Gemberling leads new and old on pitching staff

With the graduation of three-game winner Eric Walz ’07, seniors Christian Staehely and Steven Miller become the veteran aces of the starting rotation. Staehely, a six-foot, three-inch righthander out of Houston, had a rough season in 2007, posting an 0-6 record to go along with a 6.20 ERA in eight starts, but just two years ago he went 5-2 with an impressive 2.57 ERA. He returns to New Jersey after studying abroad in Stockholm last fall, when he had the opportunity to pitch internationally for Sweden in the European Baseball Championships.

Miller started more games last season — nine — than any other pitcher in Princeton’s rotation, finishing with a 3-6 record and a 5.57 ERA while leading the team in strikeouts with 48 but also in walks, allowing 27. Like all but two Tiger pitchers, he is a righthander.

Sophomore David Hale started six games as a freshman last year, going 3-2 with the team’s fourth-best ERA at 4.71. Three of his starts were complete games, and he held opponents to just a .244 batting average, one of the best on the staff. After his strong rookie season, he will be counted on as the leader of the next generation of Princeton starters.

Fortunately for the Tigers, the team’s two best relievers will once again be toeing the rubber at Clarke Field. Junior Brad Gemberling, recently rated the third-best prospect in the Ivy League, was arguably the team’s best pitcher in 2007, appearing in eight games, including three starts, and winning all three of his decisions. His 2.63 ERA was by far the lowest on the team, as was his opponents’ .160 batting average.

Sophomore Langford Stuber pitched in more games than any other Tiger last season, starting once and coming out of the bullpen 12 times for 13 appearances. His 4.55 ERA was bested only by Walz and Gemberling, and he is particularly valuable as one of the two lefties on the staff, the other being freshman David Palms.

Other returning Tigers who will see action on the mound include senior relievers Reid Peyton and Stephen Richter, sophomore Ross Staine and sophomore Jon Broscious, an oft-used reliever last season who also made two starts.

This season’s roster features an unusually large number of freshman pitchers, with seven first-year players listed at the position. Of these, the most recognizable name will be Chad Ohlendorf, the younger brother of Yankees pitcher Ross Ohlendorf ’05. Other new pitchers include Dan Barnes of Manhasset, N.Y., Matt Connor of Portola Valley, Calif., who is also an infielder, Tim Feess of South Pasadena, Calif., Princeton’s own Matt Welsh, Matt Grabowski of Voorhees, N.J., and Palms, who hails from Smithfield, R.I. Barnes is expected to fill the starting rotation spot vacated by Walz.

After a disappointing 2007 season, the Tigers will need better pitching if they want to step up their numbers in the win column. A team ERA of 5.56 and an opponents’ batting average of .279 aren’t terrible, but they could definitely be better. The number of walks surrendered also needs to be brought down: Last season the staff gave out 184 free passes, compared to just 124 earned by Tiger hitters.

Staehely and Miller will lead a very young staff that is in the early stages of a major overhaul. Once those two graduate, the only senior pitcher on the roster will be Gemberling, so head coach Scott Bradley will be eager to get his younger pitchers on the mound often this season in anticipation of the coming years.

Suffice it to say that the upcoming season holds a number of important questions for Princeton’s pitchers: Will Staehely return to his form of two years ago? Can the Tigers win without lefthanded pitching? How will the freshmen, who are sure to get their fair share of playing time, fare in important situations? Head down to Clarke Field to watch the team and find out.