Big Green Clinches Ball Title
Like the cicada locust that poked its head above ground for the first time in 17 years, the Dartmouth baseball team hadn't made much noise since 1970. That all changed in early May when a pair of nail-biting, onerun wins over Harvard on the final day of the conference season brought Dartmouth its first Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League title since 1970 when the Big Green clinched the title with a victory at home over Penn. With the twin wins Coach Mike Walsh's team also gained a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The Big Green drew national powerhouse Michigan as its initial opponent in the NCAAs; few experts gave Dartmouth a chance against the nation's ninth-ranked team. As it turned out, however, the only thing that was overmatched was the Michigan batting order. Junior left-hander Mike Remlinger, solidifying a well-deserved reputation as one of the finest pitchers in the nation, shut down Michigan, 4-0, on just four hits. The shutout was only the second the Wolverines had endured in 201 games.
Remlinger, who struck out 13 in a complete-game effort, was supported by an eight-hit attack. Fellow junior Tom DeMerit supplied most of the power with a threerun homer over the right-centerfield wall. Solid pitching, timely hitting and excellent defense Dartmouth trademarks all season long helped the Big Green pull off an upset that became the talk of the college baseball world.
"It's something that I will remember 10 or 15 years from now," mused Walsh. "Our kids showed that while getting the very best education available, they can compete successfully at the highest level of collegiate baseball." Michigan Coach Bud Middaugh was one of the most impressed. "That was as fine a pitcher as we faced all year long," he said. "They played good defense behind him. They should be proud of the way they played."
The first hint that something special was in store this year might have come in late March, when the Big Green traveled to the West Coast for its first ten games, including an appearance in the prestigious California- Riverside Tourney. The trip broke a longstanding tradition of heading south for early-season play, but Walsh knew his veteran squad needed to hone its game against the very best opposition available.
After dropping two of its first three games, the Big Green got off to a smashing start in the Riverside Tourney, defeating Brigham Young, 6-5. Remlinger gained the victory, striking out 13 and allowing only five hits. In just its fourth game of the season, Dartmouth had upset a national-calibre team that had already played 19 games.
After narrow losses to host California-Riverside and Washington, Dartmouth pummeled Bowling Green, 17-4. The final win in the tournament was a 15-13 shootout over eventual tourney-champion California-Berkeley, the Golden Bears' only loss of the event.
Dartmouth opened its EIBL season in mid-April with doubleheader sweeps over Brown and Yale on Red Rolfe Field. Remlinger and freshman Mark Johnson got the wins over Brown, allowing just one earned run apiece. Sophomores Chris Hildenbrand and Dave Hammond stopped Yale one day later to help the Big Green to a 4-0 jump in conference play.
"That weekend was key," said Walsh. "We needed to get off to a fast start. Once you start winning those doubleheaders, they begin to pile up."
A week later Dartmouth opened a raindelayed weekend by sweeping Pennsylvania. Then near-disaster struck. A streak of first-inning wildness resulted in Remlinger's dropping an otherwise well-pitched 4-2 decision to Navy in the opener of a doubleheader. The Middies followed with a 6-2 win in the nitecap. The losses dropped Dartmouth to third in the EIBL with a 6-2 record.
The Big Green's back was against the wall. "I knew that three losses is about the most you can have and still have a chance to win our league," Walsh said. "At that point we decided to really bear down and think of each game as the most important game of the season." Walsh privately figured it would take a sweep of the remaining six home EIBL games and winning at least three of four on the road to have a legitimate shot at the crown.
Consecutive sweeps of Columbia and Army in Hanover gave a glimmer of faith. Then Remlinger and Johnson fired doubleheader victories against the rapidly improving Princeton club to keep Dartmouth hopes alive. The two wins, combined with Harvard's split against Cornell, moved Dartmouth into a tie for the conference lead. When it was determined that Harvard's and Dartmouth's postponed games would not be made up, the doubleheader between the Crimson and the Green became a true championship showdown.
Remlinger struggled with his control in the opener against Harvard but hung on to win a gutsy 6-5 decision before a large and enthusiastic crowd. That win gave the Green a one-game lead with one to play. Johnson then took a shutout into the final inning of the nitecap before surviving a two-out, two-run blast to win 3-2 and set off the wildest baseball celebration Hanover had seen since 1970.
The next stop for Walsh and his band was Atlanta, where the Northeast Regional of the NCAA had been moved for fiscal reasons. "It's funny," said Walsh. "You spend so much of your time trying to win the EIBL, and then the scenario works out perfectly with a sweep of Harvard at home. You have tremendous elation and joy and then you wake up the next day and realize, heck, we're going to the regionals against some of the best teams in the country."
The Big Green bowed out of the NCAAs with a well-played loss to Fordham and a disappointing defeat against Rider after the upset of Michigan. But nothing could diminish the accomplishments of a very special team. In addition to tying the record for most wins in a season with a 24-14 mark, Dartmouth set records for team batting average (.300), fielding percentage (.968), doubles (55) and triples (15).
Remlinger set individual records for strikeouts in a season (132) and a career (337), wins in a career (22), complete games in a career (22) and innings pitched (239). Mitchell broke the Dartmouth record for hits in a season (54), hits in a career (165), runs in a season (36) and runs in a career (110). Senior captain Todd Twachtmann hit .416, missing the school record for batting average by one point.
Remlinger was accorded first-team AllAmerica distinction, only the second Dartmouth player to win that honor in 119 years. (Gene Ryzewicz '68 was the first.) Remlinger went on to become the San Francisco Giants' first-round pick and 16th choice overall in the annual free agent draft.
DeMerit, like his roommate, also was chosen in the draft. The powerhitting right fielder was picked by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth round and reported to their Great Falls, Montana, farm team in mid-June.
Walsh was named New. England Coach of the Year after the Big Green won the poll as New England's top team. Remlinger and Twachtmann were named first-team All-New England while Mitchell was second team. Along with Johnson, they were selected to participate in the annual New England College Baseball All-Star Game at Fenway Park in mid-June.
Joy in Hanover: Big Green baseball players know how to celebrate their Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball title.
The Thrill of Victory: Mark Johnson '90 embraces Number 28, Tom DeMerit.
Top Coach: Dartmouth baseball coach Mike Walsh was named New England Coach of the Year as the Big Green picked up honors as New England's top team.
The Pitch: Leftie Mike Remlinger shows the form that caught the eye of the pros.
