Needless to say, for the Crimson, Cosgriff’s absence extends far beyond the game of baseball.

“Wes is one of those guys that every coach has to have,” Walsh said. “When we’ve got a big recruit coming in on campus, Coach Hyde and I are always saying, ‘Well, let’s find out what Wes is doing this weekend.’ He’s such a great kid. It’s been an unbelievable, courageous battle.”

This year, the Crimson will wear his number on their jerseys—“not making a big splash about it,” Walsh said—and will join so many others in hoping and praying for his immediate recovery.

“We all feel like we’re just waiting for some good news. It’s hard to explain into words what we’re going through,” Walsh said. “And it’s on everybody’s minds. And we’re all like, ‘What can we do, what can we do?’ And it’s gonna be a great day, and I’m hoping it’s this season, when we’re going to get Wes back on the field and in uniform, and back at Harvard.

“That’s gonna be our success, how it’s gonna be measured this year. If we get Wes back.”

ENGLISH ON THE BALL

Two Robs, senior Rob Wheeler and sophomore Rob Nelson, look to be competing for serious playing time this season. “Those guys have shown me remarkable improvement at the plate,” Walsh said. “Right now, those are two guys that have, ‘Play me, play me, play me,’ on the backs of their shirts.”….There will be a few new, noticeable additions to O’Donnell Field this year. There will be brand-new dugouts, and now, a permanent locker room, an odd first in Crimson baseball history….Hendricks has made some notable adjustments to his mechanics with the Diamondbacks organization, including the changing of his hitting stance. “I just hope they get back to doing what he likes to do,” Walsh said. “Just let if fly out there. He can swing.” The team hopes to visit Hendricks on its road-trip to Florida, where Arizona has a minor league complex.

—Alex McPhillips contributed to the reporting of this article.

—Staff writer Pablo S. Torre can be reached at torre@fas.harvard.edu.