There's plenty of storylines out there for Dartmouth spring sports squads, but this week, Knapp and I will focus on baseball and softball, two teams that came reasonably close to winning Ivy League titles last season. So which team has the better chance of claiming an Ancient Eight crown this year?
Softball was competitive in league play last year, finishing second in the North Division, and has started the season off with three straight wins in the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament. The team has shown improvement over the last few years, and although the squad has thinner numbers than usual this season (14), softball has proven in that it can be top material with a small roster.
In 2007, the Big Green came within a series of winning the North while using a truncated pitching staff (a season that was covered by yours truly), so it will be interesting to see how the squad reacts to this burden as it gears up for its Ivy League campaign.
It might seem easy to side with softball here, but I'm giving the edge to Big Green baseball this season because the team will have its collective mind set on winning the Ivy crown that eluded it by just one game last year.
Baseball obviously had the better season last year, if you compare just wins and losses. The squad finished 14-4 in Ivy League play, clinching the Red Rolfe title by winning three out of four against division rival Harvard in the Big Green's final home-and-home series against the Crimson. A superior conference record gave Dartmouth home field advantage in the Ivy championship series against Columbia, but the Lions dashed the Big Green's hopes of an NCAA tournament bid by winning a decisive game three.
The team lost some good players to graduation, starting with Ivy League Pitcher of the Year Russell Young '08. Along with fellow pitchers Chase Carpenter '08, an honorable mention All-Ivy pick, and Kyle Zeis '08, graduation leaves Dartmouth without Damon Wright '08, a first team All-Ivy choice who was fourth in the Ivy League in batting average.
That's a lot of good pitching to lose in one fell swoop, and it doesn't help that the Big Green lineup is without a solid bat and defensive presence like Wright's. But I think Dartmouth will finally get over the hump and claim its first Ivy League baseball title under the tenure of head coach Bob Whalen.
First off, we were so close to making the NCAA tournament last year. I can bet you this team wants nothing more than to get back to the Ivy championship series and prove that it's the best team in the League.
It helps, too, when the success of 2008 can be credited to a slew of players who will return this year, both on the mound and in the batter's box. While we lost one Young, we still have another one to take the mound. Robert Young '10, Russell's little brother, was solid last year, going 4-2 and only surrendering eight walks in over 56 innings of work. We also have another young pitcher with starting experience in Jake Pruner '11. If our starters can get through the first few innings, Ryan Smith '11, a second-team All-Ivy closer in his freshman year, can shut opponents down in the back stretch.
The baseball team also has some great offensive performers coming back. It starts with Nick Santomauro '10, a rangy outfielder who's already been named first team All-Ivy twice in his collegiate career. Hailing from my local area high school in northeast New Jersey, he may have one of the oddest batting stances I have ever seen, but it gets the job done. He hit .364 last year with 11 homers and led the Ivy League in walks with 30. Santomauro even hit four homers in the Ivy championship series -- talk about clutch hitting. But it doesn't stop at Santomauro, as we've also got All-Ivy first-teamer Michael Pagliarulo '09 and Jeff Onstott '11 in the mix.
The team also got some added playing time during its winter trip to the Dominican Republic, where the Big Green matched up against quality competition from the Padres' and Mets' playing academies. Most of the time, the team is stuck practicing in Leverone until its field opens up when the weather turns. Having played some real games in real conditions on a real baseball field could be invaluable in keeping Dartmouth sharp until Ivy League play begins.
Maybe the renovations at Red Rolfe Field (which look awesome, by the way) will also provide some extra motivation to the Big Green to go undefeated in its new park.
What I think this season will come down to for baseball is a young pitching staff and senior leadership. There is not one senior pitcher on the roster, and we've got five freshmen pitchers (two of whom might be getting starting nods). If Whalen can get the team ready for the vigor of collegiate baseball and the young guys trust their natural ability, then I think our offense will be able to rise to the challenge and provide good run support. Also, the five seniors, starting with captain Jack Monahan '09, need to keep the other guys focused even if the team hit a bit of slump. They've only got one more chance at the Ivy crown, and they know it. I think they can win it.
