2014 Ivy Baseball Outlook

On the doorstep of Ivy League play, we break down the Ancient Eight competition on the diamond.

Lou Gehrig Division (Columbia, Cornell, Princeton, Penn)

The Gehrig Division has won the last three Ivy League titles, and looks like the deeper division this season.

Coming off a convincing 16-4 Ivy title campaign and showing no lack of depth, Columbia is the team to beat in the Ivy League this year.

The Lions have seven returning All-Ivy players, including the daunting pitching duo of seniors Joey Donino and David Speer. Both Donino, a righty, and Speer, a lefty, are top 10 Ivy Prospects per Baseball America. Senior centerfielder Jordan Serena, another top prospect, is a luxury in the outfield and leads the Lions with seven doubles so far this year. Another outfielder, sophomore Rob Paller, has stepped up for Columbia thus far – he’s hitting .308 and is responsible for just under a third of the Lions’ 68 runs.

The Lions went 6-12 in a tough non-conference state that included series’ against the likes of Texas and South Florida. Time will tell if the battle-tested Lions have the might to repeat.

Cornell, which boasts depth on the mound, will look to build off an 11-9 Ivy season and be a threat in the strong Gehrig Division. The Big Red has the best non-conference record of the Ivy squads at 7-7. Cornell’s bats, which have been hot early on, lead the Anicent Eight with a .294 collective average.

Junior righty Brent Jones ranks as the Ivies’ top prospect, and wields a fastball that touches the mid-90s. He has seen mixed success this year, going 1-1 with a 3.93 ERA. Lefty Michael Byrne, a sophomore, has shined most for the Big Red on the mound, as he carries a staff-best 2.05 ERA into Ivy play. Junior left fielder Ryan Karl has provided plenty of power for the Big Red early on, as he leads the league with 17 RBI and a whopping .736 slugging percentage.

While this year’s Penn (6-10) squad hasn’t yet proven it can be a legitimate Ivy contender, the Red and Blue have a stable of arms that could carry a bounce back effort under new head coach John Yurkow. Junior ace Connor Cuff has an Ivy League best 1.00 ERA through four starts, and fellow junior Dan Gautieri leads the Ancient Eight in strikeouts with 28.

Freshman southpaw Jack Hartman has emerged from a first-year class filled with arms, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.80 ERA. If the Quakers keep slugging the way they have – they’ve launched a conference-high 15 home runs this year – they could catch some foes by surprise.

A young Princeton squad, 5-11 on the year so far, will likely need to endure growing pains before they become a legitimate contender.

Senior southpaw Michael Fagan has stood out amongst a relatively young staff, posting a 2-1 record with a 2.45 ERA thus far. The Tigers, who have racked up a collective 6.85 ERA in non-conference play, will need more consistent pitching to compete in Ivy play.

Freshman outfielder Paul Tupper has burst on the scene with a .333 average and a team-high 11 RBI on the offensive end for the Tigers.

Red Rolfe Division (Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, Brown)

A Dartmouth (3-9) team that faces uncertainty on the mound will look to defend its Rolfe Division crown.

The Big Green return only one starting pitcher, senior Louis Concado, and the lack of experience has showed: Dartmouth’s collective 6.88 ERA this season is the highest among Ivy squads.

The grass hasn’t been much greener on the other side, either. Dartmouth is the only Ivy squad averaging less than four runs per game.

Senior outfielder Jeff Keller, while not on pace to match his gaudy 2013 numbers, has started out the season with solid production at the plate along with junior catcher Matt MacDowell – both are hitting exactly .300.

Junior second baseman Thomas Roulis has taken advantage of his role hitting at the top of the lineup. Roulis leads Dartmouth with a .302 average and seven RBI.

Yale, a 10-10 club last season, has the potential to give the Big Green a run for their money in the Rolfe division.

The Elis (7-9) rank near the top of the Ivies in most offensive categories, including runs, average and OBP.

Senior infielder Jacob Hunter leads the Bulldogs offense with 12 RBI, eight XBH and a .317 average.

Yale returned all of its starters from last year and is looking for the experienced bunch to step up in Ivy play. However, freshman righty Chasen Ford has been given the biggest workload on the staff so far, posting a team-best 4.39 ERA in 26.1 innings of work. The staff was middle-of-the road last season (3.92 ERA), and has yet to settle in this year, as it possesses a high 6.29 ERA and has given up an Ivy League high eight homers.

Harvard will look to turn its Ivy fortunes around after going 7-13 in league play last year.

The squad went just 4-13 in non-conference play this season, but like the Quakers, most of the Crimson’s losses have been extremely close – seven of their 13 defeats have come by one run.

In order to start winning those close contests, the Crimson will need to do a better job hitting with runners in scoring position.

Senior ultilityman Carlton Bailey enters Ivy play with a club-best .323 average, and junior outfielder Jack Colton leads the Crimson with 10 RBI and 19 hits.

The Harvard pitching staff has enjoyed solid performance from young arms thus far – sophomore Sean Poppen has a team-low 1.44 ERA in 25 innings pitched, and freshman Nick Gruener is averaging seven strikeouts per game.

Worst to first might not be a realistic scenario for Brown, a squad that went 3-17 in league play last year, but the Bears appear primed to make some significant strides.

Brown, 4-6 in non-conference play, has seen significant contributions from its youth.

Freshman pitcher Christian Taugner has made himself a candidate for Ivy League Rookie of the Year, carrying a team-low 1.23 ERA (which is also second best in the Ancient Eight). Taugner held No. 1 South Carolina to just one run in seven innings of action earlier this year.

Fellow rookie Marc Sredojevic, a third baseman, has heated up at the plate recently. He was named Ivy League rookie of the week after hitting .417 and driving in five runs last weekend.

Senior JJ Franco is off to a stellar start, having not struck out in 40 plate appearances. The second baseman leads the Bears with a .325 average.

Consistency on the mound may be Brown’s biggest struggle this season – all of the Bears’ starters other than Tauger have ERAs of over 5.75.

The Bears will have the opportunity to open the Ivy season with a statement against Columbia this weekend.