Slumping baseball in need of winning weekend

In an Ivy League season that lasts just 20 games, there's no time for slow starts. So after opening its league slate with a disappointing 1-3 weekend, the baseball team realizes it is vital to rebound immediately.

The Tigers (12-10 overall, 1-3 Ivy League) will take to the road for a duo of doubleheaders, facing Yale (7-12, 2-2) on Saturday and Brown (4-11, 1-1) on Sunday. Three or four wins, and the Tigers will be back on the path to another Ivy title; anything less, and they may find themselves in a hole from which they can never climb out.

"Being 1-3 doesn't sit well with us as a team," head coach Scott Bradley said. "All we can do is look forward to changing things this weekend."

Princeton's number one priority is reawakening its bats. After starting last weekend with a 10-2 rout of Harvard, the Tigers went cold at the plate, wasting several strong pitching efforts. Bradley attributed the lack of production to a simple slump, perhaps spurred by the wet, cold conditions.

The weather didn't seem to effect the Princeton pitching staff, though. The four-man rotation — junior Ross Ohlendorf, sophomore Eric Stiller, freshman Eric Walz and freshman Gavin Fabian — all turned in solid efforts. Ultimately, however, Stiller and Walz were doomed by one rough inning each, while Fabian lost because of poor run support.

This weekend, as has become the norm, Ohlendorf and Stiller will pitch Saturday while Walz and Fabian take the mound Sunday. All four will face capable offenses.

For Yale, a trio of freshman lefties leads the lineup. First baseman Marc Sawyer carries a .365 average, with outfielder Jake Doyle — the current Ivy League Rookie of the Week — just behind, hitting at a .338 clip. Meanwhile, Justin Ankney recently contributed an 11-game hitting streak. Given that every Tiger starting pitcher is a righty, all three will likely be tough outs.

The Eli staff has also looked strong so far. Bradley predicted that Yale would start Josh Sowers and Jon Hollis, neither of whom have faced the Tigers. Though neither has a winning record, they both boast ERAs below 2.25.

One weakness Princeton may benefit from is mistakes by the Elis. According to Bradley, Yale has "had a tough time in the past defensively," though he noted that the Elis appear to have improved this season.

Although scoring runs may prove difficult against the Yale staff, the Brown pitchers may be just what the doctor ordered to cure the Tigers' ailments at the plate. Princeton will likely face Shaun McNamara and Clint Dykehouse, who currently own atrocious ERAs of 9.19 and 9.24, respectively.

Still, Bradley warned against dismissing the Brown hurlers as easily beatable.

"Their pitching has been interesting, but you can't necessarily figure out what type of team you are facing by looking at the stats," he said. "They're not necessarily hard throwers, but we've had as much trouble with soft throwers as anyone in the past."

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At the plate, the Providence Nine has been hamstrung by the absence of senior outfielder of Matt Kutler. A unanimous All-Ivy selection as a junior — he's considered among the most dangerous hitters in the league — Kutler hasn't played at all this year due to a severe hand injury.

From a roster with just two active seniors, several young Bears have helped fill Kutler's cleats. The entire outfield has hit extremely well, as Bobby Wiginton and Danny Hughes have posted .400 and .380 batting averages, respectively. Rightfielder Paul Christian packs the most wallop. Last weekend, in an effort than won him Ivy League Player of the Week honors, he belted four home runs, including a grand slam.

"He's a very strong kid who hurt us last year," Bradley said. "Their ballpark is small, so we'll need to keep the ball down."

Bradley also noted the Bears' tendency to run the bases aggressively, saying that it would be up to Walz and Fabian to corral would-be base stealers.

Indeed, it's the little things that the Tigers must focus on against Yale and Brown. After essentially beating themselves last weekend, the Tigers are well aware that they cannot afford a repeat performance.

"You just can't afford to dig yourself a huge hole," Bradley said.