Collegiate Baseball Association

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The weather didn't change much for James and company while they traveled from Ithaca to Providence. Rain was in the forecast and the temperature was sitting at 58 degrees at game time. The wind was blowing out to left at 11 mph. Adam Hackney (3-0, 2.33) and John Venhaus (1-1, 4.85) were again on the mound for Cornell and Brown, as 1895 people filled Bears Ballpark.

In the top of the 1st, with two on and two out, junior DH Chris Finnegan grounds the ball into right. Freshman shortstop J.D. Ruch takes off from second and rounds third. Ruch beats the throw to the plate and gives Cornell an early 1-0 lead. The score remains the same as we enter the top of the 3rd inning. Freshman third baseman Ned Williamson doubles to right center, then moves to third on a 4-3 ground out. Senior catcher "Honest John" Morrill singles Williamson home and increases the Big Red lead to 2-0. Two batters later, Morrill is on second when Noah "Husk" Mola cracks a base hit into left field. Morrill rounds third and beats the throw home. Cornell leads 3-0 halfway through the 3rd.

In the top of the 5th, Micah Rufo leads off with a double, but two outs later, finds himself still standing on second. Junior left fielder Frank "Jumbo" Whitney lines the ball into the gap in right center. Rufo rounds third and the throw to the plate.....and Rufo is OUT!!! What a throw to home, but Cornell holds their 3-0 lead. But the out psychs up Brown sophomore third baseman David Touart, who leads the bottom of the 5th off with a triple!! Touart would score on Fred Warner's ground out and cut the lead to 3-1. The score is still 3-1 as we enter the bottom of the 7th. Senior DH Frank Vlach singles and moves to third on Touart's double. Vlach scores on the following at bat, a fly out to left center, as he tags and beats the throw home. With one out and down 3-2, Brown sophomore catcher Jim Keenan doubles home Touart and the game is tied!!! Senior right fielder Chris Wiater follows up with a grounder into left. Keenan rounds third and heads for home. He beats the throw to the plate and the Bears take the lead, 4-3!!!

Brown holds the leads as we enter the 9th inning. Ruch grounds out to start the inning, but Morrill and Rufo both single. Morrill advances to third on Rufo's base hit, bringing up Finnegan. He takes a 1-1 pitch and loops it into shallow left center. Morrill scores and Rufo makes it to third!! Cornell has tied the game, 4-4!! Mola grounds out in the following at bat, moving Finnegan to second. Senior center fielder Steve Minch is intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs. Whitney, who is 1 for 4 today, is pulled for pinch hitter David "Basket Case" Mayeaux, a freshman with little playing time this year. Mayeaux hit only .209 in 20 games. The first pitch to Mayeaux is wild, scoring Rufo from third. The next pitch gets by the catcher for a passed ball, allowing Finnegan to score. Mayeaux ends the half inning with a popup to third, but Cornell now holds a 6-4 lead!

Hackney must feel confident heading into the bottom of the 9th with a two run lead. The first batter, Keenan, pops out to short for the first out. But Wiater tags Hackney for a double. Jonathan Christopherson then singles Wiater over to third. So, with one out and men on the corners, senior shortstop Josh Connelly steps up to the plate. He's 0 for 4 today. Connelly grounds a 1-2 pitch to short, but the shortstop muffs the ball and everyone is safe. Wiater scores from third to cut the lead to 6-5. Abner Dalrymple comes up, looking to play the role of hero, but he flies out to right center for the second out. That brings up reserve second baseman, senior Brian Irvin. Irvin hit a paltry .197 in 66 at bats over 47 games this season. Irvin was brought in as a defensive replacement in the 8th and flew out in his first at bat in the bottom half of that inning. Irvin swings on the first pitch he sees and it's grounded slowly to the second baseman. Irvin has some speed, though, and he legs it out and is SAFE at first!! The bases are loaded with two outs for DH Frank Vlach. He's 2 for 4 today. After watching a couple of balls, Vlach grounds the ball through the hole and into left field. Christopherson comes home and Connelly rounds third and heads for the plate. The throw home and Connelly is.......SAFE!!! Brown wins the game, 7-6, and forces a third and deciding game in this championship series!!!

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The trip back to Ithaca was uneventful for James. Ephraim was working with Irene planning their wedding. James Jr. was working on his pitching form and Thomas was looking over college literature and letters he had received from various coaches. When they arrived at Big Red Ballpark, the weather was partly cloudy and 62 degrees. The wind was a bit breezy, though, blowing from right to left across the field at 16 mph. James had added Ephraim to his staff as his assistant. At 56 years old, James knew his retirement was looming on the horizon, and he needed to teach Ephraim the position of Commissioner, so that one day, he might replace him and lead the association into the next century. Ephraim was planning on joining his father in New York after the wedding and a short honeymoon. As a former player, Ephraim felt he had special insight into the game that his father didn't have. James was rather conservative and Ephraim wanted to see changes made in the collegiate game.

The Herring crew arrived at the park along with 1490 other people. James brought along the championship trophy to present to either Brown or Cornell at the end of the game. John Venhaus and Adam Hackney warmed up for their third and final match up. The two pitchers were at their best, allowing only three base hits in the first 2 1/2 innings. But in the bottom of the 3rd, Cornell would break the scoreless tie. With one out, Trevor Jenkins and Ned Williamson get base hits off of Venhaus. J.D. Ruch drives the ball into right center. Right fielder Chris Wiater, however, throws wild after fielding the ball. Jenkins scores and runners are on second and third. "Honest John" Morrill hits a slow grounder to short, scoring Williamson, as the shortstop's only play was at first. When the 3rd inning ends, Cornell leads 2-0.

Brown responds in the 4th inning. After seeing three straight balls from Hackney, Jonathan Christopherson singles into right. He's sacrificed to second and Abner Dalrymple comes up. The freshman is 4 for 9 in the championship series thus far. After swinging and missing the first pitch, he connects on the second one and sends it into right. A fielding error on Micah Rufo in right allows Christopherson to score and gives Dalrymple second base. A passed ball sends Dalrymple to third and he would score on a slow grounder to short by Danny Rivera. Midway through the 4th, the game is tied 2-2. Cornell has no answer in the bottom of the inning and the 5th goes by scoreless.

Dalrymple leads off the top of the 6th with a drive to the wall in deep left center. He ends up at third with a triple!! Two batters later, Dalrymple trots home on a Frank Vlach base hit. Brown takes the lead, 3-2. Cornell goes down in order to end the 6th. The Bears take their lead into the bottom of the 8th. Ned Williamson starts things off with a grounder to second, but it's muffed and the wild throw past the first baseman sends Williamson to second. He moves to third on a ground out by Ruch, but holds when Morrill grounds out to short. But Venhaus uncorks a wild pitch on the first pitch thrown to Rufo. Williamson comes home and ties the game, 3-3!!!

Brown fails to score in the top of the 9th. Cornell DH Chris Finnegan leads off the bottom of the inning with a single into right. Noah "Husk" Mola sacrifices Finnegan to second with the next at bat. With first base open, Steve Minch draws the intentional walk to put men at first and second with one out. Ryan Brown is brought in as a pinch runner, replacing Finnegan at second. Frank "Jumbo" Whitney is the next due hitter, but he's 0 for 3 today and is pulled by Manager Chase Whitehead for freshman David "Basket Case" Mayeaux. Whitehead seems like a basket case for making that move, but let's see what happens. The first pitch to Mayeaux is thrown and Brown is off and running. Brown steals third base, beating the throw!! A called strike and another ball later, Mayeaux hits the 2-1 pitch into center field. Wiater, who was moved to center in the 9th during some defensive moves, makes the catch. Brown tags up and sprints for the plate!! Wiater throws home, but it's off the mark and there is no play at the plate!!! Ryan Brown scores easily, giving the Cornell Big Red a 4-3 walk off win and their first National Collegiate Championship!!!

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As the beginning of the 1879 season came around, James and Ephraim were curious to see the results of their off season efforts. Would the two pitcher change in the game really result in fewer pitcher injuries? As was always the case this time of year, the sportswriters took it upon themselves to predict who the dominant teams of the Collegiate Baseball Association would be.



In the New England Region, it appeared as though Harvard is the slight favorite, although Yale and Brown are expected to contend for the regional title. Cornell is the hands down favorite to win the Northeast Region. The Big Red is projected to win 42 games en route to defending their national championship. Villanova is again favored to win the Atlantic Region. However, Lehigh has looked impressive and is projected to win 37 games and compete for the Wild Card position. That would be huge for the Mountain Hawks, as they have yet to put together a winning season.

The beginning of the season got off to a rough start for Brown senior starter, Brian Bohacek. Nicknamed the "Prophet" after his amazing freshman year, Bohacek had been injury ridden since. The 1879 season would prove no different. Bohacek sustained an injury on opening day, a sore elbow. Three days later, Bohacek returned, only to strain his abdominal muscles. Four days later, he tried once again, but to no avail. Bohacek tore his UCL and his season, as well as his collegiate career, was over. Lehigh's hopes took a hit on March 11th, when junior shortstop Bobby Graff was injured in a collision on the base paths. Graff was knocked unconscious and had to be taken to the hospital. The concussion was so serious, Graff's season was over. Princeton freshman starting pitcher John Alloway was lost for the year on March 24th with a ruptured bicep tendon. Finally, Cornell's lineup took a hit when sophomore second baseman Noah Mola suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder. Mola was hitting .313, with one homer and 22 RBI in 18 games when his season came to an end.

When the month of March ended, the sportswriters looked like they knew what they were talking about. Harvard, at 12-6, held a two game lead over Brown at 11-9. Cornell was 15-4 and had built a 4 1/2 game lead over Fordham and Princeton, who were tied at 11-9. Villanova was also 15-4, leading Lehigh (9-10) by six games. End of the month honors were given to Lehigh sophomore catcher Emil Gross for both Rookie of the Month and Batter of the Month. Gross is hitting .459 in 19 games. Pitcher of the Month honors were awarded to Villanova junior Sergio Macias. Macias finished March with a record of 7-2, with a 1.37 ERA.

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For the month of April, there were only two injuries worth noting, as teams stayed relatively healthy. On April 7th, Penn freshman starter Cory Rymut suffered a torn back muscle. Rymut was 6-6 with a 2.50 ERA when his season ended. On April 30th, Syracuse junior starter Bill Jamison's season came to an end with shoulder inflammation. Given Syracuse's poor performance (13-29), pitching coach Henry Taylor recommended to Manager Adrian Harris that Jamison get shut down for the season and allowed to heal. Jamison finishes his season at 1-9, with a 1.86 ERA.

The Brown Bears made up their two game deficit and were tied with Harvard for the lead in the New England Region. Brown took four of six games against the Crimson, putting together a 14-8 month. Harvard finished the month 12-10 and has lost six of their last seven games. The Cornell Big Red continue to build their lead in the Northeast Region and currently hold a six game advantage over second place Fordham. Both Princeton and Rutgers are seven games back of the lead. The Cornell lineup is impressive, with the first four batters all hitting over .300 and each with three home runs. Sophomore first baseman "Big Dan" Brouthers leads the team at .374. The Villanova Wildcats are running away with the Atlantic Region. 'Nova's magic number is at six and they have a 13 game lead over Lehigh. The Wildcats have the association's best record at 32-10 and lead the CBA in runs and runs allowed.

Brouthers took home Rookie and Batter of the Month honors for April after hitting .370 for the month, which included a 20 game hit streak. Pitcher of the Month honors went to Fordham sophomore Freddy Salazar. Salazar, a lefty from Detroit, was 9-2 with a 1.70 ERA in April. For the year, Salazar is 15-6 with a 1.91 ERA.

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May is the month of teams clinching regional titles and playoff positions, and it started early. On May 6th, Villanova clinched their 6th regional title, winning the Atlantic Region after a 6-3 victory over Penn. Ten days later, May 16th, Cornell followed suit, clinching the Northeast Region with a 10-4 win over Syracuse. It was the 3rd regional title for the Big Red and the first step toward defending their national championship. On May 23rd, Brown sophomore left fielder Abner Dalrymple had his 27 game hit streak brought to an end. Dalrymple would finish the season hitting .345, with 0 HR, and 35 RBI. The battle for the New England Region would go down to the wire. On May 25th, Harvard holds a one game lead over Brown. The Crimson have no problem with Dartmouth, though, winning their final game 5-0 over the Big Green and clinching their 3rd regional title. Although Brown also won their final game, it wasn't enough. The Fordham Rams take the wild card with a 6-2 victory over Columbia. Fordham finished the season on a five game win streak and return to the playoffs after missing the postseason in 1878. Brown misses postseason play for the first time since 1872, bringing their six season streak to an end.

Cornell sophomore first baseman "Big Dan" Brouthers takes home the season batting title, finishing the year hitting .377, with five home runs and 43 RBI.



So, with the season at an end, James felt torn. Both of his son's teams were in the playoffs. James Jr. had just finished up his junior year at Harvard. He only played six games, going 1-2 on the year with a 0.00 ERA and two saves. In 8.2 IP, James Jr. allowed only five hits, struck out four and walked one. Thomas had just wrapped up his freshman year at Cornell, where he started six games, while playing in 15. Thomas only hit .192, with no homers and 3 RBI. Of Thomas' five hits, though, four were doubles. James looked over the playoff schedule. Harvard was traveling to Villanova, while Fordham was playing at Cornell. While he hated to have to choose between sons, James decided to make the trip to Ithaca, New York to watch Thomas' Cornell team take on Fordham for Game 1. Then, he would travel to Cambridge to watch James Jr. in Game 2, when Villanova traveled to Harvard. For the season, Harvard and Villanova split a two game set against each other. Cornell, however, faced Fordham eight times during the regular season, winning six games and losing two.

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The first game of the day starts in Villanova, Pennsylvania, where the Harvard Crimson have traveled to take on the hometown Villanova Wildcats. The Wildcats were the CBA's best team and are heavy favorites in this series. However, Villanova has never advanced to the Collegiate Championship Series in five prior trips to the playoffs. It's a great day for baseball at 75 degrees and clear skies. The wind is blowing in from center field at 9 mph. Freshman Adam Blanks is on the mound for the Crimson. For the season, Blanks was 12-8, with a 1.89 earned run average in 23 starts. Blanks faced this Wildcat team on April 15th. Villanova won that game 6-3. Blanks held the Wildcats to five hits over nine innings, but also issued five walks in that contest. Villanova starts junior Sergio Macias. Macias finished the season 23-6, with a 1.36 ERA. Macias led the CBA in wins, ERA, WHIP (0.79), BB/9 (0.2), and BABIP (.231). Macias' lone start against this Harvard team on April 16th, however, earned him a loss, as the Crimson won the game 8-7. Macias gave up 15 hits over 7 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs in the 7th and 8th innings and blowing a 6-1 lead.

Both pitchers start out well in the 1st inning. Macias pitches a three up, three down inning again in the 2nd inning, but Blanks isn't so fortunate. In the bottom of the 2nd, the inning begins and ends with Wildcat senior catcher Lew "Blower" Brown. Brown grounds out to start the inning and grounds into a double play to end the inning, as Villanova runs through the lineup and bats around. In between Brown's at bats, Villanova scores six runs on five hits, combined with four Harvard errors, two passed balls and two walks. At the end of two, Villanova leads it 6-0!!

Macias continues to pitch well, holding the Crimson without a hit through four innings. Harvard finally get a couple of hits off of Macias in the 5th, scoring two runs with the help of two Wildcat errors. Villanova gets a run back in the bottom frame and at the end of five, the Wildcats lead, 7-2. But Macias collects himself, allowing only three more hits over the final four innings. Villanova scores one in the 6th and two in the 8th, winning Game 1 by a score of 10-2.



James and Ephraim made the trip to Ithaca, New York, to cheer on Thomas at Big Red Ballpark. There is one empty seat at the stadium, as 1499 fans pack the 1500 capacity park. It is 67 degrees and the skies are clear, with the wind blowing in from right field at 8 mph. The Fordham Rams find themselves in the post season for only the second time, the last in 1877, when they won the national championship. On the mound for the Rams is sophomore Freddy Salazar. For the season, Salazar is 21-8, with a 2.09 ERA. He started 30 games, striking out 95 and walking 26. In three starts against Cornell, Salazar went 1-2, with a 4.62 ERA. On the hill for the Big Red is junior Lee Richmond. Richmond transferred in to Cornell after spending two years at a community college and he made quite an impression. On the season, Richmond is 22-9, with a 2.46 ERA in 31 starts. Against Fordham, Richmond is 3-1, with a 1.75 ERA in four starts. He held the Rams to 24 hits over 36 innings.

**Author's note** Not knowing anything about Lee Richmond, I did a little research...and I'm glad I did. Statistically speaking, nothing jumped out at me, so I didn't expect to find much. But, I was wrong. He led Brown to a national championship over Yale in 1879. At the same time, he started pitching professionally, leading to rules banning professionals from participating in amateur sports. In his professional debut, he no-hit the Chicago White Stockings. In 1880, he would throw the first perfect game, leading his Worcester team over Cleveland, 1-0. If you would like to read more about Richmond, click here for the link to SABR's article on him.

Richmond starts out the game by recording a quick out. But the second batter, Fordham freshman center fielder Jaheem Cowart, grounds the ball to first. Richmond runs over to cover the bag, but drops the throw by "Big Dan" Brouthers, earning himself an error. Junior catcher Jack Rowe commits the second error of the inning, sending a throw into center field on Cowart's steal attempt. Cowart takes third with Fordham sophomore second baseman Chris Johnson at the plate. Johnson grounds a slow roller to short for out number two, but Cowart speeds home to give the Rams an early 1-0 lead. Both Salazar and Richmond lock into a pitcher's duel. In the 4th inning, Fordham scores again thanks to three Cornell errors. The Rams, already leading 2-0, add another run in the top of the 5th to make it 3-0. Salazar spreads out seven hits over nine innings on his way to a 3-0 win in Game 1. Richmond holds Fordham to three hits, but the Big Red commit seven errors in the game.

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James and Ephraim traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts to see James Jr. and the Harvard Crimson in Game 2 of their series against Villanova. Crimson Ballpark had only a dozen empty seats, as 1988 people filed into the stadium to see the game. The temperature was 67 degrees and the skies were clear. The wind, however, was blowing in from right field at 21 mph!! Sergio Macias is again on the mound for the Wildcats, as is Adam Blanks for the Crimson.

Blanks starts the game off well, getting Villanova to fly out to each outfielder in the top of the 1st. Macias has a rougher go of it, however, in the bottom of the 1st. Although he only allows one hit in the inning, it was a two run triple. Combined with three 'Nova errors, Harvard leads the game 3-0 at the end of one. Blanks continues to pitch well, sending the Wildcats down in order in the 2nd and allowing the first Villanova hit in the 3rd. But he holds them scoreless. Harvard can't score either, however, so the score remains 3-0 after three.

In the top of the 4th, Villanova sophomore right fielder Kevin Davis grounds out to start the inning. Senior shortstop Kelly Browning reaches base, however, on an error by Harvard sophomore shortstop "Pebbly Jack" Glasscock. In our world, Glasscock "is considered by many to have been the best shortstop of the nineteenth century, earning him the accolade "King of the Shortstops," according to his SABR bio. To read the article on Glasscock, click here. Junior center fielder Pete "Monkey" Hotaling comes to the plate next. Hotaling led the CBA in RBI's this season, and he doesn't disappoint, delivering a double to score Browning. Senior catcher Lew "Blower" Brown follows up with a single. Hotaling scores on the play, cutting Harvard's lead to 3-2. Sophomore left field Zach "Creole" Fite then steps up and smashes the first pitch he sees deep to left. The ball carries over the wall for a two run homer!!! Villanova takes the lead, 4-3!! The next two batters record outs, but the Wildcats now lead midway through four.

Neither team can score and the score remains the same as we head to the bottom of the 6th. After Macias records two outs, Harvard senior catcher Barney Gilligan comes up at bat and triples down the right field line. Gilligan isn't known for his bat, hitting a mere .232 for the season, but he delivers this time. Freshman first baseman Sean Jenkins works the count full on his at bat before singling into left. Gilligan scores and Harvard has tied the game, 4-4!! Villanova answers, however, in the top of the 7th. Junior third baseman doubles a run in and another run scores on an error, one of three committed by Harvard in the inning. In the middle of the 7th, Villanova leads 6-4.

The Wildcats keep Harvard off the board, but tack on more runs in the 8th. Sophomore DH Dave Mauch doubles in a run and the Crimson commit three more errors. One error allowed two more runs to score, giving Villanova a 9-4 lead. Harvard has no answer. Villanova wins the game and the series, moving on to the Collegiate Championship Series for the first time in school history!!



Cornell travels into New York City to face Fordham and try to avenge their Game 1 loss. There are 1583 fans in attendance for Game 2. The skies are clear and the temperature is a wonderful 67 degrees. The wind is blowing out to center at 10 mph. Cornell again starts lefty Lee Richmond, while Fordham sends Freddy Salazar to the mound. After Salazar's performance in Game 1, would you really blame them? But Salazar has a rough start to the game. Cornell sophomore third baseman Ned Williamson leads the game off with an infield single, but is caught stealing second. Sophomore DH David "Basket Case" Mayeaux works the count full, then hits the ball over the head of the center fielder. Mayeaux, who is just faster than a turtle, somehow manages to make it around the bases for an inside the park home run!!! "Big Dan" Brouthers then reaches on an error and would later score on another error. Midway through the 1st inning, Cornell already holds a 2-0 lead.

Fordham doesn't score and Cornell picks up where it left off. Junior catcher Jack Rowe leads off the 2nd inning with a triple. Freshman second baseman Arturo Lopez follows up with a double, scoring Rowe. Lopez would later score on yet another Fordham error. Midway through the 2nd, Cornell leads 4-0. Fordham sophomore second baseman Jason Sitton manages a one out triple in the bottom half of the inning. He would score on a passed ball to get the Rams on the board. At the end of two, Cornell holds a 4-1 lead. Fordham scores a run in the 4th and 5th innings, cutting Cornell's lead down to 4-3. The Big Red push their lead out again in the top of the 6th, plating two runs on two hits and a passed ball. Midway through six, Cornell's lead is 6-3. The score remains the same until the bottom of the 8th, when Fordham makes a push. With two outs, sophomore first baseman David Lippert hits an RBI double. Lippert would score on an error after sophomore left fielder Buttercup Dickerson lines a base hit into right. At the end of the 8th, Cornell once again has a one run lead, 6-5.

But in the top of the 9th, the Big Red's bats would light up Fordham for seven hits, all singles. Combined with two Ram errors, Cornell tacks on nine runs. Fordham's confidence is gone, as Cornell takes Game 2 by a score of 15-5. The series is now tied at a game a piece and it returns to Ithaca for a final and deciding Game 3.

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James and Ephraim made the trip back to Ithaca, New York to see Game 3 of the Fordham-Cornell playoff series. To date, James had not seen Thomas play in a game, but he was hoping for the opportunity today. Fordham returns to see if they can pull off another upset, as they did in Game 1. Cornell, on the other hand, found their stroke in Game 2, scoring 15 runs. The Big Red are anxious for a return to the Collegiate Championship Series, so they can defend their national title. But first, they have to get past the Fordham Rams.

Freddy Salazar is back on the hill for Fordham. Lee Richmond again gets the start for Cornell. It's 61 degrees today and there's rain in the air. The wind is blowing in from left at 10 mph. There are only three empty seats, as 1497 people have braved the weather to see this deciding Game 3.

Fordham doesn't get a hit in the first two innings. Cornell manages one hit, but can't get across the plate. But the Rams' bats come alive in the top of the 3rd inning. Fordham junior Jason Hixon flies out to start the inning. Junior right fielder Jim Kindle comes up next. Kindle starts today's game after making only four starts all season. However, he has a .313 batting average in 16 at bats this year, with four singles and a double. Kindle takes a 1-1 pitch and lines it into right field for a base hit! And Kindle is fast on the bases. On the first pitch of the next at bat, Kindle is off for second. A throwing error by Cornell catcher Jack Rowe gives Kindle third base. Senior catcher Dave Pierson comes through for the Rams, looping a full count pitch into left for a base hit. Kindle scores and Fordham is on the board first. Unfortunately for the Big Red, Pierson is even faster than Kindle on the bases. Pierson steals second and third on two straight pitches!! Senior shortstop and lead off hitter Bill McClellan takes the 2-0 pitch and grounds the ball into the hole at short. He legs it out and gets an infield hit!! Pierson scores from third and it's 2-0 Fordham. McClellan would score the second out on a fielder's choice at second base, putting freshman center fielder Jaheem Cowart on first. Cowart takes off for second and Rowe again sends the ball into center field. With Cowart now on third, Richmond tries to focus on the batter, sophomore second baseman Chris Johnson. But Richmond throws wild and Cowart speeds home to score. Johnson would fly out to end the inning and midway through the 3rd, the Rams lead it, 3-0.

Cornell fails to score in the bottom of the 3rd, and neither team plates a run in the 4th. Pierson leads off the 5th with a base hit. McClellan reaches base on an error and Pierson moves to second. Cowart sacrifices and the runners move to second and third. Johnson flies out for the second out of the inning, but it's deep enough for Pierson to score. Sophomore first baseman David Lippert grounds out to second to end the inning, but Fordham has now extended their lead to 4-0. Cornell freshman second baseman Arturo Lopez leads off the bottom of the 5th with a ground out to second. Leonidas Lee is up next. Lee, a junior, plays center field for the Big Red. In his first full season of play, he started 54 games, but hit a paltry .209. Lee grounds the ball past short and into left, though, to get on base. Lee takes second on a passed ball, then moves to third on Ned Williamson's line drive to left. With DH David Mayeaux at the plate, Williamson takes off for second. It's Pierson's turn to throw the ball into center field, as Lee scores and Williamson goes to third. Cornell is on the board, but still trails 4-1. Mayeaux then lines the ball into the right center gap and Williams scores as Mayeaux records a double. "Big Dan" Brouthers comes up next and grounds the ball into right field. Mayeaux rounds third as Kindle comes up with the ball in right. The throw to the plate and Mayeaux is.....SAFE!!! The next two batters record outs, but at the end of five, Fordham's lead has been trimmed to 4-3.

Fordham goes down in order in the 6th. Rowe leads the bottom half of the frame off with a single. Rowe is sacrificed to second by Lopez. Lee then lines the ball into the gap in left center for a double!! Rowe scores to tie the game. The Big Red don't score again, but at the end of the 6th, the game is knotted at 4-4. The 7th is scoreless, although Cornell Manager Chase Whitehead tries to get things going by pinch hitting for Lopez and Lee. James doesn't understand Whitehead's strategy, as Lee was 2 for 3 in the game. On the bright side, though, Thomas was brought into the game in the top of the 8th to play center field. Fordham manages a hit in the top of the 8th, but can't score a run. Mayeaux leads off the bottom half of the 8th with a double. Brouthers is then intentionally walked. So, with no outs and two on, junior right fielder Micah "Three Finger" Rufo steps up to the plate. Rufo hit .335 this season and doesn't disappoint, looping a single into center to load the bases. Senior left fielder Chris Finnegan, a .308 hitter, comes up and lines the first pitch he sees straight to the shortstop, McClellan. McClellan snags the liner, then quickly snaps the ball to third to double up Mayeaux!!! There are now two outs and runners at first and second. Sophomore shortstop J.D. Ruch steps into the batter's box. A passed ball on the first pitch sends the runners to second and third. Ruch takes the 1-0 pitch and grounds it between first and second. He legs out an infield single. Brouthers scores from third and Cornell takes the lead, 5-4!! Rowe is up next, and he also legs out an infield hit. Rufo scores to make it 6-4 and Salazar's time on the mound is up. Senior relief pitcher Bill Van Buren comes into the game to face junior Pete Pellicci. Pellicci is a shortstop, but came in at the top of the 8th to play second base. Pellicci is hitting .115 for the season in 52 at bats. On the 2-2 pitch, Fordham catcher Pierson is called for catcher's interference. Pellicci takes first and the bases are loaded for freshman center fielder Thomas Herring.

James and Ephraim nearly lost their voices cheering for Thomas. What a moment for the 19 year old Herring. Two outs and the bases loaded, with his team up 6-4 in the deciding game of a playoff series. Herring only hit .192 this season, getting 26 at bats in 15 games. He works the count to 2-2, then grounds the ball down the line in left field. Ruch, Rowe, and Pellicci all score, as Herring gets to second for the three run double!!! Herring would end up stranded at second, as the last out is recorded two batters later, but the Cornell home crowd gave him a standing ovation as he trotted off the field. James beamed with a pride only a parent could understand, his eyes welling up with tears. Ephraim hugged his dad, equally proud of his little brother's accomplishment. Richmond comes out to the mound and makes quick work of three Fordham batters. Cornell wins the game, 9-4, and takes the series, two games to one. The Big Red will now travel to Villanova, Pennsylvania to defend their title against the Wildcats.

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"It's a beautiful day for a game of baseball," James thought as he admired the Ballpark of Villanova. He and Ephraim had traveled by train to Villanova, Pennsylvania to see Game 1 of the Collegiate Championship Series. Both were again hoping to see Thomas get some playing time on the big stage with Cornell. The Big Red team was still pumped up from their playoff series win. Cornell and Villanova split two games during the regular season. There are 1684 people at the ballpark today. The weather is wonderful, 79 degrees, with clear skies. The wind is blowing out to right at 9 mph. Cornell junior Lee Richmond gets the start for the Big Red. Richmond pitched eight innings against the Wildcats on April 29th. He took the loss that day, as 'Nova won the game 6-3. Villanova junior Sergio Macias is on the mound for the Wildcats today. Macias was the starter in the game on April 29th, getting the complete game win.

Cornell sophomore third baseman Ned Williamson leads the game off with a double, but he's stranded and the Big Red can't score in the top of the 1st. Richmond gets the lead off hitter out, which brings up freshman DH Gene Keller to the plate. The 19 year old Keller hit .186 in 22 games played this season. Keller is from Town and Country, Missouri, just outside of the City of St. Louis. Keller watches the first pitch go by and takes ball one. Keller sends the second pitch down the right field line!! Keller ends up with a double. Junior center fielder Pete "Monkey" Hotaling comes up next and gets a base hit, moving Keller to third. Senior catcher Lew "Blower" Brown is up next and batting clean up. Brown lines the ball into right field for a base hit, scoring Keller. Hotaling pushes for third and is safe ahead of the throw!! Sophomore left fielder Zach "Creole" Fite comes up next. On the first pitch, Brown takes off for second. The throw by Cornell catcher is way off the mark and into center field. Hotaling scores and Brown ends up at third. Fite ends up lining out to short for the second out, bringing senior first baseman Chub Sullivan to the plate. Sullivan fouls off the first four pitches, then takes three balls for a full count. The eighth pitch is lines down the right field line and into the corner. Brown scores and Sullivan has a triple!!! The next batter, Kelly Browning, grounds out to end the inning, and at the end of the 1st, Villanova leads 3-0.

Cornell sophomore shortstop J.D. Ruch leads off the 2nd with a triple into the left center field gap. Villanova has a large ballpark, with that gap measuring 418 feet from home plate to the wall. Senior left fielder Chris Finnegan grounds out to second, but Ruch is able to score to cut the 'Nova lead to 3-1. Rowe is up next and takes the first pitch and sends it into shallow right for a base hit. Freshman second baseman Arturo Lopez steps into the batter's box. Lopez is from Costa Rica, throws right, but bats from the left side. Lopez played in 44 games this season, hitting .277 with three homers and 33 RBI. Lopez works a 1-1 count, then cracks the ball down the right field line. It's got the distance and it's over the wall!!! A two run home run for Lopez, as he ties the game here in the 2nd. Villanova collects themselves and finish off the inning, but not before Cornell comes back and ties the game, 3-3.

The score is the same as we enter the bottom of the 3rd and two Cornell errors put the first two batters on base. Fite singles past first to score Hotaling, as Villanova retakes the lead. A double play and ground out later and the Wildcats hold a 4-3 after three innings. But Cornell isn't going to give up. In the top of the 4th, the Big Red have one on and one out with Lopez coming back up to the dish. He works a full count before sending a liner into right field. Lopez has a double as Rowe heads for home. The throw to the plate and Rowe is SAFE!!. Lopez, however, is not so lucky, as he tries for third and gets thrown OUT!! Leonidas Lee ends the inning by going down swinging, but midway through the 4th, the game is once again tied and the score is 4-4.

The game remains tied as we head to the top of the 7th inning. Lopez starts the inning off by going down swinging and senior right fielder Frank "Jumbo" Whitney is brought in to pinch hit for Lee. Whitney was a regular in right field for three seasons, but lost his starting spot to junior Micah Rufo this year. "Jumbo" has a .271 career average, but is only hitting .182 this season, starting eight games and appearing in 40. Whitney works a 1-1 pitch and sends a liner into right center for a base hit. Whitney will run on you and on the second pitch to Williamson, Whitney is off for second. Whitney steals second!! Four pitches later, Williamson lines the ball into deep left center field for a double. Whitney scores and Cornell takes their first lead of the game!! Sophomore DH David Mayeaux follows up by doubling Williamson home, then "Big Dan" Brouthers triples to score Mayeaux. Brouthers would come home on a ground out and by the time the half inning is over, Cornell has built an 8-4 lead!!

Thomas was brought into the game to play center field, much to the delight of James and Ephraim. With a four run lead, Cornell was feeling pretty good. Villanova isn't known for quitting, though, and with two outs and two on in the bottom of the 7th, Fite doubles down the left field line. Hotaling scores and Brown ends up on third. A passed ball allows Brown to score and by the end of the 7th, the Wildcats have recovered two runs and now trail by a score of 8-6. Rowe grounds out for Cornell to start the 8th, but Lopez follows up with a triple, which went over the head of the center fielder. Thomas Herring steps up to the plate, with one out and Lopez on third. Herring quickly falls into an 0-2 hole, but the third pitch is a ball. Brown misses the pitch, however, and it's a passed ball! Lopez sprints home and scores, Cornell's lead now 9-6. Herring follows up by sending the next pitch into right for a base hit. He would end up forced out at second during the next at bat. A fly out ends the inning, but the Big Red now lead by three.

Villanova can't seem to figure out Richmond, though, in the 8th or 9th innings. The Wildcats manage a couple of hits, but can't score. Cornell wins Game 1 of the Collegiate Championship Series by the score of 9-6!!

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The trip to Ithaca, New York, was full of anticipation as James and Ephraim made their way to see Game 2 of the Collegiate Championship Series. Could Cornell pull off the upset and win their second straight national championship? Would James see Thomas hoist up the championship trophy should the Big Red win it all? Only time would tell, he supposed, but excitement was in the air at Big Red Ballpark. The trip north meant cooler temperatures, and although the skies were clear, it was only 62 degrees and the wind was blowing in from center at 9 mph. There are 1492 fans in the stands for this game. Sergio Macias, the loser from Game 1, is again on the mound for Villanova. His counterpart, Lee Richmond, is again getting the start for Cornell.

The 1st inning goes by without a hit or a score. Sophomore left fielder Zach Fite leads off the 2nd inning with a base hit for the Wildcats. Senior first baseman Chub Sullivan follows up by hitting a triple to score Fite!! Senior shortstop Kelly Browning sends the ball flying deep enough into right to allow Sullivan to tag up. A strikeout and a ground out later, Villanova finds themselves with a 2-0 lead, midway through the 2nd. The score remains the same as we head into the bottom of the 3rd inning. With two outs, junior center fielder Leonidas Lee grounds the ball into right to get on base. Sophomore third baseman Ned Williamson comes up next. Williamson, facing a 1-2 count, smacks the ball deep into left center field, 420 feet, and just over the wall for a two run home run!!! The next batter, David Mayeaux, flies out to end the inning, but at the end of three, the game is tied, 2-2.

Villanova nearly scores in the top of the 4th, but Fite is gunned down at the plate. The score is still tied as we start the 5th inning. With one out, freshman DH Gene Keller singles and moves to third on Pete Hotaling's base hit. With men on the corners, Lew Brown triples to bring them both home. Brown would later score on a passed ball and at the midway point of the 5th, Villanova has retaken the lead, 5-2. Cornell records two quick outs in the bottom half of the frame. Williamson then triples to start the rally. Mayeaux singles Williamson in, then comes home on "Big Dan" Brouthers home run over the right field fence. When the inning comes to a close, the game is once again tied, with the score now 5-5.

The Wildcats seem to have Richmond's number, though. In the top of the 6th, Browning manages an infield hit, followed by junior third baseman Tom Otwell's base hit. The runners are sacrificed over and then both score on an errant throw by Richmond. With that error, Villanova has the lead once more, leading 7-5 halfway through the 6th. The Wildcats keep the Big Red off the board in the bottom of the 6th and tack on another run in the top of the 7th. Macias is in total control late in the game, keeping Cornell at bay. Villanova adds a run in the 9th and wins Game 2 by the score of 9-5. With the series tied, we head back to Villanova, Pennsylvania for the deciding third game.

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This is it folks!!! Game 3 of the Collegiate Championship Series!! James and Ephraim travel back to Villanova to award the championship trophy to the winner. Cornell Manager Chase Whitehead is overheard telling his team they are the defending champions. Villanova Manager Matt Horace is telling his team they are the best team this year and the best team to ever take the field in the CBA. It's partly cloudy and 70 degrees here at the Ballpark of Villanova. The wind is blowing out to right at 11 mph. 1693 people have turned out for the final game of this series. Lee Richmond is again on the mound for Cornell, while the winner of Game 2, Sergio Macias, is on the hill for Villanova.

Cornell starts the game off with a bang and makes a statement. Sophomore third baseman Ned Williamson leads off the game with a base hit. DH David Mayeaux flies out, but then "Big Dan" Brouthers steps up to the plate. The sophomore first baseman sends a 1-2 pitch out of the ballpark and over the right field fence for a 2-run home run!!! A couple of more outs follow and halfway through the 1st, Cornell has a 2-0 lead. Villanova manages a hit in the 1st, but no runs. Neither team scores in the 2nd, so the Big Red still lead going into the 3rd inning. With one out, Williamson again singles. Mayeaux walks and Brouthers steps to the plate. Brouthers gets a base hit to center, but the fielder mishandles the ball!! Williamson scores, as Mayeaux and Brouthers advance to second and third. Junior right fielder Micah "Three Finger" Rufo is up next and works the count full before doubling over the center fielder's head. Two more runs score!! Cornell gets their last two outs and midway through the 3rd, the Big Red lead 5-0!!!

The score remains the same as we enter the bottom of the 4th. With two outs, senior catcher Lew "Blower" Brown triples. He scores on a passed ball and by the end of the 4th inning, Villanova has recovered a run, but still trail 5-1. Neither team scores in the 5th and it's still 5-1 as we enter the bottom of the 6th. Wildcat sophomore second baseman, Denny Flynn, leads things off by hitting a triple to deep center field. Sophomore right fielder Kevin Davis singles Flynn in, but it's all the Wildcats can muster. At the end of the 6th, Cornell leads 5-2. Macias has things under control and is keeping the Big Red from adding to their lead. With one out in the bottom of the 7th, senior first baseman Chub Sullivan doubles into right center. With fellow senior, shortstop Kelly Browning, at the plate, Sullivan steals third!! He would score when Browning manages an infield hit on a ball hit deep into the hole at short. Junior third baseman Tom Otwell comes up and works a full count before grounding the ball between first and second. Otwell legs out an infield hit!! Browning moves to second. Flynn flies out to center on the following at bat, but Browning tags up and heads for third. Cornell center fielder Leonidas Lee throws wildly and Browning is able to come home. A fly out ends the inning, but at the end of the 7th, Villanova has trimmed the Cornell lead down to 5-4!!

Neither team scores in the 8th and Cornell doesn't score in the top of the 9th. Clinging to a one run lead, Richmond goes back out to the mound to try to bring home the championship. Sullivan is the first batter and he hits the first pitch to third, a slow roller. But Williamson misplays the ball and Sullivan is on first. Richmond is obviously flustered and walks Browning on four straight pitches. Otwell lays down a sac bunt to move the runners to second and third. With one out, Flynn comes to the plate and belts a 2-0 pitch into right center!! Sullivan scores to tie the game and Browning advances to third. Sophomore right fielder Kevin Davis steps into the batter's box. Flynn takes off for second and steals the base. Davis, in turn, is intentionally walked to load the bases. Freshman DH Gene Keller steps up and has the full support of the home crowd behind him. Keller goes down 0-2 before hitting a lazy fly ball to right center. It's shallow and it's out number two. The runners hold and the bases are still loaded. Junior center fielder Pete Hotaling is up. Richmond unloads the pitch and sends it home. It's a ball....but wait....it got by catcher Jack Rowe!!! A passed ball!!! Browning heads for home and there's no play at the plate!! Browning scores and Villanova wins!!!! The final score is 6-5, as the Wildcats win it on a passed ball and earn their first national championship!!! Lew Brown is named the Series MVP after his 7 of 13 performance (.538).

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With the first decade of the Collegiate Baseball Association coming to a close, James and Ephraim looked through the statistical archives and put together the best players of the 1870's onto an All-Collegiate Team. The following are the best players at their positions to have played in the 1870's.

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As the beginning of the 1880 season approached, the sportswriters again took their shot at predicting the outcome of the upcoming season. The Brown Bears were favored to win the New England Region. Yale was projected to finish second in the region, followed by defending regional champ Harvard, with Dartmouth predicted to finish last. In the Northeast Region, Cornell was projected to come out on top. The Big Red were also predicted to have the best record of any team in the CBA this season. Princeton was picked to finish second in the region and take the wild card berth for the playoffs. Columbia, Fordham, Rutgers, and Syracuse were projected to fill out the 3 thru 6 positions in the region, with all of those teams predicted to finish below .500. Villanova was again the favorite to win the Atlantic Region. Lafayette, Lehigh, and Penn were all picked to trail the defending champs again this year.



The beginning of the 1880 season began without a hitch and the players stayed healthy from serious injury. On March 19th, Rutgers junior starting pitcher Danny Hodapp won his 50th career game in a 7-2 victory over Cornell. The following day, March 20th, Penn announced they had fired their longtime pitching coach Phil Gatchell after the Quakers started the season 2-11. Former Syracuse bench coach and manager Adrian Harris was named as Gatchell's replacement. Gatchell was in his 10th season with Penn prior to his dismissal. On March 30th, Dartmouth senior starter "Smiling Tim" Keefe wasn't smiling that day, as he suffered a strained triceps. Keefe is expected to miss six weeks with the injury. And since we want to end the month on a positive note, how is this? Yale freshman pitcher Chris Weirick threw a no-hitter in a 3-0 win over Syracuse. Weirick faced 29 batters in the contest. For the season, Weirick, who normally pitches in relief, is 4-0 with a 1.34 ERA in three starts on the young season.

At the end of the month of March, Yale finds themselves with a three game lead in the New England Region at 16-6. As expected, Cornell and Villanova are both leading their regions with marks of 17-5. Princeton senior shortstop Tom Burns took home Newcomer of the Month honors, hitting .358, with no homers and 13 RBI. Burns transferred in to Princeton last summer for his final season, previously playing for an area junior college. The word out of Princeton is that President John Cartwright is putting pressure on AD Adam Patrick to win, which led to convincing Burns to transfer to play for the Tigers. Villanova senior starter Tim "Chisel" Holt won Pitcher of the Month honors after posting an 11-1 mark, with a 1.42 ERA. Opponents are hitting .184 vs. Holt. The Batter of the Month was Fordham junior second baseman Chris Johnson, who hit .391 for the month, with no home runs, 15 RBI, and 19 runs scored.

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Injuries held off for the first month of the season, but they more than made up for it in the month of April. While I won't bore you with the details, seven players sustained significant injuries, five of which were pitchers. The injuries ranged from a few weeks to 11 months. On a high note, however, on April 23rd, Cornell junior first baseman "Big Dan" Brouthers hit two home runs in an 11-8 victory over Fordham. Brouthers' first homer tied the career home run mark of nine, previously held by former Dartmouth right fielder Ernie Quinn, who played in 1871 and 1872. The second homer pushed the new mark for career home runs to 10.

At the end of the month, the race in the New England Region is close, with Yale holding a one game lead over Brown. In the Northeast Region, Cornell has a significant nine game lead over Rutgers and looks to have the region all sewn up. In the Atlantic Region, Villanova has all but wrapped up the title, leading Lafayette by 14 games. The Wildcats' magic number is currently at four.

The Rookie of the Month honor was given to Cornell senior, and one year wonder, centerfielder Harry Stovey. The senior transfer batted .385 for April, with one home run and 22 RBI. Fordham junior starter Freddy Salazar took home Pitcher of the Month honors after posting a 9-2 mark, with a 1.70 ERA. April's Batter of the Month was no other than Brouthers, who hit .370 along with those two home runs. Brouthers also had 20 RBI and 27 runs scored in the month.