Veteran Standouts Lead Crimson

Modesty has its place, but not on the diamond.

“We’re really, really excited about the season this year,” said Harvard baseball coach Joe Walsh. “I’m not going to give you any ‘We’re cautiously optimistic’ or anything. We’re good. We’re good right now.”

After making small improvements over the last few years, Crimson baseball is ready to take down its typically grueling schedule with a high level of performance that the entire program seems enthusiastic about.

“We’ve had a lot of great players since I’ve been here,” senior catcher Cole Arledge said, “but I think this year we have the most total talent...I’m just really excited.”

“We have a lot of confidence, and we know what we have to do,” fellow senior Taylor Helgren echoed. “Maybe that’s the same or different than last year, but it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Arledge and Helgren are part of the squad’s class of 14 seniors, many of whom have played all four years at Harvard. The prominence of veteran players is a big change in team dynamic coming off of a year when the Crimson had only three seniors.

“I think this year we just have a lot more experience,” said senior catcher and captain Tyler Albright. “It’s a little different team this year, but I think this is going to be a good year for us...There’s a lot more team leadership out on the field.”

Albright has been a key part of that leadership, returning to captain the team for the second year.

“I can’t say enough about Tyler,” Walsh said. “Every pitcher wants to throw to him. He calls 95 percent of the game, blocks curveballs in the dirt with men on third base, and he’s a clutch guy up at the plate. We’re really lucky to have a kid like that.”

And although Harvard is looking to avoid the injuries that plagued Albright and several others in its lineup last season, the team’s widespread talent this year gives the Crimson depth at many positions. This includes junior catcher Jon Smart and Arledge, who are there to back up Albright behind the plate.

On the mound it’s a similar story. Harvard has an unprecedented number of high-caliber pitchers—including Eric Eadington, Conner Hulse, Max Perlman, and Brent Suter—that many are hoping will allow the team to improve on last year’s 17-26 overall record.

“Starting pitching is key; it’s just the basis of the game,” senior shortstop Sean O’Hara said. “But I think we have the defense and the hitting to keep up, so I’m looking forward to being pretty competitive this year.”

With a slew of skilled hurlers keeping its opponent’s bats at bay, the Crimson’s offense should have a good chance to pick up some wins with experienced hitters and a new batch of quick runners.

O’Hara, Albright, and junior Jeff Reynolds led Harvard batters last season and are likely to post good numbers again along with returning impact-players seniors Sam Franklin and Dillon O’Neill, and junior Marcus Way.

A number of rookies are also working to earn their spot in the lineup, a couple of them boosted by speed that the Crimson’s coach believes can be instrumental in picking up bases in the team’s small-ball offense.

“We have two freshmen that can flat out fly in [Jeff] Hajdin and [Carlton] Bailey. I would love to get their bats in the lineup with [junior J.T.] Tomes making the start,” Walsh said. “I don’t expect us to be a power-hitting team…but I do think we’re going to have nine guys in our lineup that are going to be tough outs.”

Harvard will put its new squad to the test as it heads down to Florida this weekend for a four-game series against Jacksonville St., before heading out on its marathon 11-game Spring Break roadtrip.

“We’re going to have to be a tough ballclub when we play some of these teams down South,” Walsh said. “There are some hard-nosed players on those teams, and we’re going to have to be that way as well.”

“It’s great having this indoor facility, but to go down and play other teams that have been outside all year and have already played eight games kind of puts us at a disadvantage,” Albright added. “But, then again, we’re excited to get outside … and to put up some W’s.”

The Crimson will return to the Northeast to begin conference play in April. Last year, Harvard split every Ivy weekend, and the team can’t stand the thought of a repeat.

“That doesn’t win it for you,” Walsh said of the splits. “When you come back from a weekend 2-2, it’s like kissing your sister.”

Jokes aside, the Crimson faces a tough slate of Ancient Eight opponents.

“There’s so much parity in the Ivy League that any team can compete any year,” Franklin said. “One good thing about that is that you can be optimistic every year, but on the other hand we’re facing great competition every weekend.”

But with both experience and fresh talent on its side, Harvard is poised to make a run for the Ivy title that has eluded it for the past five years.

—Staff writer Madeleine Smith can be reached at smith21@college.harvard.edu.