Baseball Weekly Release - Week 9

Photos courtesy of Cornell Athletic Communications, Dartmouth Athletics Communications and Harvard Athletic Communications

Ivy Statistics/PDF

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The race to the Ivy League Championship Series is coming into focus. Cornell (13-3 Ivy) and Dartmouth (11-5 Ivy) lead the Lou Gehrig and Red Rolfe Divisions, respectively, and need just one conference victory apiece this coming weekend to punch their tickets to the Ivy League Championship Series.

Thanks to Columbia’s 3-1 record against Princeton (10-6 Ivy) over the weekend, Cornell increased its lead in the Lou Gehrig Division to three games over the Tigers after taking three of four from Penn. Cornell and Princeton will play a four-game, home-and-home set on April 27 and 29, and one win for the Big Red would clinch its first division title since 2009, when it tied with Princeton, and its first sole title since 2005.

In the Rolfe Division, Harvard (7-9) trails Dartmouth by four games with four to play. In the teams’ upcoming four-game set, one win over the Crimson would give Dartmouth its fifth-straight division title, a program-record.

The Big Red holds a two-game lead over Dartmouth in the race to host the Championship Series. Since the Championship Series began in 1993, Cornell has never hosted the event.

Columbia (9-7 Ivy), Penn (7-9 Ivy), Brown (5-11) and Yale (2-14 Ivy) have been eliminated from Championship Series contention.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Harvard moved back into the playoff picture thanks to a 3-1 weekend against Brown. In its other game on the week, Harvard fell to in-state rival UMass, 8-7. Senior Jeff Reynolds (St. Petersburg, Fla.) was a major contributor in his team’s successful week, batting .611 (11-of-18) with four runs, five doubles and eight RBI. For his efforts, Reynolds was named Ivy League Player of the Week.

Reynolds slugged .889 and walked four times while finishing with a .682 on-base percentage. He recorded four multi-hit games, two three-hit games and picked up at least one hit and one RBI in each contest. Reynolds batted .692 in Harvard’s four-game set against Brown (9-of-13) with four doubles, and six RBI. He reached base safely at least three times in each game against Brown.

Reynolds earned his second career Ivy League weekly award and his first since being named Rookie of the Week on April 1, 2009. It marks back-to-back weeks that a Harvard player has been named Player of the Week, joining Jake McGuiggan.

Reynolds’ Weekly Stats
5 GP, .611 AVG. (11-of-18), .889 Slugging %, .682 OBP, 4 BB, 4 Runs, 5 2B, 8 RBI

PITCHERS OF THE WEEK
Cornell sophomore Connor Kaufmann (Midlothian, Va.) and Dartmouth junior Kyle Hunter (Palm City, Fla.) each posted complete game shutouts for their teams and were named Ivy League Co-Pitchers of the Week.

Kaufmann shut down the Quakers in a 3-0 Big Red victory, giving up just three hits while walking one and striking out six. He limited Penn’s batters to a .125 batting average (3-of-24) while improving to 6-1 on the season, putting him in a tie for first-place in the Ivy League in wins. Kaufmann leads the League in opponents’ batting average (.206). The award is his third of the season and second in a row.

Kaufmann’s Weekly Stats
1 APP, 1 GS, 1 CG, 1 SO, 7.0 IP, 3 Hits, 1 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA, 1-0

Hunter received even less run support from the Big Green hitters, but more than he needed, as he quieted Yale en route to a 2-0 win. Hunter gave up three hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter, holding the Bulldogs to .136 (3-of-22) at the plate. He needed just 67 pitches and erased two of the three base hits with double-play grounders. Hunter was also outstanding in the field, recording four assists and a 1.000 fielding percentage. The award is the first of his career and the first for a Dartmouth pitcher since Kyle Hendricks received the honor on May 3, 2011.

Hunter’s Weekly Stats
1 APP, 1 GS, 1 CG, 1 SO, 7.0 IP, 3 Hits, 3 K, 0.00 ERA, 1-0

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Dartmouth freshman reliever Thomas Olson (Manhattan, Kan.) was stellar out of the bullpen this week. In two appearances, Olson pitched 4.1 innings, giving up just two hits while striking out one. He was instrumental in the Big Green’s first two one-run victories of the season, both over Yale.

Olson got the final two outs to preserve a 4-3 win over the Bulldogs for his fourth save of the season, and then followed that with 3.2 innings of two-hit ball in a 5-4 win over Yale for his first career collegiate victory. Prior to those two contests, Dartmouth was 0-6 in one-run contests. Olson is the third Dartmouth player to earn Rookie of the Week this season, joining Matt Robinson (March 6) and Adam Frank (April 3).

Olson’s Weekly Stats
2 APP, 4.1 IP, 2 Hits, 1 K, 0.00 ERA, 1-0, 1 Sv.

HONOR ROLL
Tom D’Alessandro, Cornell, So., IF/OF (Dix Hills, N.Y.)
4 GP, .417 AVG. (5-of-12), .833 Slugging %, .500 OBP, 2 BB, 4 Runs, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI (3-1)

Mike DiBiase, Brown, Sr., OF/1B (Weston, Mass.)
4 GP, .462 AVG. (6-of-13), 1.077 Slugging %, .562 OBP, 3 BB, 5 Runs, 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI (1-3)

Jon Eisen, Columbia, Sr., INF (Nashville, Tenn.)
6 GP, .444 AVG. (8-of-18), .611 Slugging %, .474 OBP, 1 BB, 3 Runs, 3 2B, 1 SB (3-3)

Kevin Fortunato, Yale, So., IF/P (Wall, N.J.)
5 GP, .333 AVG. (6-of-18), .611 Slugging %, .350 OBP, 1 BB, 1 Run, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI (1-4)

Dan Gautieri, Penn, Fr., RHP (Roseland, N.J.)
2 APP, 3.2 IP, 1 Hit, 3 K, 0.00 ERA, 1-0

Zak Hermans, Princeton, Jr., RHP (Coppell, Texas)
1 APP, 1 GS, 8.0 IP, 6 Hits, 3 BB, 6 K, 2.25 ERA, 1-0

Ben Joseph, Yale, Fr., P (Newberry, Fla.)
2 APP, 5.1 IP, 4 Hits, 3 BB, 6 K, 3.38 ERA, 1-0

Pat Lowery, Columbia, Sr., RHP (Oakdale, Conn.)
1 APP, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 2 Hits, 4 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA, 1-0

Pat Ludwig, Yale, Sr., P (Okemos, Mich.)
1 APP, 1 GS, 1 CG, 6.0 IP, 5 Hits, 1 BB, 6 K, 3.00 ERA, 0-1

Dustin Selzer, Dartmouth, So., 1B (Houston)
5 GP, .421 AVG. (8-of-19), .842 Slugging %, .522 OBP, 3 BB, 5 Runs, 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI (5-0)

Kyle Toomey, Penn, So., INF (Woodbridge, Va.)
5 GP, .438 AVG. (7-of-16), .500 Slugging %, .500 OBP, 2 BB, 1 Run, 1 2B, 1 RBI (1-4)

Kellon Urbon, Cornell, Fr., RHP (San Diego)
2 APP, 1.1 IP, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA, 2 Svs.

2012 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
March 6 – Brian Billigen (Cornell)
March 13 – Kevin Fortunato (Yale)
March 20 – Sam Mulroy (Princeton)
March 27 – Dario Pizzano (Columbia)
April 3 – Greg Zebrack (Penn)
April 10 – Joe Sclafani (Dartmouth)
April 17 – Jake McGuiggan (Harvard)
April 24 – Jeff Reynolds (Harvard)

2012 PITCHERS OF THE WEEK
March 6 – Zak Hermans (Princeton)
March 13 – Vince Voiro (Penn)
March 20 – Stefan Olson (Columbia)
March 27 – Vince Voiro (Penn)
April 3 – Connor Kaufmann (Cornell)
April 10 – Matt Bowman (Princeton)
April 17 – Connor Kaufmann (Cornell)
April 24 – Connor Kaufmann (Cornell)/Kyle Hunter (Dartmouth)

2012 ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
March 6 – Matt Robinson (Dartmouth)
March 13 – David Toups (Yale)
March 20 – Tyler Servais (Princeton)
March 27 – Connor Cuff (Penn)
April 3 – Adam Frank (Dartmouth)
April 10 – Will Marcal (Brown)
April 17 – Will Marcal (Brown)/Brian McAfee (Cornell)
April 24 – Thomas Olson (Dartmouth)

2012 HONOR ROLLS
March 6 – Nick Ferraresi (Columbia), Kevin Fortunato (Yale), Brent Jones (Cornell), Jeff Keller (Dartmouth), Pat Ludwig (Yale), Will Marcal (Brown), Jordan Serena (Columbia), Kevin Tatum (Cornell), Zack Tax (Columbia)

March 13 – Brian Billigen (Cornell), Austin Bossart (Penn), Ryan Deitrich (Penn), Matt Doyle (Harvard), Brent Jones (Cornell), Christopher O'Hare (Yale), Rob Paller (Columbia), Billy Rumpke (Columbia), David Speer (Columbia)

March 20 – Carlton Bailey (Harvard), Zach Boden (Harvard), Austin Bossart (Penn), Chris Cruz (Cornell), Cale Hanson (Yale), Mitch Horacek (Dartmouth), Brent Jones (Cornell), Pat Ludwig (Yale), Thomas Roulis (Dartmouth), Billy Rumpke (Columbia), John Sheridan (Brown), David Turnbull (Dartmouth), Derek Vigoa (Penn), Vince Voiro (Penn), Taylor Wright (Brown)

March 27 – Brian Billigen (Cornell), Spencer Branigan (Penn), Ethan Ferreira (Harvard), Mitch Horacek (Dartmouth), Brent Jones (Cornell), Alex Keller (Princeton), Nick Lombardi (Dartmouth), Pat Lawery (Columbia), Joe Sclafani (Dartmouth), David Spinosa (Columbia), Wes Van Boom (Brown)

April 3 – Matt Bowman (Princeton), Jack Colton (Harvard), Jon Eisen (Columbia), Nick Fornaca (Brown), J.J. Franco (Brown), Joe Lubanski (Yale), Pat Ludwig (Yale), Heath Mayo (Brown), Sam Mulroy (Princeton), Jordan Serena (Columbia), Tyler Servais (Princeton), David Speer (Columbia), Brent Suter (Harvard), Kevin Tatum (Cornell), Vince Voiro (Penn)

April 10 – Tanner Anderson (Harvard), Nolan Becker (Yale), Ryan Brenner (Yale), Jon Eisen (Columbia), Mitch Horacek (Dartmouth), Jake McGuiggan (Harvard), John Mishu (Princeton), Brenton Peters (Cornell), Thomas Roulis (Dartmouth), David Speer (Columbia), David Spinosa (Columbia), Cody Thomson (Penn), Kellon Urbon (Cornell), Greg Zebrack (Penn)

April 17 – Alex Black (Columbia), Cale Hanson (Yale), Kyle Hunter (Dartmouth), Pat Ludwig (Yale), Pat Lowery (Columbia), Chris O’Dowd (Dartmouth), Cody Slaughter (Brown), Blake Thomsen (Princeton), David Toups (Yale), Vince Voiro (Penn), Greg Zebrack (Penn)

April 24 – Tom D’Alessandro (Cornell), Mike DiBiase (Brown), Jon Eisen (Columbia), Kevin Fortunato (Yale), Dan Gautieri (Penn), Zak Hermans (Princeton), Ben Joseph (Yale), Pat Lowery (Columbia), Pat Ludwig (Yale), Dustin Selzer (Dartmouth), Kyle Toomey (Penn), Kellon Urbon (Cornell)

NOTES
Double-Headers
The League closes its regular season on April 27, 28 and 29, with the races for the two division titles coming down to two series. Dartmouth (against Harvard) and Cornell (against Princeton) each need just one win to clinch their respective divisions.

The League's non-conference slate finishes on APril 24 and 25. On April 24, Dartmouth will host Quinnipiac, Brown will play in-state rival Rhode Island, Cornell will take on Binghamton and Yale will face Holy Cross. The next day, Columbia will play a DH against in-city foe Fordham, Dartmouth will take on Boston College, Brown will face Bryant and Princeton will take on in-state rival Rider.

Madness
College Sports Madness also picks an Ivy League Baseball Player of the Week. Cornell senior Brian Billigen (March 5, March 12) and sophomore Connor Kaufmann (April 9, April 23) have each received the award twice, while Princeton's Sam Mulroy (March 19), Penn's Vince Voiro (March 26), Penn's Greg Zebrack (April 2) and Dartmouth's Chris O'Dowd (April 16) have each been named once.

Ivy League Championship Series
The 2012 Ivy League Championship series will be the 20th in League history. Beginning in 1993, the Ivy League champion, and NCAA Championship automatic qualifier, was determined by a three-game series played between the winners of the Rolfe and Gehrig Divisions.

All eight Ivy teams have competed in at least one Championship Series since 1993. Princeton (seven titles) and Harvard (four) have combined to win 11 of the 19 Championship Series. Princeton needs to sweep Cornell over the final weekend of the season to become the first repeat Champion since it accomplished the feat in 2003-2004.

Championship Series Standings

Gone Streaking
Hitting

*-Current (as of April 22)

Reached Base

*-Current (as of April 22)

National Rankings (as of April 22)
Team

Individual