BASEBALL
The varsity baseball team, opening the season down south against more practiced squads, and suffering from a shortage of experienced pitchers, returned with a 4-7 summary. In spite of the lack of outdoor practice, the Indians ran off three straight victories against Old Dominion, prior to coming up against their stiffest opponents. North Carolina State proved stingy, allowing the Indians only two runs in three losing efforts.
Unable to score effectively, the Green fell victim first to East Carolina 7-2, and then to Maryland 6-1. Fortunately, Indian pitchers and hitters combined for a vital win against EIBL foe Navy in their next outing. The 7-3 decision started the Big Green in the right direction toward a defense of last spring's hard-won Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League championship. Sophomore righthander Chuck Seelbach picked up his second win, allowing only three hits, as Dartmouth outpowered the Midshipmen. Fighting out of a batting slump, junior Terry Light had two hits and a pair of RBI's, with soph Bud Dagirmanjian notching an RBI and a run scored.
Dartmouth finished up the vacation action with two highly frustrating games en route to Hanover. In the first outing, against Villanova, Coach Lupien's squad saw their lead vanish behind a late rally, losing 10-8. In the final game the Green fought back against Seton Hall, only to have an eighth-inning surge fall short, 4-3.
Back in Hanover, much assessment remained. The news that sophomore Chuck Seelbach, after pitching the frosh baseball squad to an undefeated season last year, would be ineligible for the remainder of this spring, worsened an already critical shortage of pitchers. Seelbach, who had five victories on the Pea Green, had been counted on to give senior Dolph Highmark able support. Highmark, a hefty righthander from Indianapolis, Ind., is the lone returning letterman in the Indian bullpen. Other substantial question marks, such as second-team All-American Gene Ryzewicz and Captain Bob Thomas, who have yet to match last year's potent scoring efforts, leave the overall picture very much in doubt. Over the past several seasons the EIBL crown has been decided by as little as a half-game in the final standings, and seldom more than two games. In these circumstances the Indians have little room for prolonged development.
All of these factors became obvious in the two opening games of the regular schedule. Against the University of Massachusetts in the opener, Dartmouth played the type of tight defense that may make a successful title defense possible, while Highmark proved that he has gained both stamina and control over last season. UMass, for its part, aided the Green with numerous errors. Terry Light continued his fine early performance, with a two-run triple in the seven-run top half of the first inning. Against Boston College, also on the road, Dartmouth pitching was unable to hold the line. The Eagles ripped off a 9-1 victory as Dartmouth's big bats went silent.
The answer to many of the team's problems would be scoring; but while the potential is there, there has been no great success to date. Another factor that may influence matters is that the varsity will play all home games on Chase Field this spring as a result of the construction work on the new steel football stands adjacent to Memorial Field. New homegame uniforms will feature an Indian head insignia on pin-stripe green on white. Faced with Williams, St. Michael's, and Penn in rapid succession, Indian pitching will be sorely tried as Dartmouth moves into the heart of a heavy schedule.
Behind the plate for Dartmouth, Jon Hanshus '69 of the Claire, Wis., has demonstrated great ability as a field leader.
