2011 CBD Season Preview: Ivy League

Last season, the Ivy League’s Gehrig Division was won by Columbia with a 14-6 record which was four games ahead of second place Pennsylvania who went 10-10. Cornell came in one game behind the Quakers at 9-11 while Princeton rounded out the division with a 6-14 record. The Red Rolfe Division was won by Dartmouth with a 13-7 record while Harvard and Brown tied for second place with 10-10 records. The Yale Bulldogs checked in last in the division with a 8-12 record.

The Dartmouth Big Green headed on the road for the Ivy League Championship Series to take on the Columbia Lions. In Game 1, they lost 13-2 before bouncing back to win the final two games of the series by scores of 15-10 and 11-5 to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Dartmouth was sent to the Coral Gables Regional hosted by the University of Miami Hurricanes where they had a respectable performance for an Ivy League squad. The Big Green lost the first game of the regional to the host Hurricanes by a score of 12-7 before bouncing back with a 15-9 victory over Florida Intentional. The victory was the first in the last 23 years for the Big Green and the first for an Ivy League school since the 2004. They lost a tight 4-3 game to Texas A&M to end their season.

Lou Gehrig Division

Columbia (26-21 overall, 14-6 Ivy League)
Top Returnees
Jr. 2B/3B Jon Eisen (.383 BA, HR, 22 RBI, 10-22 SB)
So. OF Dario Pizzano (.374 BA, 12 HR, 36 RBI)
Jr. RHP Pat Lowery (5-3, 3.46 ERA)

Key Losses
Dean Forthun (.333 BA, 2 HR, 21 RBI)
Derek Squires (1-1, 3.95 ERA)

Cornell (18-20 overall, 9-11 Ivy League)
Top Returnees
Sr. 1B/OF/LHP Mickey Brodsky (.384 BA, 2 HR, 20 RBI/0-1 7.15 ERA)
Jr. OF/LHP Brian Billigen (,291 BA, 5 HR, 26 RBI/1-0, 5.53 ERA)
Jr. IF Frank Hager (.278 BA, 2 HR, 23 RBI)
Sr. RHP Corey Pappel (2-2, 3.71 ERA)

Key Losses
Nate David (.301 BA, 5 HR, 20 RBI)
Tony Bertucci (3-2, 2.62 ERA)

Penn (21-20 overall, 10-10 Ivy League)
Top Returnees
Sr. 3B Dan Williams (.403 BA, 4 HR, 26 RBI)
Jr. SS Derek Vigoa (.361 BA, 7 HR, 46 RBI, 9-11 SB)
Jr. LHP Chris McNulty (5-1, 4.25 ERA)
Jr. RHP Vince Voiro (3-2, 5.04 ERA)

Key Losses
Tom Grandieri (.399 BA, 7 HR, 46 RBI)
Todd Roth (3-2, 5.26 ERA)

Princeton (11-31 overall, 6-14 Ivy League)
Top Returnees
So. OF John Mishu (.304 BA, 5 HR, 23 RBI)
Jr. C/OF Sam Mulroy (.300 BA, 8 HR, 31 RBI)
Sr. LHP David Palms (1-6, 6.36 ERA)

Key Losses
Noel Gonzales-Luna (.304 BA, 1 HR, 23 RBI)
Dan Barnes (1-3, 5.14 ERA)

Red Rolfe Division

Brown (13-31 overall, 10-10 Ivy League)
Top Returnees
Sr. OF/RHPJosh Feit (.361 BA, 4 HR, 27 RBI)
Sr. IF Ryan Zrenda (.357 BA, 11 HR, 30 RBI)
Sr. C Matt Colantonio (.346 BA, 4 HR, 30 RBI)
So. RHP Kevin Carlow (4-3, 5.25 ERA)

Key Losses
Chris Tanabe (.343 BA, 3 HR, 18 RBI)
Will Weidig (3-5, 7.76 ERA)

Dartmouth (26-18 overall, 13-7 Ivy League)
Top Returnees
So. C Chris O’Dowd (.384 BA, 6 HR, 26 RBI)
Sr. 1B Jason Brooks (.355 BA, 7 HR, 48 RBI
Jr. SS Joe Sclafani (.325 BA, 3 HR, 23 RBI)
So. LHP Kyle Hunter (2-0, 3.48 ERA)

Key Losses
Zack Bellenger (.320 BA, 7 HR, 33 RBI)
Robert Young (3-5, 7.46 ERA)

Harvard (17-26 overall, 10-10 Ivy League)
Top Returnees
Jr. UT Jeff Reynolds (.359 BA, 3 HR, 25 RBI)
Sr. SS Sean O’Hara (.342 BA, HR, 26 RBI)
Sr. C Tyler Albright (.321 BA, 2 HR, 30 RBI)
Jr. LHP/1B Brent Suter (4-2, 5.26 ERA)

Key Losses
Dan Zaliskas (.301 BA, 18 RBI/0-1, 5.06 ERA)
Chris Rouches (.293 BA, 9 RBI)

Yale (21-22-1 overall, 8-12 Ivy League)
Top Returnees
Sr. IF Trey Rallis (.377 BA, 5 HR, 31 RBI)
Jr. OF Charlie Neil (.343 BA, 4 HR, 20 RBI)
Sr. IF Gant Elmore (.339 BA, 23 RBI)
Sr. LHP Vinny Lally (7-2, 4.71 ERA)

Key Losses
Trygg Larson-Danforth (.373 BA, 11 HR, 44 RBI)
Chris Finnersan (2-0, 4.21 ERA)

Predictions
Lou Gehrig Division
1. Columbia *
2. Cornell
3. Penn
4. Princeton

Red Rolfe Division
1. Harvard
2. Dartmouth
3. Brown
4. Yale
*Projected NCAA Tourney Participant

Projected Player of the Year: Jon Eisen (Columbia)
Projected Pitcher of the Year: Max Perlman (Harvard)

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About Brian Foley

Brian Foley is the founder and Lead Editor of College Baseball Daily since its inception in 2005. He has covered two CWS, multiple NCAA Baseball Regionals, and other special events across the country. In addition to his duties with College Baseball Daily, he has covered games for Inside Lacrosse and been featured in USA Today, Wall Street Journal among other publications. He can be contacted by email at editor at collegebaseballdaily.com and followed on Twitter @BFoley82.

Stemit

Because the IVY’s cannot give athletic scholarships, and have reduced roster sizes (none is over 30), losing seniors and key (drafted) juniors can mean that incoming freshman can make a disproportional impact on a program and propel that program up in the IVY standings. Whiich IVY has the strongest freshman class?

Fenwaysouth

stemit – we’re about to find out. frankly, i don’t think there is much research done on ivy freshmen recruits. they spend their time on the “show-pony” conferences like SEC, ACC, Big East. I’ll see you in a couple months in Princeton. Don’t be a stranger, you’ve got my email. BTW….Cornell has 33 roster spots today.

Fenwaysouth

Predicted: Columbia, Cornell, Penn, PrincetonnPredicted: Harvard, Dartmouth, Brow, YalennCame back here for post-season giggles.u00a0u00a0 Wow!u00a0 These predictions were just slightly off….big swing and big miss!!!!.u00a0 Stemit- it looks like Princeton gets the freshmen class of the year award.u00a0u00a0 nnActual:u00a0 Princeton 15-5, Pen 10-10, Columbia 9-11, and Cornell 7-13nActual Dartmuth 14-6, Yale 11-9, Brown 9-11 and Harvard 5-15n

Tom

What’s Brown’s Pete Greskoff gotta do to be a top returnee? Led the conference in homers (17) and RBI (54) last year and batted .294. Alex Aurrichio (Columbia) should be here too (.329/13/40). Second behind Greskoff in HRs. Forget batting average; you’re talking arguably the two most feared hitters in the conference.

http://collegebaseballdaily.com Brian Foley

Brown’s stadium allows for fly balls to be homers so the power are inflated! The Red Rolfe Division will be a battle this year!rnSent on the Sprintu00ae Now Network from my BlackBerryu00ae
Fenwaysouth

Agree with Tom that Aurrichio is a beast. I’ve seen his “act” and I wouldn’t want to face him. I haven’t seen Greskoff yet, but I’ve heard he is just as good.

Thor

watch out for Dartmouth again, strong pitching and didnt loose much last year

http://collegebaseballdaily.com Brian Foley

I hate doing an Ivy League preview every year…Always up in the air with the way it will go.

Fenwaysouth

Brian – I love your “up in the air” comment about previewing the Ivy. I have no disagreement with the picks (result), but I’m not sure I agree with the logic to get there. Dartmouth has won it two years in a row, so if it was me, I’d pick them again unless Harvard & Brown gave me a compelling reason. I’m curious what your compelling reason was to go against Dartmouth. No question Harvard and Brown will be good, and the Red Rolfe is going to be very competitive. Also, I have no problem with picking Columbia, they are the definding champs in Lou Gehrig division. What is their edge agains the other 3 in their division. If there are going to be any surprises, I think it will happen in the Gehrig. Cornell and Penn each had their issues to deal with last year during Ivy League play, so I think you’ll see more competition this year in that division than last year. I appreciate the picks, I’d like to see a little deeper analysis for your picks. I realize the Ivy isn’t the sexiest conference (my baseball friends roll their eyes), but there is some incredible baseball talent on a lot of these teams.

http://collegebaseballdaily.com Brian Foley

Harvard has Max Perlman back this year who was outstanding as a freshman and has pitched well the last two years in the Cape Cod League. They also have Eric Eadington back who has been injured the last two years and he also was very good as a freshman. rnrnColumbia has Jason Banos back and I love what Coach Boretti has done down there.rnrnThe problem with the Ivy League is the fact that two bad weekends and your whole season could be over since it is so quick.

Fenwaysouth

Brian – Your exactly right. I would actually go out on a limb and say one bad 0-4 or 1-3 weekend (usually on the road), and a team is toast. I know some teams had some starting pitching go down early in the season, and they never recovered. Got to have some depth with injuries, and youngsters stepping up. I think thought goes to what stemit was saying about the freshmen class. We’ll see how they do. Somebody could be the next Max Perlman?
Jnixler

Fenwaysouth-nIn the past it has always been very difficult to diagnose deliveries that may result in pitching injuries, as the biomechanics of pitching have become something of a pseduoscience based largely on opinion rather than empirical data. Some players who have seemingly violent, terrible mechanics pitch for years while never even experiencing discomfort, while others (like Mark Prior) who are reputed to have perfect deliveries fall victim to chronic arm/shoulder problems. However, it has become pretty convincing that pitching with an “inverted W” is a near-lock for career-threatening arm problems. While pitching in this fashion may benefit young pitchers in the short run (more torque leading to more break on pitches as well as added deception), it also seems to be the fastest way to Tommy John surgery (see http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/RethinkingPitching/Essays/DeathToTheInvertedW.html). So, in watching out for the next Max Perlman, look at the mechanics of younger players for any undue tension on the elbow.

Thor

has anyone heard how Mark Gormley from Brown has been throwing? I know he had an injury last season, he could really help the pitching staff if fully recovered.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_L2OBWLNIHAVEYDASVEAXBQFANI Glen

a little off topic? why is the Ivy League split into divisions? is it for travel reasons?

2011 CBD Season Preview: Ivy League

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