The Simonian Shuffle

Penn junior Armen Simonian will see time at three positions this weekend. It's a good thing that Penn junior Armen Simonian learns quickly, because once again Quakers coach Bob Seddon is putting him to the test. Simonian, the team's pitching ace, has mastered many positions in the field since joining the Quakers. Last season, Simonian spent much of his time at third base when he was not on the mound. Late in the season, however, the 6'1'' right-hander made the move from the hot corner to second base. At the start of the 1997 campaign, Seddon again shifted Simonian -- this time to first, because the NCAA approved West Virginia transfer Glen Ambrosius' eligibility appeal. The result was more than Seddon could have hoped for, as he could now protect his star pitcher's arm from excess work. The move has paid off as the right-hander's 2.60 earned run average is the team's best. Last weekend, he hurled a complete game shutout against Columbia en route to his second Ivy League Pitcher of the Week title in as many weeks. But Simonian is on the move once again. The Emerson, N.J., native is scheduled to pitch the first game of Friday's home doubleheader against Dartmouth (4-6, 0-0 Ivy League). He will then play right field -- his fifth starting position as a Quaker -- in the second game. Seddon plans to use Simonian at right field again during Sunday's doubleheader against Harvard (5-6, 0-0), also at Bower Field. "At the beginning of the season I thought that I would be at third," Simonian said. "But I played some right field last year. The idea is to keep your main pitcher on the right side of the field." Simonian's versatility has made him, in Seddon's own words, "the most valuable player on our team." Batting out of the No. 2 slot, Ambrosius has been the ideal table setter for the Quakers. The newcomer leads the Red and Blue with six stolen bases and is second on the team in runs scored. Ambrosius was also batting a team-best .333 before going 0-for-8 from the plate in Wednesday night's 16-inning marathon loss to La Salle. "Since I've gotten here, [Seddon] has given me every opportunity to play," Ambrosius said. "That's all I can ask for. It's just been fun playing here so far." With the unquestionable success of the Ambrosius project, Seddon will press his luck by moving Simonian again -- now to the outfield, opening up a starting position for sophomore Russ Farscht. Farscht has emerged from deep on the Quakers' depth chart into a solid hitter. Since the season-opening tournament out West, Farscht has hit the cover off the ball -- leading the Quakers with a resounding .529 slugging percentage. Last night, while batting in the No. 3 slot in the order, the sophomore was one of only three Quakers to muster a base hit off La Salle starter Damian Derico. But despite his offensive success, Farscht, a natural first baseman, has struggled defensively in the outfield. If Simonian fares better at handling fly balls in the swirling winds of Bower Field, the Quakers will have improved their defense without losing Farscht's potent bat in the lineup. This weekend's twin bills against Dartmouth and Harvard, as always, will be one of the more important weekends in Penn's season. Last year, the Quakers (9-9-1, 2-1-1) made the trip North, winning three out of four and outscoring their opposition for the weekend, 37-10. But that does not mean that this weekend's game should be a cakewalk for Penn. Both teams have the upperhand on the Quakers in the all-time series. "When you play games out of division, you have to win the games," Seddon said. "There isn't any jockeying for position." Dartmouth coach Bob Whalen has developed his share of major-league talent over the years, including Astros catcher Brad Ausmus and Padres catcher Mark Johnson. This season the Big Green are led by Andrew Spencer, a left-handed hitting outfielder who has posted a .360 career batting average in three Ivy League seasons. Harvard, which won the Red Rolfe Division last season, features Peter Albers, the incumbent Ivy League Player of the Week. Albers, a powerful left-handed first baseman, batted .615 for the week. Over his four-year Ivy League career, the Harvard captain has been a very streaky hitter. When he is seeing the ball well, Albers is as dangerous as any hitter in the Ivies. "We are going to treat him like any other three or four hitter," Seddon said. "If need be, we aren't going to pitch to him. One player isn't going to beat us." The intended rotation this weekend is Simonian and A.B. Fischer against Dartmouth, followed by Mike Greenwood and Alex Hayden on Sunday. Seddon needs just one victory this weekend to capture his milestone 500th win. If Simonian's move to the outfield is effective, however, Penn could win three or four this weekend, putting them in prime position in the Lou Gehrig Division.

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