While Crockett's summer might have been the most impressive, Birtwell still remains the heart and soul of the pitching staff. The senior has been the staff ace since his freshman year, and his dominating sophomore season earned him Ivy Pitcher of the Year.
Birtwell was not quite as dominant last year, although he still led the team with a 3.31 ERA and 41 strikeouts. His 2-3 record was largely a product of the lack of offense that plagued the team all season.
Birtwell said the unusually cold, rainy spring also hurt the staff. Crimson pitchers were never able to settle into a comfortable rhythm, having to battle through several rainouts.
As the only senior in the regular rotation, Birtwell has become the de-facto leader of the staff, helping the younger pitchers develop.
"He's kind of like another coach out there," Ronz says. "It's nice to have a student perspective on what I'm doing."
The team expects continued improvement from Ronz. After starting slowly last year while adjusting to college hitting and the colder climate, Ronz hit his stride towards the end of the year.
In a crucial late-season game against Dartmouth, the southpaw went toe-to-toe with Big Green ace Conor Brooks for ten innings, at one point retiring 24 out of 26 batters.
Read more in Sports
Softball Seeks Sweet Redemption in GeorgiaRecommended Articles
-
Baseball Sweeps Ivy HonorsThe Harvard baseball team (28-18, 16-4 Ivy) swept all three Ivy League MVP awards Wednesday, capping a season in which
-
Weekend Wins Would Work WondersWhen, in The Wizard of Oz , Dorothy said, "there's no place like home," you can be sure the Harvard
-
Baseball's Hopes Fade AwayHaving relished the sweetness of an Ivy League championship in each of the past three years, the Harvard baseball team
-
Baseball Hopes to get Back in the SwingThere’s nothing like swapping baseball stories with a future Hall of Famer to lift a slumping team’s spirits. Hardball guru
-
Notebook: Birtwell's Swansong Came Much Too SoonSitting in the dugout yesterday, Harvard Coach Joe Walsh was forced to acknowledge one of the harsher implications of the
-
The Definition of ClutchDown 1-0 with two outs, facing a 3-2 count, sophomore pinch hitter Mickey Kropf—and Harvard’s entire season—was down to his
