Baseball's rocky year ends in Ithaca

The losingest season ever in Penn baseball history ends with a pair of doubleheaders at Cornell. With only four games left of a season fraught with disappointment, Penn baseball coach Bob Seddon is calling his players out. "My message to them is show me why you belong in this program," Seddon said. "Show me why you're a Division I player." Plagued by mental errors and lethargic play all year, Penn has set a school record with 27 losses this season -- and has Seddon searching for something good to take away from the experience. "We're trying to build something for the future," Seddon said. "Are these the guys we're building with or what?" Seddon's Quakers (6-27, 3-13 Ivy League) get one last weekend to prove themselves, as they head up to Ithaca, N.Y., for a pair of doubleheaders tomorrow and Sunday against Ivy League Gehrig Division foe Cornell (8-20, 5-7). Cornell had spent much of the season sharing the basement of the Gehrig Division but the Big Red have begun to turn things around as the season winds down. Cornell has won five of its last seven games, including victories in three of four against Columbia last weekend. Cornell's bats, which have been relatively quiet for most of the year, came alive against the Lions. Cornell took full advantage of Columbia's tiny Coakley Field, racking up 43 runs in the four games. Centerfielder Michael Macrie led the charge for the Cornell hitters against Columbia. The senior went 12-for-21 with 10 runs scored and 10 runs batted in. Second baseman Andrew Luria was right behind Macrie. The freshman -- who leads Cornell with a .429 batting average -- had eight hits and 12 RBIs over the weekend. The resurgence of the Big Red bats could spell trouble for an injury-laden Quakers pitching staff. Penn will be without the services of pitchers Dave Gonzalez, Jordan Reed and John Dolan and may miss Will Clark due to a death in the family. The Quakers have to travel with only six or seven pitchers, which means Seddon and pitching coach Bill Wagner will have to rely heavily on their four starters -- Mike Mattern, Sean McDonald, Matt Hepler and Mark Lacerenza. "We have to stretch our pitchers out again, so that's a concern," Seddon said. But Hepler said he and the other starters have not minded pitching the lion's share of the innings. "We've been throwing a lot of complete games but I think everyone's arm is still alive because during the week we really haven't been getting a lot of innings," Hepler said. The Quakers hitters have to contend with a solid Cornell staff, which has been carrying the Big Red for most of the year. Cornell coach Tom Ford most likely will tap senior Brian Williamson, freshman Brendan McQuaid and two juniors -- Nick Bayer and John Osgood. Bayer has been Cornell's most successful pitcher thus far, going 3-3 with a 4.28 earned run average. He has four complete games for the Big Red this year. Seddon called Osgood one of the "best athletes for either team." The junior -- who also plays first base -- has been hit hard this year, giving up 45 hits and 33 runs in 33 1/3 innings. Osgood took the loss last year when McDonald threw a no-hitter against the Big Red. Osgood had a one-hitter of his own going into the bottom of the sixth but gave up four runs to seal the win for Penn. The Quakers can catch Cornell and get out of the Ivy cellar with at least three wins this weekend and help from Princeton, Cornell's next and final Ivy opponent. Hepler said the key to Penn's success is for them to be more relaxed when playing. "In some cases the pitchers have been trying to do too much," Hepler said. "They feel like they have to take it upon themselves to win the game and strike people out. "If we get behind by a few runs, then [our hitters] almost have the mentality that we have to make it up with one swing." But the Quakers can't come out too relaxed, lest they draw Seddon's ire. "If a player is lethargic then he can come sit next to me," Seddon said. "And I don't even know if I want him next to me because I'm not going to be lethargic."

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