The Crimson baseball team will open its schedule in the Greater Boston League against Tufts at Soldiers Field this afternoon. Dick Garibaldi, a sophomore right-hander, will start for the varsity, which posted a 3-3 record on its recent training trip to Virginia.

Garibaldi is one of several sophomores that coach Norm Shepard is counting on to improve his team's 9-13 record of last year. Another is catcher Dick Diehl, who batted .353 on the trip and won the starting assignment behind the plate.

The rest of the lineup lists sophomore Jim Mullin at first base, captain Al Martin at second, Jim Morse at shortstop, and Billy Rogers at third. Rogers, a utility infielder last year, has temporarily beaten out sophomores Corky Cronin and Jim Combs, but the two youngsters figure heavily in Shepard's plans.

The outfield, the only area unaffected by the youth movement, has veterans Dick Shima in center, Charley Ravenel in left, and Mike Drummey in right. But here also sophomores Bill Glimor, a power hitter, and Andy Shea are ready to step into the lineup.

Coach Shepard was pleased with the performance of his players on the training trip, and noted that "they look better at this time than they did last year." Despite the astronomical team batting average of .283, he warned that playing every day had worn down the pitchers and made it easier for the batters to boost their averages. The most hopeful sign for Shepard was the performance of his two top pitchers, Garibaldi and Al Yarbro.