OUR base-ball prospects for this season are exceedingly bright. Through the energy of the Captain of the Nine, Very good practice-grounds have been made out of the unpromising foot-ball field. Seats have been erected and comfortable arrangements thereby secured for the return college games. The season has opened auspiciously. The efficacy of the winter's Gymnasium practice is shown by the excellent form in which the Nine shows itself thus early in the season. The new mask has proved a complete success, since it entirely protects the face and head, and adds greatly to the confidence of the catcher, who need not feel that he is every moment in danger of a life-long injury. To the ingenious inventor of this mask we are largely indebted for the excellent playing of our new catcher, who promises to excel the fine playing of those who have previously held this position. As a whole, the Nine are working together admirably, and their field play is unusually good. This fact was well illustrated by their first game at Lynn, where on a cold snowy day they made but six errors and scored a victory satisfactory to their friends and surprising to their opponents. The pitching, too, seems to be well up to the high standard of last year, and greatly troubles even the professional striker. Batting and base-running seem to be the weak points of the Nine. There are some men who are good, reliable batters, but there are others of whom little is expected in this line. During the past week it has been the misfortune of the Nine, at several important crises, to have the good batting of a few men utterly wasted by the complete failure of those who have followed; and a good deal of training and practice is needed to remedy this fault. Slow and ill-judged base-running has in a few instances resulted in serious loss. Base-running is a feature wherein our men ought to excel, since they have the brain to judge and the swiftness to execute. But there is much to praise and little to criticise in the present record of the Nine. The two games in Boston during the recess were very finely played. The last was one of the most interesting and exciting games ever played upon those grounds. By a glorious hit in the ninth inning, victory was snatched from the very jaws of defeat only to be quickly thrown back by three or four unfortunate errors. But notwithstanding their good success so far, the Nine has yet plenty of work to do. They will have worthy opponents in some of the college nines, and must struggle hard if they would not mar the fine record of last year.