Three seasons ago, the members of Harvard baseball team’s senior class began their careers as baby-faced rookies. Eight teenagers from six different states converged at Harvard ready to build on the Crimson’s successful 1998 campaign that had concluded with an Ivy League title, an NCAA regional berth and a No. 24 national ranking.

The class was as star-studded as any Harvard had seen, featuring a Baseball America “Top 100” prospect, two USA Today honorable mention All-Americans and a future Cape Cod Pitcher of the Year.

The boys had big dreams.

“I remember way back in the fall (of 1998),” senior pitcher Justin Nyweide said. “We were Coach Walsh’s first real recruiting class. There were a lot of big names, and we were from all over—Miami, San Diego—so that might have added to [the hype].”

Their careers started strong, as the Crimson raced to its third consecutive Ivy title and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament regional hosted by USC. But Harvard lost both of its regional match-ups, and after consecutive disappointing seasons, has not played in the postseason since.

During the last two seasons Harvard has struggled with inconsistency, showing flashes of brilliance amid stretches of mediocre play. The program that dominated the league in the late 90, compiled just a 21-19 conference record and back-to-back third place finishes in the Red Rolfe division to begin the new millennium.

Harvard has fallen back into the pack.

“The Ivy League finally caught up with us and we realized that we had to work that much harder, that we had to put in that extra effort,” Nyweide said. “It’s been a two-year process.”

With an experienced core of returning position players and a pitching staff anchored by senior ace Ben Crockett, the team—especially the senior class—expects the hard work to pay off this season.

“Our expectations are definitely very high,” Crockett said. “We are the most experienced we’ve been in a while, and probably have the most talent we’ve had in a while, too. We are very excited about our chances to win the Ivy League.”

Another league championship would bring the senior class back to where it started—on top of the Ivies. Only this time, it would be their title.

“We have the ring (from 1999), but there is this feeling that it wasn’t really our team and that it was not our class that was contributing,” said senior shortstop Mark Mager. “It’s important to get our own ring, especially with the last two seasons being so disappointing.”

A Pair of Aces

In the college baseball world of small parks and aluminum bats, solid starting pitching is hard to find. Sixth-year Harvard Coach Joe Walsh, however, has two proven weekend starters in right-handers Crockett and Nyweide.