It's tough to follow an act like last spring's Cinderella baseball story. A year ago, Harvard's Crimson squad ran up a phenomenal 35-3 record and nabbed an invitation to the Royal Ball of college baseball, the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

And even though Harvard abruptly exited the festivities after a couple of quick dances with the regal competition in Omaha, no one can really fault the Crimson because it couldn't jam its feet into championship slippers. Harvard baseball '73 was a great story--the stuff that fairy tales are made of.

Out of the Ashes

But this year's Crimson combine might have the credentials to top the old show. Already Harvard has risen from the ash-heap to scratch and claw its way into the NCAA District I playoffs, and win its fourth-straight EIBL title.

Harvard did it with a frantic 11 for 12 blitz of the last dozen contests, including seven of eight in the last week and a three-game sweep of Penn (2) and Princeton when the chips were on the line.

Well, if all this achievement isn't to turn into a pumpkin, Harvard must come up with another pressure performance in the District I playoffs which begin tomorrow noon when the Crimson meets Providence.

Battle for Omaha

The Crimson, Friars and University of New Hampshire Wildcats, will go at each other for three days in double elimination competition, with the survivor moving on to Omaha.

Harvard again has the most glittering record of the playoff participants, with 28 wins against only nine setbacks (11-4 in EIBL and 7-1 in Greater Boston play). Providence, boasting a 17-7 record, is making its seventh playoff appearance in the last ten years although the Friars have never won a trip to the World Series. Darkhorse UNH, has a 15-6 record on the season.

The strongest challenge to a second-straight Harvard trip to Omaha is likely to come from Providence, a team that some oddsmakers have made the District I favorite. The Friars boast a strong pitching staff, a murderous hitting attack, and have the memory of being drubbed, 8-1, by the Crimson in last year's District I face off to spur them on.

Down to Basics

Providence coach Alex Nahigian likes to play basic baseball: hit-and-run, sacrifice, execute the fundamentals. But this year Providence has hitting too. Over the season the Friars have tattooed the ball at a .312 clip as a team and boast seven hitters--the two to eight men in the batting order--hitting over .317.

Freshman Joe Maroccio leads the Friar offense with a glittering .389 batting average and is closely followed by Barry Sullivan at .372, Ted Barette at .369, and Steve Allietta at .366. Sullivan and Barette are the big run producers with 27 and 26 RBIs, respectively, and four home runs apiece.

"In a tournament like this, each team has to come up with two people who have the hot bat," Nahigian says. "This year we have seven kids capable of getting hot."

To complement the strong hitting Nahigian can call on Phil Welch and Mike O'Connell off the rubber. Welch, who will get the starting nod against Harvard tomorrow, has been Providence's money pitcher all year, winning five without a defeat and posting a 0.68 earned run average. O'Connell, number two Friar on the mound, is 2-0 with an 0.53 ERA.