The Ivy League season is shaping up to be an interesting race as talented players have graduated and incoming classes improve.
Columbia remains the favorite in the Ancient Eight and Lou Gehrig Division following its dominance last season, but the Lions will need to overcome the loss of Pitcher of the Year David Speer. Penn, Columbia’s closest challenger, loses a couple from its high-powered offense and might not have the firepower to finish atop the division.
In the Red Rolfe Division, Yale continues to rise and will look to fill the shoes of its former captain Cale Hanson. Dartmouth, meanwhile, loses its two biggest bats, and may not find the same chemistry on offense. Other teams may have breakout seasons from under the radar players, and in any game, an upset is waiting to happen.
Continue reading to find out where I think each team will finish.
Team Previews
Brown (13–24, 6–14)
Key Returnees: Noah Shulman (INF/OF), Will Marcal (OF)
Key Losses: Daniel Massey (OF), J.J. Franco (INF)
Head coach Grant Achilles, in his first season at the helm of the Bears baseball program, will look to improve on last season’s record. The Bears are coming off their best season since 2011, when they went 9–11 in Ivy League play. Last season, the team was swept by each team in the Lou Gehrig Division and split series with each school in the Red Rolfe division.
Brown has a young core of players who now have a year of collegiate baseball under their belt. Sophomore Robert Henry (OF) was one of three players for the Bears who saw the field in every conference game. Sophomore Marc Sredojevic (INF) also saw significant time in the lineup, and sophomore Josh Huntley (C) will step into the role of departed backstop Wes Van Boom (C). Brown, however, has its work cut out for them, as the Bears lose a pair of senior leaders who batted .296 last season in Daniel Massey (OF), third in the league with six home runs and the team’s only representative on an All-Ivy list, as well as J. J. Franco (INF), drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 38th round.
The Bears return two of their top inning-eaters from last season, as right-handed pitchers Christian Taugner and Dave St. Lawrence return for their sophomore and senior seasons, respectively. Taugner, who last year led the team and was fifth in the league with a 2.39 ERA, will be the leader of the staff. The team welcomes a group of seven freshmen, who will strengthen the depth at pitching as five of the newcomers are comfortable on the mound. In the end, however, the loss of two big bats is likely too difficult for the team to overcome, and Brown will take a step back.
Columbia (29–20, 15–5)
Key Returnees: Will Savage (INF), David Vandercook (INF), Gus Craig (OF)
Key Losses: David Speer (P), Mike Fischer (C), Aaron Silbar (INF)
Columbia, the reigning Ivy League champions, remain the most talented team in the conference under the direction of head coach Brett Boretti. The Lions finished the 2014 season with an impressive 29–20 record, going 15–5 during play in the Lou Gehrig Division. The team’s only losses came against Yale, Dartmouth, and Penn, the top teams in the Ancient Eight last season. In postseason play, the Lions advanced to NCAA Regionals where they fell to Texas Tech and Bethune-Cookman in a pair of one-run losses.
Last season, Columbia was led the league with four All-Ivy First Team selections. Senior David Speer (LHP) led the Lions with a unanimous Pitcher of the Year award, tied for second in the conference with a 1.86 ERA over 87.0 innings. His departure following his 27th round selection in the MLB First-Year Player Draft paves the way for returning juniors George Thanopoulos (RHP) and Kevin Roy (RHP) to step in and carry the load for the Ivy League’s top pitching staff.
A Lion also claimed the Rookie of the Year award, as Will Savage (INF) led the league in batting average during Ivy play, hitting .414. The only freshman selected to the first-team All-Ivy list, Savage will look to duplicate his efforts. He’ll have the help of fellow first-teamers, seniors David Vandercook (INF) and Gus Craig (OF). The Lions had a league-high eleven All-Ivy selections and only three will be lost to graduation, Speer, Mike Fischer (C), and Aaron Silbar (INF). Columbia, however, has numerous players, with a strong incoming class of 10 freshmen, ready to step into the shoes left by its departed seniors and will look to return to the NCAA tournament. The Lions continue to bring in talent and will likely weather the loss of Speer well, finishing atop the league for the third consecutive year.
Cornell (18–21, 9–11)
Key Returnees: Ryan Karl (INF/OF), Michael Byrne (LHP), Jordan Winawer (OF)
Key Losses: Ryan Plantier (INF), Tom D’Alessandro (INF), Brent Jones (RHP)
Three years removed from an Ivy League title, Cornell ended last season 18–21 overall and 9–11 in conference play in the tough Lou Gehrig Division under head coach Bill Walkenbach. The Big Red struggled against Penn and Columbia, the top two teams in the division, and finished with one of the worst offenses in the league, batting .250 as a team. Cornell, however, did have one of the strongest pitching staffs, finishing second in the Ancient Eight with a 3.59 ERA over 321.1 innings.
Senior Ryan Karl (INF/OF) will look to duplicate his successful first season with the Big Red following his transfer during his senior campaign. Karl led the Big Red offense last season, hitting a team high .280 during the season with the league’s third best RBI total at 32 on his way to a unanimous All-Ivy first team selection. During conference action, junior Jordan Winawer (OF) provided a key spark, hitting .442, and he will help hold down a line-up that is losing four seniors to graduation following a stellar performance against league competition.
Junior Matt Byrne (LHP) returns to lead Cornell’s pitching staff after posting a 1.86 ERA over 53.1 innings. He will be expected to carry the load after the departure of Brent Jones (RHP), who heads to professional baseball. Jones was picked in the fourth round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft after garnering attention with his 97 mph fastball. Cornell’s recruited class of eight players adds depth to the Big Red’s roster as they attempt to improve in a challenging division. Cornell plays in the tougher of the two divisions, but a strong pitching staff will help the Big Red move past Princeton.
Dartmouth (18–21, 11–9)
Key Returnees: Duncan Robinson (RHP), Thomas Roulis (INF), Nick Lombardi (INF)
Key Losses: Dustin Selzer (INF), Jeff Keller (OF)
Last year’s winner of the Red Rolfe Division, Dartmouth looks to take another step forward and earn a trip to the postseason. The Big Green had difficulties against the Lou Gehrig division schools, but played well down the stretch to secure a playoff for the Red Rolfe division title. In his 26th season as head coach, Bob Whalen hopes that his team can weather the losses from the league’s second best offense to compete for the Ivy League title. Last season, the Big Green batted .273 with a balanced offense that saw eight of its nine starters hit over .250.
Dartmouth will need to replace two key pieces from its line-up as two of the team’s top three hitters have graduated, Dustin Selzer (INF) and Jeff Keller (OF). Selzer was an All-Ivy first team selection while Keller was an All-Ivy second team pick. The Big Green have a core of senior infielders in Thomas Roulis (INF), Nick Lombardi (INF), Matt Parisi (INF), and Matt MacDowell (C) who will carry the team’s offensive efforts. Dartmouth will field an experienced roster that is rounded out by senior Bo Patterson (OF) as well as junior Nick Ruppert (OF).
The Big Green returns the most important components of its pitching staff, which posted the fifth best ERA in the league last season. The staff includes first team selection Duncan Robinson (RHP), who posted a 2.96 ERA last season over 54.2 innings pitched. He recorded the most wins in the Ivy League as a relief pitcher, appearing in 16 games. The staff is led by senior Louis Concato (RHP), who was granted a fifth year following an injury his freshman season. Nine newcomers will look to strengthen the pitching staff as well as provide positional depth in Dartmouth’s quest for another division title. The Big Green will wait to see if anyone can fill the shoes of its top offensive players, and the loss of offense may hinder its shot at a league crown.
Harvard (11–28, 5–15)
Key Returnees: Mike Martin (OF)
Key Losses: Carlton Bailey (INF/OF), Kyle Larrow (INF)
Harvard will look to improve upon last season’s last place finish in the Ivy League under the helm of third-year head coach Bill Decker. The Crimson won a total of five games in the Ivy League, splitting series against Cornell, Brown, and Princeton while also picking up a win against Yale. Harvard struggled at the plate last year, finishing last in all major offensive categories including batting average (.250), slugging (.302), and on-base percentage (.318). The Crimson also committed the most number of errors in the field for a league-worst .962 fielding percentage.
Senior Mike Martin (OF) returns after a successful season where he was selected to the All-Ivy first team. He will be expected to produce again following the departure of Carlton Bailey (INF/OF) and Kyle Larrow (INF), who were key pieces in the Crimson offense. Helping Martin will be the rest of the senior class, a talented crop of players who will fill out the rest of the line-up with junior Mitch Klug (INF).
The Crimson had two underclassmen that each started nine games for the team last season, junior Sean Poppen (RHP) and sophomore Nick Gruener (RHP). They carried an ERA of 2.51 and 3.88 respectively and will look to improve and increase their inning load. The staff will be hurt by the loss of graduated players Danny Moskovits (RHP) and Sam Dodge (RHP), who combined to start 10 games last season. A well-rounded incoming class of nine freshmen will be expected to bolster the team’s depth for this upcoming season. Harvard’s youth can only bode well for this season as players have had a chance to acclimate to collegiate baseball, helping the Crimson get out of the basement.
Penn (24–17, 15–5)
Key Returnees: Connor Cuff (RHP), Austin Bossart (C), Ryan Mincher (INF)
Key Losses: Rick Brebner (OF), Michael Vilardo (INF)
Penn, the team that challenged Columbia for the Lou Gehrig Division title last season, looks to take the crown this year in its second season under head coach John Yurkow. The Quakers swept its games against the Red Rolfe division, but ran into roadblocks within its own division. The team split series against Princeton and Columbia in addition to dropping one game to Cornell. Penn had the most prolific offense in the Ivy League, with the line-up hitting .274 on the season while slugging .419, more than 30 points higher than the next best team.
The Quakers placed nine players on the All-Ivy lists, with four first team selections in seniors Connor Cuff (RHP) and Austin Bossart (C), junior Ryan Mincher (INF), and recently graduated Rick Brebner (OF), who launched eight home runs last season. Another key loss for Penn comes in the form of a transfer, as Michael Vilardo (INF) chose to graduate early and pursue a Master’s degree at Purdue, playing the last two years of his eligibility there. The Quakers will also return senior Jeff McGarry (INF/RHP), who hit a team-leading .316, which was fifth best in the Ivy League.
On the mound, Penn will be happy to return senior Connor Cuff (RHP), who posted a conference best 1.77 ERA last season in 66.0 innings. Fellow seniors Ronnie Glenn (LHP) and Dan Gautieri (RHP) round out the team’s three inning eaters, as each notched more than 50 innings last season. Sophomore Jake Cousins (RHP) will be another one to watch, as he posted a 1.59 ERA for the Quakers in 34.0 innings. The team welcomes 11 newcomers, including a transfer from the University of Miami, who will look to help the team unseat Columbia. Penn’s losses, however, seem to be more significant than those at Columbia, which will make it difficult for the Quakers to upset the rolling Lions.
Princeton (14–26, 8–12)
Key Returnees: Zack Belski (INF/OF), Danny Baer (OF), Danny Hoy (INF)
Key Losses: Mike Fagan (LHP), Alec Keller (INF/OF)
Princeton finished last in the Lou Gehrig division last season even with the Player of the Year taking the field in a Tigers uniform. Under head coach Scott Bradley, who is entering his 17th season, the Tigers have won six Ivy League titles, but last season Princeton struggled. The Tigers, in particular, had a tough time against Columbia, swept in the four games series, and Cornell, only winning one game against the Big Red. Princeton finished in the bottom half of the conference both in the batter’s box and in the field, hitting .250 as a team and pitching to the tune of a 5.13 ERA.
The Tigers, for the third straight season, placed at least two players on the All-Ivy first team; however, both have graduated. Alec Keller (INF/OF) was named Player of the Year after posting the second-best batting average this season, .327. Keller, who finished in the top ten in on-base percentage, hits, slugging, total bases, and stolen bases, was selected in the 17th round of the MLB First Player Draft. He was key for Princeton as a senior leader in a line-up that consisted of mostly freshmen and sophomores last season.
Mike Fagan (LHP), selected in the ninth round, anchored the Tigers pitching staff with a 2.33 ERA in 58.0 innings pitched. His presence will also be deeply felt as he leaves behind a young staff that looks to only improve this season. Sophomores Chad Powers (RHP), Keelan Smithers (LHP), and junior Luke Strierber (RHP) each pitched more than 40 innings last season, a workload that is likely to increase this season. Princeton also welcomes four players in the freshman class, three of whom are pitchers looking to make an impact early on in their careers. Princeton loses the reigning Player of the Year, which does not bode well for the Tigers as there is no proven player to replace Keller.
Yale (19–22, 11–9)
Key Returnees: Chris Lanham (RHP), Richard Slenker (INF), Robert Baldwin (C)
Key Losses: Cale Hanson (INF), David Hickey (LHP), Michael Coleman (RHP)
Yale, under the direction John Stuper, will look to capture the elusive Ivy League title after falling in a one-game playoff after tying with Dartmouth for the Red Rolfe Division title last season. The Bulldogs had mixed results against its conference opponents, sweeping Columbia and struggling against Dartmouth. Yale had a mediocre season at the plate, finishing fourth in the league with a .262 average, and failed to impress on the mound, posting an Ancient Eight-worst 5.85 ERA.
Recent graduate Cale Hanson (INF), the Bulldogs’ sole representative on the All-Ivy first team, posted a solid year at shortstop, batting .265 on the season. His graduation will give way to a crop of talented underclassmen and experienced seniors. Sophomore Richard Slenker (INF) will seek to reproduce his stellar collegiate debut, where he batted a conference best .352. Seniors Robert Baldwin (C) and Green Campbell (INF) both also had solid seasons, hitting .304 and .283 respectively.
On the mound, Yale witnessed the break out of junior Chris Lanham (RHP), who notched a 3.77 ERA in 62.0 innings. He finished with a league best seven wins in 10 starts and two other appearances, and he was a key contributor to the Bulldogs’ success. Sophomore Chasen Ford (RHP) also showed promise on the mound in his first season, racking up 53.2 innings. The Bulldogs will need to replace the void left by David Hickey (LHP) and Michael Coleman (RHP), who pitched 49.2 and 47.0 innings, respectively. Yale welcomes eight first-time players who will shore up the pitching depth and look to contribute on the field. The Bulldogs were pleasantly surprised last season with the emergence of Lanham, and with nearly the entire line-up returning, there is much to be excited about.
Predictions:
Lou Gehrig Division
- Columbia
- Penn
- Cornell
- Princeton
Red Rolfe Division
- Yale
- Dartmouth
- Harvard
- Brown
Ivy League Champion: Columbia
