In the major leagues, each team plays every other team 22 times, so when a team loses one day it doesn't make much difference. But in college, where each team plays another only once, every league game is crucial.
Harvard has a particularly crucial game this afternoon at Soldiers Field. A highly unpredictable Columbia nine, which upset Dartmouth, 15 to 3, yesterday, is coming to town. Game time is 3 p.m.
Stuffy McInnis' outfit is presently tied with Penn and Columbia for second place. A victory today, coupled with a Yale win over Penn, would leave Harvard in a first place tie with Dartmouth.
Up and Down
If one word can describe the Light Blue's baseball fortunes so far this spring, it is "erratic." The Lions started off with a loss to Princeton and then snapped back with a win over Cornell, supposedly one of the EIBL powers. This game was followed by a loss to Brown, and then victory over highly-regarded Penn.
Columbia may have hit its stride now. On Wednesday it stopped Yale, and yesterday it exploded against league-leading Dartmouth.
Columbia has had more than adequate pitching this season, mostly from Bob Swanson. However, Swanson worked the Yale and Dartmouth games, and Red Telefson will probably pitch today. The Blue's hitting has come in bursts--it had a big inning against Cornell and evidently had at least one yesterday. Otherwise, hitting has been one of Coach Andy Coakley's main worries.
Rakowski Big Hitter
The offensive segment of the Columbia attack is led by Adam Rakowski, who set a new Lion batting mark of .467 last year. He hit safely in 24 straight games over a three-year span, until Yale stopped him Wednesday. Charlie Klemovich doesn't meet the ball often, but when he does it usually goes for long distances. He has hit two homers this season.
McInnis will, of course, have his ace, Ira Godin, ready to face the Lions today.
