Now its Bates College's turn.

Tie the blindfold, light the cigarette and ask for that last request. Jeff Bloom, Tufts' pitching ace who doesn't miss very often, is taking aim in today's game against the Maine school.

"He has the talent to go out and win every game he pitches," said John Casey, his coach. "He has perfect form. You don't have to teach him anything. He's a born pitcher."

He hasn't been far from perfect in his last three starts. All have been no-hitters.

"It's an amazing thing," Casey said. "I'd have to say the odds they'd give you on that would have to be one-million-to-one."

But before the sophomore from Commack, N.Y., could do what his coach has trouble believing, he had to believe in himself.

Casey reared back and fired at Bloom after the lefthander was roughed up for six runs and 10 hits in four innings in his first game this season. Wesleyan won 12-7 on March 29.

"I was trying to be too fine," Bloom said. "I wasn't throwing hard. He was yelling at me in the locker room afterward trying to drive the point in. I was a little shocked, but I guess it had to be done."

"I really went after him and he's gotten better," said Casey. "He's got to learn to throw every pitch as hard as he can. He's got to learn he's got enough stuff to challenge people. He's in charge."

Few batters would disagree.

In his second start of the season, Bloom pitched a no-hitter against MIT. In his third start, he did the same thing to Boston University. Trinity was the victim last Saturday.

Bloom's fastball travels at a crisp 85 mph. He can move it in or out on batters. When they prepare themselves for that, he'll fool them with a changeup. His curve was his best pitch in high school, but he never threw a no-hitter there.

"He's got three pitches that he throws consistently for strikes," Casey said.

"A kid gets a piece of his fastball and fouls it off," he added. "Then he'll throw a curve ball that drops off. The kid has no idea what's coming next. At that point, he doesn't want to be up there."

The batters from Bates don't have much choice. It's their turn Friday to flail away at Bloom when he goes after his fourth consecutive no-hitter.