from an unlikely source—the mound—in the form of a solid relief performance from sophomore Zach Hofeld.

After sophomore starter Anthony Nutter and lefty senior Ryan Watson got shelled to the tune of a combined 14 runs on 16 hits in just the first 4 1/3 innings, the Crimson desperately needed someone to take the ball, throw it over the plate, and get the team back on the bus as quickly as possible.

Hofeld did just that.

The second-year hurler entered the game in the top of the fifth with a runner on first and six Northeastern runs already plated in the inning. He proceeded to fan Huskies designated hitter Frank Compagnone before getting first baseman Brendan Stokes to fly out harmlessly to left field.

Hofeld stayed in the game and sped through two more efficient innings, allowing two runs on a pair of solo homers but working quickly to mercifully end Harvard’s woeful showing at Campanelli Stadium.

“That’s the best [Hofeld] has thrown,” Walsh said. “Last year he was a good starter. This year he’s just been giving up a lot of home run balls.”

Hofeld didn’t cure his propensity to serve up the long ball yesterday, but he did show promising signs that the form which he displayed in a memorable four-hit, complete game gem against Cornell last season may still lurk within—signs that will certainly be welcomed with measured optimism by a depleted Crimson pitching staff.

STRETCHED THIN

While the Beanpot has no effect on Harvard’s Ivy League title hopes, it does reward its winner with Boston-area supremacy and bragging rights for a year—an intangible prize, yet certainly one that a squad at full strength would unload its most effective weapons to obtain.

But the Crimson is nowhere near full strength right now, at least with regards to pitching.

Harvard used most of its healthy arms up in a pair of doubleheaders against Cornell and Princeton—which included a 17-inning marathon win over the Tigers.

“Guys are working at it, but after the four weekend games we were pretty shot on arms,” Walsh said.

The Crimson staff also has a myriad of injuries to contend with—including a particularly devastating one to sophomore ace Max Perlman, who recently underwent Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow, effectively ending his season—further exhausting the team’s resources.

With the shortage of pitchers available to Harvard already presenting daunting challenges, matters were further compounded in yesterday’s Beanpot game. Because of unavoidable academic commitments, several Harvard players were forced to remain in Cambridge, leaving the Crimson with just three hurlers available for use—all of whom Walsh ended up sending to the mound against Northeastern.

“The pressure right now is all on school,” Walsh said. “A lot of guys weren’t here and it was tough.”

These restrictions forced Walsh’s hand, and the Harvard skipper had no choice but to go with the trio of Nutter, Watson, and Hofeld, which combined to allow 16 runs.

“It makes it look like I’m not going for the game,” Walsh said. “But those were the only three arms that I had.”

Harvard will have to dig even deeper into its already-limited pool of pitching today, in the Crimson’s non-conference road game against Bryant.

“I think we’ll throw a few of our freshmen,” Douglas said. “It’s going to be another group effort from our pitching staff.”

—Staff writer Loren Amor can be reached at lamor@fas.harvard.edu.