Baseball looks to snap out of skid against non-conference foes

For the baseball team, this week's two non-conference games may be exactly what it needs. After struggling through the first part of the Ivy League schedule, Princeton (14-12 overall, 3-5 Ivy League) will have the opportunity to straighten things out against Seton Hall (8-20-1, 4-6 Big East) and Rutgers (16-13, 8-2 Big East) this week in two road games.

The Tigers are still in the hunt in the Ivy League's Lou Gehrig Division, but their record and play thus far in the conference has been somewhat disappointing. To open, they split a doubleheader with Dartmouth but then dropped two against Harvard the next day. This past weekend they split with both Yale and Brown. Both series were salvaged, as Princeton was fortunate enough to win the second game of each.

"These upcoming games are the important ones," freshman pitcher Gavin Fabian said. "Fortunately, other teams in our division haven't played that well either, so we're all starting almost equal with each other."

A few non-conference victories could go a long way towards creating momentum for the Tigers. Their first contest will be today at Seton Hall. The match-up is played annually, with Princeton emerging victorious last year, 5-3. Before that, however, the Pirates had taken the previous four games, dating back to 1999. Last year's game was a nailbiter, undecided until the final few innings, when then-junior designated hitter Ryan Reich doubled in two runners to clinch the victory for Princeton.

Reich could perform in similar fashion this year, as the senior has been on a hot streak the past few games. In fact, on Saturday against Brown, Reich repeated his heroics from last year's Seton Hall game by doubling home the winning run in the ninth inning. He also hit home runs in each series this weekend and accumulated four RBIs.

Senior second baseman Steve Young also has been at the top of his game in the past few weeks. He went 8-16 this past weekend, moving his season average up to .389, tied with junior centerfielder B.J. Szymanksi for the highest average on the team. Those two, along with sophomore first baseman Stephen Wendell, are the only Tigers batting over .300.

Walking the plank

Princeton should be confident going into the game as Seton Hall has had a rough season so far. After dropping its first eight games of the season, the Pirates have recently lost six of their last eight.

Comparisons must be made with caution, however, as the two teams play in different leagues against different opponents. Seton Hall is a member of the Big East conference and so far has played only one team that has also played Princeton — North Carolina. The Tar Heels had their way with both squads, sweeping both series.

Thursday's game against Rutgers is a makeup game from two weeks ago, when the contest was postponed due to rain. The Scarlet Knights have something in common with Princeton, as both teams are defending conference champions. While Seton Hall is struggling, Rutgers, another Big East team, is moving in the opposite direction. The Scarlet Knights have won an impressive nine straight and sit near the top of their conference.

Much of the team's success can be credited to a strong pitching staff, led by Aaron Kalb, who is 4-0 on the year with a 2.70 earned-run average. Rutgers has two other starters with ERAs under three.

Offensively, the Scarlet Knights are well-balanced, with no standout, but with eight players hitting above .315.

Although these two games will not affect Princeton's chances of making it to the Ivy League Championship Series, they do serve as an excellent opportunity for the Tigers to get back on the right track before they resume conference play.