In the world of baseball, spring means one thing: spring training. Just as every major league baseball team has headed to warmer weather to prepare for the coming season, so too did the Princeton team head south over spring break.
The Tigers provided plenty of early-season action for their fans, playing nine games in eight days. Princeton (2-9 overall) lost three games to both William and Mary (13-8) and No. 9 UNC (15-5) before rebounding to take two out of three from Old Dominion (14-12).
But the losing record was not of great concern for the Tigers.
"Believe it or not, we do not even look at our win-loss record," head coach Scott Bradley said. "We view these games as our spring training before the start of the Ivy League season. Everyone on the roster was able to play, and we gained a better sense of who we want out there playing."
Most importantly, Bradley stressed, the road trip ended on a high note with a series win over Old Dominion.
After dropping the first game of that series on Friday, 18-2, Princeton bounced back on Saturday to take the second game, 7-6, behind the pitching of sophomore Gavin Fabian.
Fabian threw for eight innings and allowed four runs — only two of them earned — to earn the win and to improve to 1-1 on the season. Senior closer Brian Kappel pitched the ninth and allowed two runs, but still managed to shut the door on the Monarchs for his first save of the season.
The Tigers took the early lead, scoring two runs in the top of the second on RBI singles from junior first baseman Stephen Wendell and junior shortstop Matthew Becker.
The lead was short-lived, however, as two Princeton errors in the bottom of the inning allowed Old Dominion to even the score at two.
The Tigers regained the lead in the fourth, picking up two runs on an RBI single from junior centerfielder Andrew Salini and a walk by senior leftfielder Adam Balkan with the bases loaded.
The Monarchs chipped away at the lead, though, scoring one run in each of the next two innings, including a solo home run by first baseman Brian Cipolla.
In the seventh, Old Dominion returned the favor with two errors of its own. Balkan reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a single to right by freshman third baseman Spencer Lucian. Monarch third baseman Justin Gregula then bobbled a line drive from Wendell, allowing Balkan to score, and made a throwing error on a grounder from Becker, scoring Lucian.
Princeton added one more run in the eighth before holding off a two-run Old Dominion rally in the ninth for the win.
On Sunday, the Tigers made sure the game was not nearly as close. Princeton pounded out five round-trippers and held the Monarchs to just a single run.
Senior centerfielder Will Venable and junior designated hitter Ryan Eldridge each homered twice with seven and six RBIs, respectively, while Salini, playing in right field, went four-for-five with two RBIs. Sophomore third baseman Sal Iacono also homered and drove in two runs.
"Our main guys have gotten off to good starts," Bradley said, "and that showed against Old Dominion. Venable, Eldridge and Salini give us three good lefthanded bats in the middle of the lineup that will be dangerous for anyone we face."
After the Tigers scored three runs in the top of the first, the Monarchs immediately responded in the bottom of the inning with a run of their own.
This would prove to be the only run they would get, as junior Erik Stiller shut their offense down, allowing only the one run and six hits in seven innings of work.
Rough Beginnings
The end of the road trip was a welcome respite from an otherwise dismal break for the Tigers, as they lost seven straight games.
Princeton lost at William and Mary, 11-6, 7-4 and 9-8. They then lost at No. 9 North Carolina, 11-4, 12-3 and 6-5. The Tigers, though, were facing several disadvantageous conditions.
"Due to the weather, we had not been able to practice outside at all," Bradley said. "We are also playing teams that already have 10, 15 games under their belts, so we really are just trying to get in as many games as possible without treating each game as a must-win."
Overall, Bradley characterized the competition as slightly above the level that Princeton should face during its Ivy League season.
Next weekend the Tigers will host Stony Brook for two sets of doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday. They begin league play on Apr. 2 with a doubleheader against Yale.
With the experience gained from its spring training, Princeton should be more than prepared.
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