Tom Healey faces an up-and-coming Cornell this afternoon at Ithaca in one of the most crucial games in the curreut E.I.L. campaign with Walt Sickles, the Big Red mound ace, as his pitching rival.

The Ithacans had a limited amount of spring training and their early season games were little short of disastrous. But ever since then, they have brushed aside every rival in their path and now seem headed for a story-book finish in E.I.L. baseball. Harvard caught them just at the start of their upswing in the first game between the two teams at Cambridge, and the result was a 12 to 3 Cornell victory.

Healey Rested

On that day, however, an overworked Tom Healey started for the Stahlmen in the box and found that his control was not quite what it can be. He was behind almost every batter right from the beginning. This time he is rested and ready for action. Slim Curtiss and Charley Brackeit will go in if Healey falters over the nine inning route.

For Cornell Walt Sickles, the lad who set the Crimson down with five measley hits in the first tilt between the two teams, will be a tough nut to crack. And the Ithacans have started to hit behind him. Shortstop George Polzer leads the attack with a mark above 400, while Charley Bowen and Bill Mogk are close on his heels.

Cornell's weaknesses are lack of pitching strength beyond Sickles and a tendency for their infield to blow up completely on certain occasions, but at present they are in a first place tie with Harvard.

A couple of starting positions in the Harvard lineup are uncertain because of Fred Keyes' prolonged hitting slump and the return of veteran Bob Gannett to the lineup. Heckel may start at short in place of Keyes, and either Gene Lovett or Rud Hoye will get the left-field post. HARVARD  CORNELL Johns, 2b  cf, Brown Gannett, cf  1f, Bowen Grondahl, 3b  ss, Polzer Lupien, 1b  1b, Mogk Lovett or Hoye, 1f  3b, Scholl Tully, rf  c, Ruddy Fulton, c  rf, Matuszak Keyes or Heckel, ss  2b, Finneran Healey, p  p, Sickles