Both Kessler, who batted .356 out of the leadoff slot, and Huling, who hit .383 with 42 RBI batting third, tallied better than .400 on-base percentages and loaded the bags for the middle of the Crimson order. The three outfielders finished one-two-three on the squad in runs scored.

"I'll take our outfield over anybody's," Walsh said.

Around the Horn

Harvard loses only one member of its starting infield, but the departure of Pete Albers '97 means a great deal. The Crimson's major defensive question mark remains finding a starting first baseman to replace last year's captain.

"It definitely hurts to lose Albers," said junior second baseman Hal Carey. "He was a team leader, but guys collectively can setup and fill that role."

Walsh will put the job up for grabs on the spring trip, as sophomores Eric Binkowski and Jason Portman will vie with Huling for playing time at the sack.

But Binkowski, who had not practiced until this week due to an ACL injury, and Larcoque, whose bulging disc in his back has him day-to-day, saw limited action last season and will have to prove themselves hungry enough to earn the spot.

The double-play combination of Carey and senior captain David Forst at shortstop solidifies a stellar Crimson defense up the middle. Forst's impressive golvework, however, comes this season with a much-improved presence at presence at the plate.

Forst, who hit only .291 through the Ivy season but led the team by going 17-for-37 in the playoffs, looks to become a legitimate multi-skill player.

"Forst had a lot of great at-bats last year," Walsh said. "He's improved immeasurably with the bat, and he's become a tough out. Before, he would just slap the ball around, but now I think he's a real two-way player."

Carey, the 1996 Ivy Rookie of the Year, should play into the Crimson's Billyball-brand offense with his effective spray hitting and baserunning instincts.

"He's the type of kid that takes pitches, hits behinds runners," Walsh said. "You need a Hal Carey in your lineup. He's a pure team ballplayer. Because of his ability to use the Yard, to hit to all fields, Hal's the kind of guy who can hit big-time pitching."

Walsh will return junior Peter Woodfork to the hot corner. Woodfork, who started alongside Carey in their rookie seasons, sat out 19 games last season with a bum ankle but looks a break out in 1998. According to Walsh, Woodfork made immense progress over the winter and has looked sharp in pre-season practices.

Senior designated hitter Brett Vankoski, who terrorized League pitching last season, will do the base-cleaning in the middle of the lineup. Ever the focus of Ivy scouting reports, Vankoski's big bat will pick up some of Albers' slack in terms of power and RBI.

Inside Pitch