The varsity baseball team, recent loser to both Amherst and the weather, opens a new rivalry this afternoon against Brandeis at 3:45 p.m. on Soldiers Field.

This is the first time a Harvard varsity team has ever played Brandeis. It is also the first of three games this week for the baseball team, weather permitting.

Because of last night's snowfall, today's game may possibly be cancelled due to poor field conditions.

Sophomore Andy Ward will start for Coach Stuffy McInnis against the Judges. Ward, a righthander, was the leading pitcher on last year's freshman team when he opened the season with a two-hitter. McInnis hopes he will pitch that well today.

But even if Ward throws a one-hitter, the Crimson will need improvement in its own hitting. The team gathered only three hits off Amherst's Bob Dehelendorf Saturday.

Injuries to centerfielder Bob Smith and shortstop Ed Krinsky have forced McInnis to shuffle his lineup slightly. Sophomore Bill Chauncey will play center for Smith, while Walt Greeley will move over from second to short. John Canepa will take Greeley's place at short.

Dick Clasby will catch, while Tim Wise, who looked sharp in the field as well as at hat where he collected a two run single, will play third.

Captain Russ Johnson, hold hitless against Amherst, will play first, Bob Gremp, who got another of the three hits off Dehlendorf will be in left, while sophomore Don Butters will play right. Butters got the other hit.

McInnis yesterday praised Wise for his play. "He's improved about 50 percent. I was very happy with the way he played." He also had kind words for Gremp, "who played a fine left field."

Freshmen vs. Tufts

Coach Adolph Samborski's freshman team will seek its second win of the season against Tufts this afternoon at Medford. Samborski will probably start the same team that edged Governor Dummer on Saturday.

Pitchers Dan Hinz, Bob Kessler, and Potter Palmer each went three innings Saturday, with Palmer and Hinz giving up three runs apiece. Both were plagued with wildness.