Vail, a Second-Team All-Ivy selection last year, posted a 5-3 record with a 2.95 ERA and pitched a team-best 58 innings, striking out 38 while walking 18. Vail also won his last three Ivy decisions, including the clincher in the Championship Series against Princeton.

Birtwell, who missed a good month of the season due to a chronic virus, was sparkling when he was on--which was most of the time--finishing 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA. He started the elimination game against Nicholls State, working 7.1 innings and scattering five hits, allowing just one earned run.

"It's nice knowing I'm in the rotation," Birtwell said. "It's not that solid as far as order goes, but we've got so many pitchers it's like we're using a six-man rotation or a seven-man rotation."

Crockett is the only unknown quantity in the pitching equation, but what he's displayed has his teammates encouraged.

"I'd say he throws his fastball 88, 89," Keck said. "And all of his pitches move, he's got good command."

Walsh agreed:

"I think Crockett's got the best fastball on the team and a good hard breaking ball," he said. "But that's not what makes him great. He's competitive, he wants to finish what he starts and I think he's going to be a real inning-eater for us."