Beginning on March 18, the Dartmouth baseball team embarked on a week-long, eight-game road trip to California to get ready for its upcoming 2009 Ivy League campaign.
The Big Green (4-9, 3-0 Ivy) faced a tough string of West Coast teams, dropping seven games and salvaging one win as the team traveled throughout the Golden State.
The lone win for Dartmouth came on the trip's second-to-last day, when the Big Green defeated San Jose State 7-4 at California Polytechnic State University's Baggett Stadium. The Big Green came from behind, winning the game on a bases-loaded walk by Ray Allen '09 in the ninth inning before rookie shortstop Joe Sclafani '12 padded the lead with a two-run single.
The come-from-behind win marked head coach Bob Whalen's 350th career victory. Whalen has coached at Dartmouth for 19 seasons.
Although Dartmouth managed to return from California with only one win, the team's response to the competition it faced bodes well for another successful season, as the Big Green looks to return to the Ivy League championship for the second-straight year.
"We expected to do better, but we played some tough competition," said captain Robert Young '10. "It's always tough playing against teams that have been outside playing for a month when we are coming from practicing inside. We started off playing pretty sloppy baseball, but the way we ended the trip, I think, proved how good a team we can be."
Young, a pitcher, said he was pleased with the way Dartmouth steadily improved -- particularly offensively -- as the trip progressed. Because hitters often need to see a lot of pitching before they start playing at their peak, it was especially beneficial for the Big Green to face top-tier arms.
"We faced some great competition out there, especially the pitching," said Young. "Our hitters saw some great pitchers which will definitely get them ready for Ivy pitching."
Young conceded that the pitching staff will need to perform better to give the offense a chance later in the spring.
"Mostly, we just have to keep competing on the mound. Our hitters started crushing the ball in California, so we have to give them a chance to put runs on the scoreboard and keep us in the game."
Dartmouth began its road trip with a tight 8-7 loss to the University of the Pacific, a game in which a ninth-inning rally was stymied as Dartmouth stranded the tying run at third base.
The Big Green bats took a few games to thaw out, having not played in nearly three weeks before departing for the West Coast. Dartmouth was silenced by San Jose State, 6-1 and 19-0, before traveling to Santa Clara, Calif., where Dartmouth was swept in a three-game series.
The early games were marked by uncharacteristically sloppy play by the Big Green.
"We made a few errors early on in California, but we started playing a lot better," Young said. "We need to keep improving on defense."
Dartmouth got its revenge on San Jose State with a 7-4 win on March 24, and showed continued improvement as the team dropped the final game of its trip, 14-9, to Cal Poly, the 12th-ranked team in the country.
The Big Green pounded out 19 hits against its nationally ranked opponents, but came up short, as the Mustangs' offensive assault proved to be too much.
Dartmouth was once again led by the bat of Allen, who recorded three hits in the loss.
"Ray Allen has been our best hitter so far this year," Young said. "He has had a hot bat lately, and we'll continue to use him in the Ivies."
Also collecting two hits apiece in the Cal Poly game were Sclafani and veteran third basemen Jonathon Santopadre '09.
"Santopadre has played very well both offensively and defensively at third, and he brings experience to the team and has a great presence," Young said. "Sclafani is becoming a solid shortstop and a good bat in the lineup."
While the team's record might not reflect a successful spring trip, the ensuing results against Dartmouth's Ivy League counterparts shows the team's improvement -- promising signs for a squad that harbors high hopes for this season.
"We always go into the season expecting to win the Red Rolfe Division and the Ivy League," said Young. "The way we have started playing lately has done nothing but prove that we have the talent to beat anyone in our league. There are always things we need to work on, and I think that the more games we play, the better we will get. I'm looking forward to a great year and I think we'll be going back to the Ivy championship."
After returning to the East Coast on Friday, Dartmouth proceeded to sweep the University of Pennsylvania in a doubleheader.
Every player in the lineup had at least one hit, as Jim Wren '10 hit a clutch home run with two outs in the seventh to tie the game before the Big Green went on to win it in extra innings.
In the nightcap, the tandem of Wren and Nick Santomauro '10 put the game out of reach when both homered in the eighth.
Santomauro finished the game 3-4 with three RBIs. A triple would have allowed him to hit for the cycle.
"After a slow start, Nick is really starting to heat up and I think will produce some big numbers for us in the lineup," Young said.
On Sunday, Dartmouth made a big statement in its first game against defending Ivy League champion Columbia. The Lions defeated Dartmouth in the final game of last season.
In the first part of a doubleheader, rookie righthanded pitcher Kyle Hendricks '12 twirled a gem, allowing only five hits and no runs en route to a complete game shutout. The win was the first of his collegiate career.
Young saw early signs of Hendricks' effectiveness in California.
"Kyle has looked very good on the mound, especially as a freshman," Young said. "We'll look to him to be one of our conference starters."
Once again, the red-hot Allen led the way for the Big Green, belting a pair of home runs in the 7-0 domination of the Lions. Santomauro also went yard as part of a three-hit performance for the Big Green.
In the nightcap, Dartmouth defeated the Lions 6-5, buoyed by three RBIs from Brett Gardner '10.
