Crimson and Big Green come calling

It has been a long time coming for the baseball team, but the Tigers will finally open their Ivy League season this weekend with home doubleheaders against Dartmouth (6-7) on Saturday and Harvard (1-13) on Sunday.

Fresh off what was perhaps the team’s most impressive win of the season — a 1-0 pitcher’s duel against Rutgers (6-13) on Wednesday — Princeton heads into the most important part of its season with confidence and momentum.

The Tigers’ offense, the team’s biggest unknown heading into the season, has been solid for most of the year. Princeton has scored more than 10 runs five different times this season — including 20 in a game against Navy (14-8) — and been shut out only once, by No. 3 UNC (20-4).

Leading the way offensively for Princeton have been senior third baseman Spencer Lucian and sophomore catcher Jack Murphy, both of whom have started all 17 of the team’s games. Murphy is first on the team in home runs, with five, and RBI, with 22. Spencer, the team’s captain, leads the Tigers in batting average, at .458, and hits, with 27.

Princeton boasts perhaps the deepest pitching staff in the Ivy League. Sophomore David Hale and freshman Dan Barnes lead the team with identical 3.48 ERAs. Hale also leads the team in strikeouts, with 25, and is the only Tiger starter yet to surrender a home run.

Due to the winter weather, the Tigers have practiced outdoors only once this season, but a slew of southern games has gotten the team in good playing shape.

Last season, with a 5-15 record, the Big Green finished last in the Rolfe Division of the Ivy League. Dartmouth and Princeton met twice last year and split the season series. Led by senior outfielder Damon Wright, who has three home runs, 12 RBI and a .453 average, and senior starting pitcher Kyle Zeis —3-0, 3.86 ERA — the Big Green already boasts impressive wins over Navy and Northwestern (4-9).

The Crimson finished second in the Rolfe Division last season, three games behind Ivy champion Brown (6-7). Harvard and Princeton met twice last season, with each team taking one game. The Crimson currently leads the Ivy League in team pitching with a collective 4.37 ERA but has managed only one victory this season.

Senior outfielder Tom Stack-Babich leads the Crimson in every offensive category, including runs, average, home runs, triples, doubles, total bases, slugging percentage and RBI. Stack-Babich is not the Crimson’s only talent, however, as senior shortstop Matt Vance and junior outfielder Matt Rogers are both poised for solid seasons.

The Tigers have had hot stretches and cold stretches in the early part of their season — they opened by winning six of seven then promptly dropped eight of nine — but in the grand scheme of this 2008 season, the non-conference games’ results are meaningless. Head coach Scott Bradley uses those games to analyze his team — seeing what works best where and who to play in what situation — while preparing for the all-important Ivy League season.

In a league without a front-runner, like the Ivies, it is crucial that the Tigers hit the ground running.