Senior Brent Suter, who earned first-team All-Ivy honors his sophomore year and is currently one of 30 nominees for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, is expected to be back as a big contributor after a successful summer on the mound. Suter, classmate Connor Hulse, juniors Joey Novak and Matt Doyle, and sophomore Sam Dodge make up a formidable core of starters that will no doubt be crucial to keeping the Crimson’s title hopes alive during its long season.

That core will also be augmented by Ferreira, who is coming off Tommy John surgery, sophomore Baron Davis, and rookies Tanner Anderson, Jacob Kremers, and Matt Timoney.

In the infield, several jobs remain up in the air, but opponents can count on seeing senior second baseman Jeff Reynolds, junior first baseman Danny Moskovits, and sophomore shortstop Jake McGuiggan returning to their positions from last year.

The uncertainty continues into Harvard’s offense, but the team will turn to the bats of Reynolds and fellow senior Marcus Way to produce runs—something the Crimson struggled with in last year’s campaign.

The Harvard squad still needs to answer questions surrounding certain areas of its game, but armed with a new mentality and renewed depth, the team looks to be in a better position than it was last season.

“It’s kind of neat to know that when you’re making a 22-man roster to travel, you don’t get to 18 and say, ‘Who are we going to take this week?’” Walsh said. “You’re saying after 22, ‘I can’t believe we’re not taking this guy or we’re leaving this bat or arm at home.’”

But that said, Walsh admits there’s something missing.

“We could use a few fans this year,” he deadpanned.

Maybe some underdog appeal will help.

—Staff writer Madeleine E. Smith can be reached at smith21@college.harvard.edu.