Eastern League coaches decided Saturday that Harvard and Cornell will meet in a play-off game Wednesday at 2 p. m. to decide who will represent the Eastern League in the NCAA baseball tournament.

The decision was reached when the coaches of the eight member teams unanimously agreed on the play-off proposal. The decision allows Army to bow out of its doubleheader with Cornell that had been rescheduled for later this week. The Cadets had requested that the games not be played because Army is in exam week.

What could possibly be a preview of the District I baseball championship will be played today as UMass meets Harvard at 3 p. m. at Soldiers' Field. The Redmen currently hold a half game lead over Connecticut in the Yankee Conference, and the winner of the Yankee Conference is automatically a warded a berth in the District I tournament.

UMass is led by freshman sensation Charlie Manley, who is maintaining a 411 batting average. Manley turned down a lucrative offer from the Milwaukee Brewers when the ECAC ruled that freshmen could participate in baseball in the Yankee Conference.

Besides being the team's leading hitter. Manley has burnt up the base-paths, stealing 22 bases in 23 attempts this year. The threat represented by his speed is reflected in the fact that Jack Conroy, the Redmen number-two hitter, has been walked 22 times by opposing pitchers who had their eye more on Manley at first than on Conroy at the plate.

"The kid can run like the dickens." coach Loyal Park said yesterday. "In fact the team has good overall team speed."

Although the UMass game is important, the Crimson will be looking ahead to the Cornell game. "We'll definitely start Bill Kelly against Cornell." Park said. "We hope that he can do the job but Phil Collins and J. C. Nickens will be on hand just in case."

Park said that he thinks Cornell will go with their ace right-hander John Geise. "They'll go with their best," Park said. "I would have hoped that we could settle this thing in a three-game series, but we'll just have to decide this on the field."

Even though the Crimson has been idle for more than a week, Park has been pleased with the workouts. "You'd think the boys would be down after all this, but their morale is excellent." he said.