You'll have to pardon Yale baseball coach John Stuper if he seems overly optimistic. After all, he'd tell you he has a good outlook no matter who's on the mound, be it Jack McDowell or Jack Benny, Dave Stewart, or Martha Stewart.
But this year, one can't detect even a note of facetiousness in Stuper's tone. Why shouldn't the Bulldog skipper be optimistic? All but two starters returned from last year's Red Rolfe Division champs, making the Elis' bid for the Ivy title as strong as e
ver. These returnees are no bunch of Ma Kettles, either.
"I couldn't be happier with how we look," Stuper said. "We're really anxious to get going."
He has good reason to be anxious about starting the '96 campaign. Stung in last year's Ivy Championship playoff by two 6-5 losses to Penn, his Bulldogs are seeking revengeŠand planning to take it out on the rest of the league. The twin setbacks halted Yale's charge to a third-straight Ivy title. So how are the Elis priming themselves for another NCAA run?
By putting their lumber up against the biggest buzzsaw schedule Yale baseball has ever seen, that's how. "We're playing four games against ACC teams," Stuper noted. "Those are the kinds of teams we want to play." Duke, Wake Forest, N.C. State, Davidso n, and East Carolina are all stops on the Bulldogs' spring break itinerary. The squad isn't likely to return 13-0, but it intends to get some valuable experience and surprise a few teams along the way.
"We could play East Cupcake University, but we're looking for a challenge," Stuper remarked.
The challenge Yale faces in the league will start with Dartmouth in the Rolfe Division. A matchup with Penn, who was not especially ravaged by graduation either, will likely await the survivor. While the Rolfe appears to be a two-horse race (with Base ball America picking the Bulldogs), look for veteran squads from Columbia and Princeton to make some noise in the Gehrig Division.
One thing is certain: this team is going to knock the ball around. That the NCAA allowed teams to practice through winter in groups of three has only strengthened the Bulldog battery; Stuper admits the squad has worked out a lot. "The hitters are swin ging better than I've ever seen them," he said. "I have no worries about scoring runs."
Instead, the big questions lie atop the hill. The Quakers outpaced Yale last year with a better pitching staff, and the Elis' fate will be determined by the strength of their arms this time around. Jason Bohannon, TC '95, (5-2 last season) has departe d, leaving the squad to rely on veterans Adam Doherty, ES '96, and Dan Thompson, ES '96, as well as last year's rookie ringer Eric Gutshall, TD '98. Gutshall paced the staff with a 3.03 ERA last season, while Doherty nailed down a half-dozen wins. Both we re named honorable mention All-Ivy after last season.
How far the Elis go in their quest for an Ivy title, however, depends largely on how deep the roster goes. Stuper is yet unsure whether he wants to run a four- or five-man rotation, but this brings juniors Bobby Griggs, MC '97, and Rich Perez, DC '97, to the forefront of his planning. Griggs, the coach reported, has been the most consistent hurler this spring. Their fortune greatly depends on how (continued on page 24) they fare on the southern swing. Still, Stuper minces no words on the importance of this duo to the team. "They could be the key to our season," he said.
Thompson, as many know, does much more than throw strikes. Namely, he hits them-all over the park. Thompson led Yale last season with a .402 batting average, 45 RBI, four home runs, and 13 doubles. In fact, he is currently on pace to grab every battin g record in the Bulldog books. Baseball America's pick to take Ivy Player of the Year honors, the speedy Thompson will camp out in right field.
The graduation of Dave Feuerstein, SY '95, depletes arguably the strongest outfield in the northeastŠbut only slightly. Fleet-footed Matthew Bird, TC '97, who played ball in Virginia all summer, will move to center, leaving what Stuper terms "a three- headed monster" in left field. That monster will be made up of Keith Caggiano, SY '97, Josh Rataezyk, SM '96, and Vanderbilt transfer Rick West, DC '97. Sophomore Greg Janis, MC '98, has also looked sharp this spring and will probably see his share of gam e (continued on page 24) time as well.
The right side of the Bulldog infield is solid, with veteran Bryan Hobbs, PC '96, set at first base and Tommy Kidwell, CC '98, slated at second. Kidwell started slowly last year (thanks to a preseason broken wrist) but finished well. Stuper ensures th at his .255 batting average is the lowest he'll ever hit at Yale, and this spring's practice tells much the same story.
All eyes are now focused on Kidwell's counterpart at the keystone, freshman shortstop Tony Schrager, PC '99. A top-30 recruit from Omaha, Neb., Schrager turned down the likes of Stanford and Georgia Tech to wear the Bulldog blue. Schrager starred for Team USA at the Junior Olympics last summer, and his fall appearances point to similar success in college.
It may seem hard to believe that baseball season is just around the corner. To most, it feels like it's still a few blocks away. But to hear it from Coach Stuper, you can expect some positive results really soon.
And it doesn't matter whether he's pitching Adam Doherty or Adam Sandler.
Copyright 1996, The Yale Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
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