Yale: Since the Ivy League established the two-division system in 1993, Yale has been the only team to win the Red Rolfe title. In fact, from 1992-94, Yale has won three straight Ivy League and Eastern baseball titles. But last year, the Elis were upset twice by 6-5 scores to Penn in the Ivy Championship series. Since the 1993 season, Yale's Ivy winning percentage has steadily declined -- as its record has dropped from 16-4 in 1993 to 13-7 in 1995. The trend will probably come to a halt, however, as the Elis return all but two starters form last season. Included among the returnees is senior pitcher and outfielder Dan Thomas, who won first-team all-Ivy honors with a league-leading .514 batting average. The two losses will create potential holes in the infield. Freshman Tony Schrager will be called on to fill the gap at shortstop, and sophomore Jimmy Bryan (.105 batting average) will have to step up as the catcher. The starting pitching staff could have potential problems as all the hurlers are right-handed. The rotation does offer the experience of two honorable-mention all-Ivy pitchers. The two award winners, senior Adam Doherty (6-3, 4.50 ERA in 1995) and sophomore Eric Gusthall (4-3, 3.03) will probably be the top two pitchers. On the offensive side, last year's team, however, batted .303 collectively, but only hit 17 home runs. With championship experience and a strong group of returning veterans, the Elis are the Rolfe division favorites once again. Dartmouth: This could be the year the Big Green ride their way to their first Rolfe title, if not their first Ivy title in nine years. Returning six all-Ivy players and only dropping two starters, Dartmouth will look to build on last year's late-season success. Winning eight of the last 10 games, the Big Green made a late season run to finish 12-8 in Ivy play -- capturing second place in the Rolfe. The most promising aspect of Dartmouth's future is their pitching staff. With junior Scott Simon (7-1, 5.98) being the oldest pitcher on the squad, the rotation will be dominant and a powerhouse next year. Sophomore Eric Walania will be the number two hurler, boasting a 4-0 Ivy League record last year. Surprisingly, however, the pitchers have an 0-4 1996 record so far on their Florida trip. The weakest point in the infield will be at first base, although junior Jim Meyer played in 25 games last year, including starting last year for injured first baseman's Todd Seneker's absence. With two seniors and a junior combining for three first team all-Ivy bids last year, the Big Green outfield should be the league's best. Senior Greg Gilmer in left field returns as the team's best offensive threat. He captured the Blair Bat -- the Ivy League batting crown -- with a .343 average in 1994. Harvard: Trouble is amok for the Crimson this year as freshman make up about half of the 27-man roster. In addition, sophomores make up another quarter of the team. The infield will be disaster for Harvard, as they are replacing four starters -- at second base, catcher, and two utility infielders. Two seniors will step up to fill those roles. Scott Parrot (.270) will start at first base, and Dennis Doble (.260) will see time behind the plate. The Crimson will also have to depend on Craig Wilke (.353) who will see limited time also as catcher. Captain Marc Levy, who won honorable mention all-Ivy honors last year, will be a rock-solid performer in left field. Levy (.325) was the fifth leading batter last year, but showed a lack of power with only two extra base hits -- both of which were doubles. Although Harvard has the best all-time Ivy League record by about 50 games, it has been 11 years since their last title, and this year should be the twelfth. Brown: If a silver lining can be found in Brown's program, 1995's dismal 14-27 overall record was coach Bill Almon's best overall record in his four years coaching the Bears. Despite returning 17 players, they lost three starters -- including unanimous first team all-Ivy catcher Dave Murphy who took a team leading .392 batting average with him. The heart of Brown's woes will be in their pitching. Senior tri-captain Mike Milewski will be called on to be the Bears' ace -- yet he had a 2-4 record last year with a 5.96 ERA. A major shake-up is happening in the Brown infield which will likely cause troubles this season. First baseman Andy Donnelly, a 1995 starter, will be shifted to the opposite corner of the infield, and newcomers take over the entire right side of the infield with freshman Nate Allen at first and sophomore Mike Scarlatta at second. The Bears have potential to have a couple of base-stealing threats. Senior tri-captain Gilberto Sustache had only four thefts last year, but that was good enough to be the team's third-best. In addition, freshman shortstop Ryan Armstrong will be the main threat, coming off a senior year highlighted with 31 stolen bases and a .363 average.
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