PAGE SIX
Stickmen, Netters ,
At Home Today
By LOUIE PRATO
For the first time in fifteen years, Penn
State will oppose interstate rival Lehigh in
an intercollegiate lacrosse game.
The Lions, who snapped out of a midseason
slump Saturday with a 15-4 win over Swarth
more, meet the Engineers at 3:30 p.m. today
at Beaver Field. The game is the
second of a four-game home stand
that will include the 1956 season
for the Nittany stickmen.
Not since 1941, when Coach
Nick Thiel's team handed Lehigh
.a 12-5 loss, have the two schools
faced each other or. the lacrosse
field
The Lehigh-Penn State laczosse
series began back in 1915 when
The Engineers from Bethlehem
were one of the perennial lacrosse
powers of the nation. Lehigh won
the first two games in the series
—lO-2 in 1915 and 15-1 in 1917
but from then on it was all Penn
State.
The two schools broke rela
tions in 1917 and did not meet
again until 1927. When play was
resumed, the Lions were in
complete control. They routed
the Engineers. 11-2. in the third
game of the series and for the
next six games—between 1934
and 1941—the Niltanies rolled
over the Bethlehem school with
relative ease.
In recent years, Lehigh has not
fielded a potent lacrosse team. In
3954 they won four and lost seven.
Last year, Coach Dave Dockham's
men could win only one of their
eight games.
Thus far this season, the Engi
neers have continued in their los
ing manner. Although no official
team record has been received
by Coach Nick Thiel, he is al
most certain that they have not
won more than two games.
Eight lettermen from the 1955
squad are the mainstays of the
Lehigh lineup. Five of the eight
holdovers are juniors while the
other three are seniors. There
are only two other seniors on
the Lehigh roster—both re
serves.
One of the five juniors, Fred
Gould, is an ex-teammate of Lion
scoring star, Bill Hess. Gould and
Hess played together at Manhas-
'Nine' Seeks 14th Win Today
Seeking its best season since
1946 the Nittany Lion baseball
team tries for its 14th win
against Villanova this after
noon at Philadelphia.
The Lions have a 13-2 record,
which is above par comparing it
to last year's 17-5 mark. One of
last year's defeats was absorbed
in the district two playoffs.
With only four games remain
ing. the Lions can end the year
with a 17-2 record, the best since
the '46 club notched a 10-1 card.
Has Pessimistic View
But Coach Joe Bedenk has
taken a pessimistic viewpoint of
the forthcoming games. - We can
easily drop two of these games,"
he said, "since we will be playing
all the games away from home
and within seven days."
The veteran coach said that he
will start his top righthander.
Stan Larimer, against Villanova
today. Larimer has a 3-1 record
• y ti
•
O n e
go lls
FOOD?
It's the best . . .
MUSIC?
What a treat - .
BEVERAGES?
Can't be beat!!
Jerry Miller Combo
Tomorrow,
4i; 9 al Clewing
:vi: ~::::..,
•: x:_ ~hj
Tri Deft, DZ,
Capture Wins
,In Coed Tilts
Delta Delta Delta defeated Phi
Mu 22-14 and Delta Zeta beat
Atherton 12-5 on the loser's side
of the elimination schedule in the
coed intramural softball league
Monday night.
Tri Delt's initial loss came at
the hands of Beta Sigma Omicron
in the first round of play, but the
latter team was downed by Kap
pa Kappa Gamma in its second
game.
Delta Zeta lost its first tilt with
the Atherton team, but beat Al
pha Gamma Delta in its next
game.
In tonight's games Delta Zeta
meets Delta Gamma, and Delta
Delta Delta tangles with Kappa
Kappa Gamma at 6:15 on Holmes
Field.
The winners of these two tilts
will meet each other tomorrow
to decide the winner of the losers.
Leonides will battle Thompson
in the second contest tomorrow
to determine the undefeated win
ner of the elimination card. The
winner of this game will then
meet the winner of the loser's
bracket next week to decide the
champion of the softball league.
set High School, Manhasset, N.Y.
Coach Thiel, pleased with the
way his switch of Lou Girard and
,Andy Bergeson 'turned out, will
!make no changes in the lineup
;which started against Swarth
!more, Saturday. Girard moved
from his attack spot to a midfield
post and Bergeson stepped out of
his midfield position into Girard's
vacant attack slot.
and owns a sparkling 2.03 earned
run average, second only to Ed
Drapcho's 1.03.
In his last start, against E k
nell, Larimer fanned 16 batters
for a new Lion strikeout record,
while allowing only three hits.
Lineup Remains Stable
The Nittany lineup will have
Don Stickler behind the plate,
Gary Miller at first, Lou Schnei
4er at second, Guy Tirabassi at
shortstop, Steve Baidy at third,
captain Bob McMullen in left
field, Jim Lockerman in center,
and Jack McMullen in right.
If Villanova starts a lefthanded
;pitcher Dave Watkins will replace
Jack McMullen in the outfield.
Villanova's record was unob
Penn State Jazz Club
Presents
A NIGHT IN DIXIE
with
Jimmy McPartland
and His All-Stars
FRIDAY, MAY 18
2 Concerts 7 and 9:30 p.m.
Tickets $1.50
.~.~.;::: •r:
~ ~~..
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA
By TOM WERNER
The resurging Lion tennis team, seeking its
third straight victory, will face Juniata a
squad which came uncomfortably close to an
upset last season—on the Beaver Field courts,
ai 3:30 p.m. today.
Last
year the Nittanies went past the .500
mark for the first time with the
Juniata win and they almost did
not make it. The match was de
cided in the last two contests as
the Lions came out ahead, 5-4.
This year Juniata will field a
majority of sophomores due to
heavy graduation losses.
Back from last year's surprise
scrappers will be Phil Lankford,
playing the same number one spot
that he occupied last season. In
the '55 contest Lankford swept
Lion Ed Seiling off the court, 6-1,
6-1.
Known for his 'head' play,
Lankford has no special forte
as a racquet technician, depend
ing on his ability of quickly de
tecting his opponent's weaknes
ses and capitalizing on them.
Coach Sherm Fogg said that he
would take no risks of dropping
the match by inserting untried
men into the lineup as he did last
year.
Fogg plans to field his veteran
team with the exception of Mike
Walker, who will be given the
number six singles spot for his
intercollegiate debut. Larry Ad
ler, removed from singles compe
tition, will be handed a doubles
berth with Joe Eberly.
Coach Fogg warned that the
Juniata squad will be a tough
one to beat. 'coming to Beaver
Field with upset plans in mind.
The Nittany netters will have
to win the rest of the season's
matches to equal last year's 7-5
slate. Standing at 3-5 now, the
Lions will face West Virginia and
Bucknell away before the finale
at Pitt on May 25.
Today's contest will be the last
(home showing for the netmen this
I year.
Penn State, a perennial power
in golf, has been beaten only once
in its last 17 starts, twice in its
last 30 outings.
tamable but in a game with Navy
ionday it lost 11-10. The Lions
defeated Navy, 4-3, Saturday at
Beaver Field.
In the overall series with Vil
lanova, the Lions hold a 19-17
edge, which is one of the narrow
est margins they hold over an
opponent.
After today's game the Lions
return home and then travel to
Pittsburgh, where they meet the
Panthers in a doubleheader Sat
urday. branch° and Lorimer will
be on the mound for the twin
bill.
The Lions close the season next
Wedne:day with Lehigh Univer
sity at Bethlehem.
Hold 19-17 Edge
Scanning
SPORTS
By FRAN FANUCCI, Sports Editor
PENN STATE'S BASEBALL TEAMI
Baseball Coach Joe Bedenk puffed on his cigarette, leaned
back in his swivel chair, and within a few minutes had heaped
a barrage of praises on his young but victory-minded team,
which is surprising not only to University students but also
its coach.
"I never though we'd win t
they sure have been surprisin:
out one factor which is respo
to say its the pitching we're get
ting. Our defense is poor but our
hitting has been above what I
expected it to be."
With only three seniors on the
team the logical conclusion al
most anyone would draw would
be that Bedenk is loaded for next
year. But the soft-talking coach
takes a different attitude.
"We should be a great team in
'57," Bedenk said, "but you know
how sports are; one year you're
doing everything right and the
next you do everything wrong.
Take for example the 1953 club.
We had everybody back from the
year before with the exception of
the catcher and we thought we
had a terrific team. But we lost
games-4-3, 3-2, 1-o—all by low
scores. That's why I can't predict
anything."
His sophomore-laden team is
now doing everything right. For
fans who have not seen a game
this year a brief resume of each
player follows:
Ed Drapcho only a junior
but already rated one of the
top pitchers in Penn State his
tory . .. is cool under pressure
... has good control ... sneaky
fast ball which keeps hitters off
balance% .. relies on his curve
ball during most of the game
. . . Bedenk calls him "one of
the best fielding pitchers 'in
College baseball." One major
league scout added his own
comment concerning Drapcho's
fielding prowess:
"When Drapcho pitches Penn
State has five infielders in the
lineup.
Stan Larimer . . . the second
half of Bedenk's terrible pitching
twosome . . . a senior, Larimer
set a new Lion strikeout record
last week when he fanned 16
Bucknell players . . . has a good
fast ball, which is his most potent
pitch .. . good curveball ...' good
controL
Ron Smith ... sophomore hurl
er, who has backed up Drapcho
and Larimer when needed ... re
lies mostly on control and slow
curveball . . . should be a front
line pitcher next year.
Stan Szymanski and Maurice
Peace ... two of Bedenk's spot
pitchers . . . Szymanski has
everything but control ... Peace
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1956
his many games," he said, "but
me all along If I have to point
sible for all this I would have
has been hindered by illness
and has pitched only one game
. Bedenk thinks he could be
a front line pitcher next year.
Gary Miller . . . hard working,
sophomore first baseman ... good
hustler . . . fair fielder . . . .326
hitter, and one of leading RBI
men on team.
Lou Schneider, second base
. . . only senior in infield . . .
good leadoff hitter and hard to
pitch to because of his 5-6 size
... good on double play ... fair
hitter . . . dependable fielder.
Guy Tirabassi, junior shortstop
. . . Bedenk calls him "the live
wire of the infield" . . . having
poor year on defense . . . but is
good clutch hitter despite his low
batting average. A worrier ... but
no matter how many errors he
may make he is always the first
one on the practice field the next
day.
Steve Baidy . . . sophomore
third baseman . . . doing good
job at hot corner . . . quick on
his feet ... and has quick hands
. . . good afield but only fair
hitter.
Don Stickler . ~. sophomore
catcher . . . has excellent arm
... slow runner ... .321 hitter
. . . one of the lop defensive
catchers in the East . . . good
handler of pitchers . . . one of
leading RBI men.
Bob McMullen . . . senior left
fielder and captain . . . leading
hitter at .453 . . . fastest runner
on team . . . reminds fans of the
Pepper Martin era of baseball
with head-long slides and great
hustle . . . although he bats left,
he is effective against southpaws
. . . leading RBI man with 15.
Jim Lockerman ... junior cen
terfielder . . .. broke out of his
slump in the past two weeks . ..
hitting .321 . . . average arm . ..
good fielder and fast afoot . . .
one of top RBI men ... has trou
ble against lefthanded pitching.
' Jack McMullen . '. . sophomore
right fielder . . . good hitter, but
only fair fielder and thrower . ..
has potential to be a terrific hit
ter.
Dave Watkins . . . alternates
with McMullen in right . . . good
hitter . . . fair fielder . . . sopho
more and should be starter next
'year. .