They are called the boys of summer for a reason.

While many Harvard athletes simply try to stay in shape while toiling away at I-Banking internships, the Crimson’s baseball stars go to work every day, too—on the diamond.

Soon-to-be juniors Zak Farkes and Lance Salsgiver, teammates on the Wareham Gatemen of the prestigious Cape Cod Summer Baseball League, headline the group of current Harvard players in summer ball, but a variety of other players—past and present—are playing amateur and professional baseball around the country, from Yakima, Wash. to Keene, N.H.

After Farkes was selected by his hometown Boston Red Sox as a draft-eligible sophomore in the 39th round in June—far lower than many baseball insiders has projected—Harvard’s single-season and career home run king opted to honor his contract with the Gatemen in hopes of raising his stock.

Like it is for so many hitters, however, the Cape League has been humbling for Farkes. Though Farkes has shown an aptitude for hitting with wooden bats during off-season practices, according to teammates, he has struggled using wood in the historically pitcher-dominant league this summer, batting only .211 with five doubles and one home run. Farkes leads the last-place Gatemen in runs scored, however, and has been hot of late, raising his average 15 points over the past few games heading into the all-star break this weekend.

Until he attends his first class in September, he is still eligible to sign with the Sox, but his difficulties with the wood bat coupled with his lower-than-expected draft position will likely combine to bring the All-Ivy first teamer back to Harvard for his junior season.

He would, however, have another chance to sign with the Red Sox following his last exam in the spring, assuming Harvard’s season has ended before the 2005 Amateur Draft commences.

If he does not sign before then, Boston will lose his rights and he will reenter the draft.

Salsgiver, meanwhile, is more concerned with the upcoming draft than the previous one. After turning down a six-figure signing bonus out of high school, the Crimson’s right fielder and former high school All-American is attempting to use the Cape League to propel him up teams’ draft boards.

Though he hasn’t shown much power, posting only one extra-base hit in 24 games played, Salsgiver has shown a knack for getting on base for the Gatemen. Despite hitting at only a .221 clip, the Crimson right fielder has an on-base percentage of .346, second on the team only to the .354 mark of Houston outfielder Travis Tully.

SCHUYLER MANN ’05

Like Farkes and Salsgiver, Mann stayed close to Cambridge over the summer, playing for the Keene Swamp Bats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL). Two summers ago, reigning Ivy Pitcher of the Year Trey Hendricks ’03, first emerged as a major hitting prospect while playing for the Swamp Bats, and now the soon-to-be senior Mann is attempting the same thing.

Harvard’s captain for the upcoming season has followed up a unanimous All-Ivy first-team campaign for the Crimson with a .273-5-13 first half for Keene, one of the premiere wooden bat summer leagues in the country. He has also posted an impressive 23 walks compared to 22 strikeouts.

The solid numbers should come as no surprise considering how well Mann swung a wood bat last summer in the Alaskan Summer Baseball League before his season was cut short due to a broken clavicle.

TREY HENDRICKS ’04