Baseball: Tigers return to defend Ivy League title

The baseball team doesn’t look much different going into the 2012 season than it did at the beginning of 2011. The Tigers return 21 players from last year’s Ivy League champion squad, including the league’s Rookie of the Year. Other than two pitchers and a position player, the Tigers return every player who saw time on the field during the three-game Ivy League Championship Series against Dartmouth last May.

Yet there is one major difference between the opening of last year’s season and the start of this one: expectation.

Last year, the Tigers were coming off of a last-place finish in the Ivy League and one of the worst records in the history of the program. Many predicted that they would again come in last in the conference.

However, they defied all of these expectations when they compiled a 15-5 record in league play and came away with the program’s first championship since 2006. The Tigers advanced to the NCAA Regional in Texas for the 11th playoff appearance in program history, but close losses to Texas and Texas State ended their season.

This year, the Tigers are not going unnoticed. They were recently picked to win the conference in preseason polls by CollegeBaseballInsider.com and Baseball America. Last year’s Ivy League Rookie of the Year, sophomore Mike Ford, was recognized by CBI as one of the best pitchers in the league along with junior Matt Bowman, and sophomore A.J. Goetz was voted the top closer. Senior Sam Mulroy, the starting catcher, clean-up hitter and co-captain for the Tigers, also received defensive recognition as the best catcher in the league.

Mulroy, a first-team All-Ivy selection, led the offense last year in extra-base hits, combining a .320 average with 11 doubles, three triples and seven homers. Bowman, Ford and sophomore infielder Jonathan York also hit at or above .300.

On the mound, Goetz struck out 25 batters in 28.2 innings pitched on his way to posting the lowest ERA of the bullpen.

While the Tigers hope to see this performance carry over into this season, Mulroy says that the hype of the ratings doesn’t mean much.

“We try not to get caught up in all the preseason predictions because honestly it means nothing,” Mulroy said. “This year, we know that we have a ton of guys returning to the team and that we aren’t going to take anybody by surprise because of that. Having said that, the biggest thing for us is to not get complacent and not to beat ourselves. We know we have the talent and the experience to win the league again, but we still have to go out and play hard.”

The Tigers have been working toward this goal for all of February, even in the New Jersey winter.

“The most important thing we do for the first month of practice is to get reps,” head coach Scott Bradley said. “We try to get as many swings, ground balls and fly balls as possible while at the same time getting our arms and legs into baseball condition.”

Goetz stressed the offensive side, saying that the hitters getting their timing and being able to see the ball move is one of the most important parts of the February preparations.

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While the team’s ultimate goal is to win another set of Ivy League championship rings, the Tigers have an entire month of games in March before they face a league opponent. Princeton kicks off its season on March 2 against Florida Atlantic, followed by a three-game series against South Carolina, the two-time reigning national champions.

While the Tigers want to come away with wins in March, they also realize the value of playing against tougher competition to prepare themselves for when it really counts later in the season. Last year, Princeton went just 6-16 in regular-season non-conference play, but that didn’t stop the team from taking home Ivy League hardware.

These games will allow the team to “feel what its like to play in a regional, so that, if we’re fortunate enough to get there, we aren’t awestruck by the environment,” junior outfielder John Mishu said.

Mulroy and Goetz stressed the opportunity to see what the freshman class can do in these opening games. The team is very dominated by the sophomore and junior classes, meaning there will be tough competition for the nine freshmen hoping to get some playing time.

While Goetz had plenty to say about the team’s goals, he was thrown when asked about his personal goals. “Anything I can do to get another Ivy title,” he replied.

Dartmouth, of course, will be doing everything it can to make sure that doesn’t happen. The Rolfe Division champions had an impressive 30-12 overall record and a 14-6 record in the Ivy League last season. The Big Green will also be returning 18 players from last year’s team, including shortstop Joe Sclafani, who hit .349 last year.

Dartmouth is expected to be the toughest challenger in the league, but the Tigers will first have to win the Gehrig Division before they can look ahead to the championship series.

“I can’t wait for the first couple weekends,” Mishu said. “I think we’re at our best when our backs are against the wall, and everyone has written us off. With our first two trips against really talented teams, despite our success last year, no one will give us a chance, and we can’t wait to show them that the Tigers can play the game too.”