Staehely on Roger Clemens award watch list; looks to lead team

Last year, the men's baseball team upset heavily favored Harvard in the Ivy League Championship Series, earned a spot in the NCAA tournament and ran with some of the best teams in the nation.

In the Fayetteville Regionals of the NCAAs, the Tigers came a few key hits away from upsetting No. 20 Oklahoma State. The following day, thanks to a stellar pitching performance by junior Christian Staehely, the team took a 2-0 lead into the eighth inning against No. 17 Arkansas. The Razorbacks won the game in the ninth — officially eliminating the Tigers from the tournament — but the message was clear: Princeton baseball is not to be underestimated.

Some teams would savor a season such as last year's, but this year's Tigers, equipped with a solid freshman class and a premier pitching staff, are already looking forward.

"Last year was great, but that was last year," senior catcher and third baseman Sal Iacono said. "This season we're taking things one game at a time. As long as we stay [on an] even keel and don't try to do too much, the results will work themselves out."

But shouldn't a team like this have high expectations?

"We don't have any expectations at this point," head coach Scott Bradley said. "That is what the early [non-Ivy] games are there for — a test. We play against some really good squads, and then we get a gauge of where we are as a team."

The Tigers will have to fill the void left by last season's stellar senior class. The team's ace, Erik Stiller '06, along with two of its best hitters, Andrew Salini '06 — Princeton's all-time hits leader — and Zach Wendkos '06, graduated last June.

"Any time you are replacing guys like that, it is going to be difficult," Bradley said. "But we have this problem every year, and it's a gradual progression off the field. Each class takes responsibility and rises up to the occasion."

To fill the leadership roles vacated by last year's seniors, the team will look to Iacono and senior second baseman Aaron Prince, perhaps the team's most accomplished field players.

"[Prince and Iacono] have each had huge moments for us in their careers," Bradley said. "They are great leaders and are already making the young guys comfortable with their roles on the team."

Under the seniors' watch will be a deep and talented group of freshman, one of the best Princeton recruiting classes in recent years. Right-handed pitcher and infielder David Hale boasts the quickest fastball on the team, and Bradley already has huge expectations for catcher and third baseman Jack Murphy.

"[Murphy] is a bona fide pro prospect, with a powerful arm and pop in his bat" Bradley said of the six-foot, four-inch, 230-pound freshman. "He had a great fall and great winter for us as well."

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One of the keys to Murphy's success as a catcher this season will be his handling of the Tigers' pitching staff, which Iacono calls "the best I have ever seen at Princeton."

The Tigers return four starters from last year's Ivy season —Staehely and seniors Eric Walz, Michael Zaret and Gavin Fabian. Hale, sophomore Brad Gemberling and junior Steven Miller — last year's closer — will add stability from the bullpen. The pitching staff's depth is one of its greatest strengths, but it is impossible to talk about the group without giving special mention to Staehely, who in his third collegiate season is poised for greatness.

"[Staehely] is deceptive; he throws hard, and he is a great competitor," Bradley said.

This summer, Staehely played in the highly competitive Cape Cod Baseball League — perhaps the country's most elite college summer league — which he considers one of his best baseball experiences. Just a few weeks ago, all of Staehely's hard work paid off when he was named one of 62 pitchers on the preseason watch list for the 2007 Roger Clemens award, given to the nation's best college pitcher.

"Our pitching staff will shine in the beginning of the year," Staehely said. "But our offense is going to emerge as a powerhouse as well."

The team lost three of its five best hitters from last season, but it has more than enough bats left to fill the void. Last year's lead-off hitter, sophomore infielder Dan DeGeorge, has shown significant improvement in the off-season, and he will be joined at the top of the order by fellow middle infielder Prince. Iacono and Murphy will platoon at catcher and third base.

The outfield will be another place where a variety of players will get a chance to start, with the only definite being junior Spencer Lucian.

"The best thing about Spencer is that he can play absolutely anywhere," Bradley said. "He had a tremendous second half for us last year, and he will be an everyday player for us this season."

Aside from Lucian, the rest of the outfield is more or less up for grabs. Sophomore Derek Beckman, who played center field last year, and junior Micah Kaplan have the most experience. Bradley expects to have a regular at each position by the time Ivy League play begins on March 31.

"Towards the end of last year, we began feeling something special," Staehely said. "We haven't lost that this season, and, in many ways, we have improved upon it. This year is going to be exciting."