Baseball's Struggle For Consistency Could Be Over

Over the past few weeks, the Columbia baseball team has been criticized frequently for its inconsistent play. However, if this past weekend's sweep over Princeton was any indicator, the Light Blue is beginning to gain that consistency that was lacking earlier in the season. The team's 6-5 and 3-2 wins over Princeton displayed not only an ability to play confidently at the end of games but also a thorough understanding of the fundamentals and smaller details that are needed to win.

Strong defense is generally a characteristic of a successful team, regardless of the sport. It is no surprise that Columbia's success has coincided with an improvement in its defensive play. In their 21-6 loss last Tuesday against Rutgers, the Lions committed three errors. Conversely, they only accrued two errors over the entire course of the weekend.

Good fielding is often a product of good pitching, and the Lions received a strong showing from the hill from starters John Baumann and Bill Purdy against the Tigers. The need for, and potential impact of, consistently strong pitching has been a recurrent theme this year. Columbia junior Baumann pitched a complete game two-hitter while only conceding one earned run, and he only recorded five strikeouts, so a good deal of the outs collected by the Lions were a product of strong defensive unit.

Sophomore first baseman Ron Williams had 13 putouts, a direct result of Baumann's ability to consistently force the Tigers to hit weak infield ground balls. Baumann, third baseman Mike Roberts, and shortstop Craig Rodwogin all had three infield assists, while second baseman Henry Perkins connected with Williams four times to record outs.

On the offensive side, it is important to note that Columbia's recent surge at the plate has been a concerted effort of the team, as opposed to only a few individual players. Williams and freshman catcher Dean Forthun both earned weekly Ivy League Honor Roll accolades for their excellent play over the weekend. Forthun had two RBI, a double, and a stolen base, while batting .429. Williams has been playing at a very high level all season, so his .583 batting average, with a two-run homer and two runs scored over the weekend, is not surprising.

Despite not winning any awards for their play over the weekend, freshman Jason Banos and team captain senior Andrew Ward have been anchors in the Columbia lineup all season. Ward leads the Light Blue in home runs and RBI and serves as a leader in the dugout.

The contributions from across the lineup this past weekend allowed Columbia to capitalize on its run-scoring opportunities. In its two games previous to playing Princeton, the Light Blue stranded 32 runners on base, while in the two games against Princeton, the team only left 16 runners on base.

Columbia plays a twin bill against Princeton today, and if the Lions can continue to play solid defense and get timely hitting, look for them to pick up victories.