After returning from a demanding eight-games-in-eight-days spring trip to California, where it went 3-5, the 1995 Dartmouth baseball team has set its sights on a return to Ivy League contention.
Hope runs high this year for the young team, as a virtually intact starting lineup from last year and a revamped and youthful pitching staff prepare for the upcoming season.
Last spring, according to sixth-year Head Coach Robert Whalen, "We had the youngest starting lineup I've ever had since I was at Dartmouth," with as many as six position players new to the team.
Understandably, Dartmouth struggled early on, dropping its first four Ivy League contests. The Big Green rebounded, however, and played the rest of the season near .500, to finish 9-11 in the Ivy's and 16-21 overall.
Despite the inexperience, Dartmouth's players excelled with the stick, hacking out the Ivy League lead in a number of offensive categories, including a team batting average of .325. An All-Ivy First-Team outfield, including co-Captain Greg Gilmer '96, Craig Pawling '96 and Andrew Spencer '97, and Second-Team All-Ivy third baseman Jake Isler '96, made up the heart of the lineup.
Combined with co-Captain first baseman Todd Seneker '95 and designated hitter Travis Horton '96, Dartmouth should continue to have no problem piling on runs against competitors this season.
While last year an inexperienced defensive core posed the biggest question mark for Dartmouth, this year pitching is the team's greatest concern.
Gilmer, whose .476 batting average last year made him the first Dartmouth player in 46 years to lead the Ivy League in hitting, said, "The big question mark will be our pitching, whether they can keep us competitive in ball games."
Dartmouth lost three consistent hurlers last year to graduation, leaving starters Mike Tallman '95 and Scott Simon '97, and reliever/starter Dave Stephanowits '97 to anchor this year's staff.
The rest of the pitching jobs remain up in the air, with returnees David Palshaw '96, Chris Van Vliet '96 and Jon Aljancic '97 left to battle it out with freshman recruits Eric Walania, Matt Tarver-Walquist, Bob Spillane, Peter Sellers, Dan Godfrey and Travis Farrel.
Regardless of the outcome of the pitching rotation and bullpen, according to Whalen, "we are going to be as young on the mound as we were on the field last year." If the pitching staff can keep Dartmouth close, look for a steadily improving defense and an already formidable offense to propel Dartmouth into possible contention in its division against perennial powerhouse, Yale.
Dartmouth plays Babson on the road this afternoon then opens its Ivy Season on April 1 at Columbia. The Big Green return home for their first games at Red Rolfe Field with doubleheaders on April 8 and 9 against Cornell and Princeton.
As for the Dartmouth baseball team's goals this season? For Whalen the answer is simple -- it dances across the computer screen in his office: "Just Win Baby."
