Baseball | Some like it hot; Quakers like it not

Anyone who has ever played baseball will tell you that playing on a warm, sunny day is one of the best feelings there is. Heck, it's enough to make even the four-game Ivy weekends palatable.

But for the woebegone Penn baseball team - who dropped an 8-2 contest to lowly La Salle on Wednesday after three losses to Cornell over the weekend - the playable conditions may be, first and foremost, a source of frustration.

"I think with the weather changing, the game has speeded up for us," coach John Cole said. "Balls are carrying, the ground's a little harder, ground balls are faster. . We're not handling the increased speed of the game."

So when they head to New Jersey to take on Princeton for a pair of doubleheaders this weekend, the Quakers could pray for a cold, cloudy day - or, more likely, Cole will do his best to make sure they cut down on the errors, avoid leaving balls up in the strike zone and drive some balls of their own.

All might be tall tasks against the Tigers, who have a host of weapons in their dugout.

Switch-hitting Jack Murphy and third baseman Spencer Lucian represent the heart of the order, and each are tearing it up this season.

Murphy's six homers and .628 slugging percentage go nicely with his .397 average, and Lucian has hit opposing pitching to the tune of a team-best .434 average. Princeton batters have combined for 25 round-trippers, and almost anyone is capable of going deep - nine players have homered at least once this season.

And according to Cole, the Tigers pair that offensive approach with an equally formidable mindset on the mound.

Princeton is a "power team as far as home run-wise and pitching-wise," he said. "They're probably the most legitimate power-pitching team in the league."

The cornerstone of that approach has been sophomore righthander David Hale, who sports a 2.72 ERA and a whopping 43 strikeouts in 39.2 innings.

"He's gonna throw hard," Cole said. "You gotta really stay disciplined, because with their velocity they can beat you. They'll have the strongest arms we'll face all year."

Penn's pitching situation, on the other hand, is more tenuous. Sophomore Todd Roth and freshman Sam Gilbert, the Quakers' most consistent starters, will definitely see significant innings this weekend, but beyond that, the rotation is uncertain.

Starter Jeremy Maas' status is in doubt, according to Cole. The freshman could still be hampered by an elbow injury incurred last Saturday against Cornell.

And while freshman Paul Cusick seemed to have solidified a spot in the top four, he may be relegated to the bullpen after a couple of shaky outings.

No matter who ends up taking the mound, the Quakers will likely have a one-track mind this weekend when it comes to getting out of their funk - the key will be cutting down on mistakes.

That means infielders shoring up their sloppy play, pitchers limiting the free passes and hitters being patient at the plate.

But Cole knows that the first step is taking on the right frame of mind.

"That one bad day on Sunday [against Cornell] has made us fragile right now, and we need to make some good things happen, get them to believe back in themselves," Cole said.

"There's no magic wand. Confidence and success, which one follows? We're gonna have to do both."

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