With the Big Green Teams
BACK in March, before the first cry of "play ball" was heard by varsity baseball coach Tony Lupien and his talented squad, the chief concern was what was then considered a "weak" pitching staff. Coach Lupien was faced with two problems, lack of depth and inexperience. Half the Indian pitchers were sophomores, and graduated seniors Hank Clapper and Pete Barber had accounted for 9 of the 18 victories of the previous spring.
The other side of the balance sheet, however, made it plain that the Indians were "loaded for bear," with the touted pair of second baseman Gene Ryzewicz and shortstop Mickey Beard returning with hefty batting averages and base- stealing ability. Junior Bob Thomas had switched from the outfield to first, and senior Paul Mikus had a firm grip on the hot corner at third. A "sore-arm" problem was widespread in the bullpen as the Big Green went on their annual southern swing, getting their first chance at outdoor baseball. Pitching jelled and they returned home 5-4, optimistic about their regular season chances.
Winning five out of their next six games, including shutouts against Penn (10-0), Amherst (24-0) and Harvard (5-0), the Indians moved into EIBL title contention. The Green then proceeded to nip Princeton 2-1 behind senior southpaw Jim Shaw's no-hit pitching, the first no-hitter in modern Indian diamond history. Shaw, a native of Athletic Director Red Rolfe's hometown of Penacook, N.H., relaxed fears of Big Green pitching problems. Capping an eighth game winning streak by their 9-1 demolition of a highly rated and league-leading Army contingent, the Green moved into the final week of activity neck-and-neck with the Cadets. Top New England ranking and NCAA selection necessitated six games in eight days for the Indians, a full load for any college team.
The thinness of the mound staff (17-5 prior to this action) began to wear through. The overworked Indian hurlers lost a 7-3 decision to Cornell when a win would have clinched the EIBL title. Dropping the first game of the NCAA playoff series to Boston College 4-3, the Indians fought back in the second game of a Sunday doubleheader, dramatically winning 9-8 on the strength of Bob Thomas' ninth-inning, last-out, last-strike home run with fleet shortstop Mickey Beard on board. All Green hurlers saw action in the final game of the series as the Eagles put together what the student radio, WDCR, called a "super-rally," wiping out a 10-run Dartmouth lead in a hectic sixth inning to knot the score at 13-13. It was an unlucky number for the Green who were held to two hits in the final frames as B.C. added two runs to take the game, 15-13, and the series.
Following a 15-4 loss in the season finale to a Holy Cross nine the Indians had beaten earlier 3-2 in 12 innings, the Dartmouth squad received outside help. The Midshipmen of Navy undid Cadet hopes for a second consecutive EIBL crown, boosting Dartmouth into the lead in the final standings. The Indians, with a 7-2 league record were champions, well deserved in light of their rout of the Cadets. Army at 6-2, having cancelled a contest with Harvard, settled for second.
With the pitching staff at last getting a much needed rest, the word of just how good a season it had been began to arrive in Hanover. Close behind the news of the EIBL championship, Dartmouth's first outright title in 19 years, came the EIBL and NCAA District One first-team selections.
Pitcher Jim Shaw, 5-1 in league action and 8-5 overall, shortstop Mickey Beard, second-sacker Gene Ryzewicz, and first baseman Bob Thomas were all first-team selections in the EIBL, giving the Indians the most first-team selections of any league nine. Thomas led the Green in the league with a .375 BA, with Beard batting .343, and Ryzewicz .314. Ryzewicz, noted for his fast moves on the gridiron with All-Ivy quarterback Beard, was one of two players to be a repeat selection to the EIBL first team. He retained possession of the Princeton A.A. Cup as the league-leading base thief with eight steals. Beard led the league in doubles, seven, and Bob Thomas in home runs, four. According to Athletic Director Red Rolfe, Bob has been named captain-elect of the 1968 baseball team. A fine athlete and a dedicated player, he hit .323 this spring, driving in 22 runs and crossing the plate 30 times himself. Coach Lupien expects him to contribute mightily to next spring's Dartmouth nine.
All three infielders were named to the NCAA District One first team, and Shaw was a second-team selection. Overall Ryzewicz led the Green batters this spring with a .374 BA, and ranked fifth in NCAB statistics with 22 stolen bases. Beard, with 12 doubles is ranked third in the NCAB stats. Jim Shaw pitched 82 innings this spring, collecting 73 strike-outs, both team highs.
Matching 1966's 18-10 summary, the best in forty previous campaigns, was no small feat for the '67 edition of Coach Lupien's Big Green nine. Jim Shaw's 2-1 no-hitter over Princeton and the enjoyable 9-1 victory over the Cadets for what ultimately proved to be the EIBL championship made this a team which will be remembered for a season full of excitement and victory in spite of the uncertainty with which it began.
Coach Tony Lupien (c) with the crack, hard-hitting infield that had a lot to do withDartmouth's winning the 1967 EIBL championship. The players (I to r) are thirdbaseman Paul Mikus, shortstop Mickey Beard, second baseman Gene Ryzewicz, andfirst baseman Bob Thomas, who will captain the baseball team next spring. Beard,Ryzewicz, and Thomas, with pitcher Jim Shaw, were all named to the all-leaguefirst team and the NCAA District I first team.
