The smart boys continue to do things the right way, graduating brilliance, playing a two-team playoff to decide the NCAA tournament bid and playing an education-first reasonable number of games. No wonder we always cheer for the champion here in the Big Dance.

2009 in a Paragraph:
The Ivies supplied some of the best divisional chases of any conference in the country last season, seeing Dartmouth edge Brown by one game in the Rolfe and having Princeton and Cornell tie atop the Gehrig. In the end, nobody could match up with the Big Green as they took two of three from Cornell to go to the Chapel Hill Regional.

Conference RPI: 26

2009 Results:
Rolfe Division
1- Dartmouth, 16-4
2- Brown, 15-5
3- Harvard, 10-10
4- Yale, 7-13

Gehrig Division
1- Princeton, 10-10
1- Cornell, 10-10
3- Columbia, 7-13
4- Penn, 5-15

2010 in a Paragraph:
With the possible exception of Dartmouth, don’t look for any winning overall records from the Ivy League this season. The Ancient Eight teams have once again over-scheduled in the pre-league play. C’mon guys, give yourselves a better chance out there. But once again, the Big Green is the team to beat and depending on how Brown handles the early season, might go unchallenged in Ivy play. But we all know that it always comes down to the post-season playoffs. So you never now. Still, my money is on the Green.

The Big Green were the first team to qualify for the NCAAs last year.

Favorite: Dartmouth

Contender: Brown

Darkhorse: Cornell

Can’t-Miss Series of the Year: Dartmouth at Brown, April 24-25

Best Non-Conference Series: Dartmouth at Bethune-Cookman, March 25-27

Hot Coach: Bob Whelan, Dartmouth

Hot Seat Coach: John Stuper, Yale

The “You Gotta See” Player: SS Joe Sclafani, Dartmouth

Three Non-Conference Series Ivy League Opponents Better Take Seriously:
1- Dartmouth at Virginia Tourney, Mar. 6-7. (UVa, Wright State)
2- Brown at Troy, Mar. 27-29
3- Cornell at Florida Atlantic, Mar. 23-24

Three Bold Predictions:
1- Dartmouth wins the Ivy League going away this year.
2- Because of the horribly tough schedules, only one 20+ win team this year.
3- Penn will lead the Ancient Eight in home runs and slugging percentage.

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Red Rolfe Division:

- BROWN (24-19-1, 15-5)
2009 RPI: 121
Starters Returning: 5
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 0
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 2

All Conference Candidates:
LHP Mark Gromley (6-2, 4.55)
1B/3B Peter Greskoff (.339-11-36, led the Ivies in HR)
C Matt Colantonio (.246, just 4Es)
3B Ryan Zrenda (.301)
RHP Matt Kimball (2-3, 6.23, 10svs)
SS Graham Tyler (.290-5-31)

The Good News:
A 12-4 stretch to end the season was a great send-off and springboard to 2010. Lots of good arms return, led by Gormley, the team ace and also Kimbell, who tied the school record for saves in a season. The defense was the best in the Ivies at .971 and could be stout again with the return of Tyler, Zrenda and Greskoff. The coaches were really impressed with the fall that backup C Joe Mellano had. Also look for frosh RHP/OF Kevin Carlow, who could work into the weekend rotation.

The Bad News:
Even with the hot finish, the facts of the matter were that the Bears had the misfortune of playing in the same division with Dartmouth and didn’t make the post-season. A lot of senior leaders took a hike, including leading hitter Robert Papenhause, No. 2 hitter Matt Nuzzo and stolen base leader Steve Daniels. Pitchers were a little on the wild side, throwing 40WPs and 45HBPs. C Matt Colantonio (.246) must revert to his frosh form when he hit .368.

Schedule Note:
And you thought last year was horrible?
Brown has taken schedule-making to a far more horrifying degree in 2010. The Bears will open against Pepperdine and LSU in Baton Rouge. And if that wasn’t rough enough, they’ll go to Columbia, South Carolina the following week to play the Gamecocks. Damn! And on top of that, both LSU and Pepperdine will have played five or six games by the time Brown shows up for its opening weekend in Alex Box Stadium.

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- DARTMOUTH (27-18, 16-4)
2009 RPI: 146
Starters Returning: 5
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 2
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 5

All Conference Candidates:
LHP Robert Young (5-4, 4.63)
RHP Kyle Hendricks (6-3, 4.84, just 15BBs)
RHP Ben Murray (6-1, 5.27)
RHP Ryan Smith (2-3, 5.88, 11svs)
SS Joe Sclafani (.339, Frosh All Am.)
OF Jim Wren (.325-5-44)

The Good News:
If you’re a fan of good pitching being the key to successful seasons, you’re gonna love the Big Green for 2010. Every single arm of significance returns to the roster. Every single one. Young, Hendricks and Murray return to man the weekend rotation and mid-week starters LHP Colin Britton (3-2, 5.87) and RHP Cole Sulser (3-2, 8.66) also come back and bring a good change of pace to the rest of the staff. Lastly, ace reliever Smith leads five relievers that return to put the clamps on the late innings. (Whew! Take time to wipe your brow after all that). The best part of this staff is the fact that they gave up just 96 walks in their 45 games. Wow. On the other end of things, frosh phenom Sclafani finished the season scoring more times (50) than anyone in the Ivy League and is a building block to rally around. Part-timers OF Brett Gardner (.314-4-22) and INF Jeff Onstott (.308-4-32) will be leaned on to pick up their game.

The Bad News:
The Big Green would do well to avoid another 0-9 start like last season (though the schedule won’t be as daunting). Lots of firepower flew the coop after last season, including four batters that hit .322 or better. So the team average of .308 may take a hit. Despite all the staff arms that come back to the fold, this is still a staff that had just a 6.06 team ERA and allowed opponents to hit .328 last season.

Schedule Note:
Not as impossible as last year, but still no cakewalk.
Dartmouth began 2009 by going out to California and took their lumps against teams like San Jose State, Santa Clara and Cal Poly. But this year, other than two games at Virginia, the pre-Ivy slate is very manageable and able to allow the offense and fielding to take shape. Look for a better overall record this season. I.e., it’s 30+ wins or bust.

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- HARVARD (13-28, 10-10)
2009 RPI: 229
Starters Returning: 5
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 2
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 2

All Conference Candidates:
OF Dillon O’Neill (.322)
LHP Brent Suter (3-4, 5.77)

The Good News:
I fully believe head coach Joe Walsh will have his boys back in contention for the Ivy League title again soon. History tells us so. His 15th season at the helm should go better with a large contingent of sophomore arms that will grow up this season. Suter will be backed by fellow 2nd-year guys RHP Conner Hulse (1-5, 6.11), RHP Jonah Klees (2-3, 6.55) and LHP Will Keuper (2-3, 8.56), among others. They’ll pitch to a solid backstop in Tyler Albright (.267, just 1E).

The Bad News:
The Crimson have won only 23 games the last two seasons. Must better the 3-18 non-Ivy mark. Losing the two-way threat of Tom Stack-Babich at the dish and on the mound is a big loss. Four of the top five hitters have moved on from a team that only hit .288 to begin with. Their 8.00 team ERA was the worst in the Ivy League and the biggest contributor to the poor season of 2009.

Schedule Note:
Another impossible road.
Once again, the Crimson will bite off more than they can chew in the pre-conference play, going to tournaments at Stetson (vs. Notre Dame and Kansas State) and at Minnesota (against the Gophers and Creighton) and also take a swing through North Carolina vs. UNC-Greensboro and Charlotte. Could be tough.

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- YALE (13-24, 7-13)
2009 RPI: 268
Starters Returning: 6
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 4

All Conference Candidate:
1B Trygg Larsson-Danforth (.344-7-37)
3B Andy Megee (.329, 10SBs)

The Good News:
It all starts at the corners where a man named “Trygg” is an intimidating force and teams with 3B Megee to form the best corner infielders in the Ivies. 2B Zach Tobolowsky (.320) will step up to a full-timer as a steady soph to solidify the infield that was the second-best in the league at .964. The key relievers, Shultz and RHP Greg Lyons (0-0, 4.97, 14apps) are both going to get better in their second seasons as Bulldogs.

The Bad News:
The Yalies had a tough start last season, losing six of their first eight games, five of them by giving up double-digit run totals. The ending wasn’t much better as they went 1-3 in their last three league weekends. Loss of Ivy League Pitcher of the Year Brandon Josselyn to the Mariners is a tough blow to take, especially since the staff ERA was 6.82, second-worst in the league. SS Stephen Schropp provided a steady bat and glove but has also moved on.

Schedule Note:
At least they’ll start off better.
Yale won’t repeat last year’s tough start since their first weekend of the season will be against vulnerable UM-BC. But after that, the Russ Matt Invitational will see the ‘Dogs pitted against teams like Rhode Island, Indiana and MAC teams Miami, Bowling Green and Central Michigan. But at least 16 of their last 22 games will come at legendary Yale Field.

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Lou Gehrig Division:

- COLUMBIA (11-32, 7-13)
2009 RPI: 263
Starters Returning: 7
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 2
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 2

All Conference Candidates:
2B John Eisen (.331, 12SBs)
OF Bobby O’Brien (.337)
OF Nick Cox (.290, 18SBs)
C Dean Forthun (.298, just 5Es)

The Good News:
There are plenty of experienced arms returning since the Lions went to a Johnny Wholestaff-type of approach. Look for sophs-to-be Pat Lowery (0-4, 4.32) and Harrison Slutsky (2-2, 6.57) to pick up their game in year two and help heal the mound corps. The top six hitters from last season come back, all of whom hit .289 or better. Oh, and check out OF Jason Banos, who sat out last season with an injury, but hit .389 in Ivy play in 2008.

The Bad News:
From an appearance in the Big Dance in ‘08 to just seven league wins in ‘09, this team came crashing down despite high expectations. Leading staff ace Joe Scarlata was the most-used pitcher on the staff but has moved on. Columbia hit an Ivy-low .275 last season and there’s a call for more patience as the Lions earned a league-low 119 walks.

Schedule Note:
Tough sledding in March.
The blue-and-white will probably take it on the chin in the season-opening trip to Vegas to face the Rebels. Let’s hope they can put that tough weekend behind them since they’ll have teams like Richmond, Virginia Tech, Winthrop and Kent State also facing them before they get to the comforts of Ivy League play. Damn, that’s tough.

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- CORNELL (17-23, 10-10)
2009 RPI: 255
Starters Returning: 6
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 2
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 2

All Conference Candidates:
RHP David Rochefort (2-3, 2.52, 8svs)
OF Brian Billigen (.404, 10SBs)
INF Matt Langseth (.316)
OF Nate David (.301-8-22, 10SBs)

The Good News:
The Big Red definitely came together as the season went on, going 10-4 down the stretch before the Ivy League playoffs, where they gave Dartmouth all it could handle. Four .301 hitters come back to campus, along with just about every pitcher of note. Should be a deep staff with a lot of versatility, so look for better numbers to follow. As a frosh, Billigen played beyond his years, finishing 3rd in the Ivy with a .452OB%. Two of the better two-way players in the Ivy League are Jadd Schmeltzer (2-3, 4.01/.220-5-24) and Mickey Brodsky (.2-3, 5.59/.309-4-37).

The Bad News:
Okay Cornell, please don’t rehash last year’s 2-11 start that crushed some confidence. Though they don’t lose a lot of last year’s team, two big studs are no longer around to lean on in sweet-swinging Nathan Ford (.370) and reliever Stephen Osterer (2-1, 3.38). Some improvement all around is in order, but the Big Red could fix things enough to win the Ancient Eight.

Schedule Note:
Lots of fellow snowbirds.
Cornell has a big advantage at the start of this season as they’ll face off with fellow northerners Villanova, St. Joseph’s, Temple, Northwestern, Ohio State and Army before Ivy League play begins. That’s a lot better than last year’s bloodletting slate that took them to Santa Clara, St. Mary’s and Sacramento State.

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- PENNSYLVANIA (17-24, 5-15)
2009 RPI: 272
Starters Returning: 8
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 3
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 3

All Conference Candidates:
OF/LHP Tom Grandieri (.357-5-32/1-5, 7.83)
OF Jeremy Maas (.356-4-27)
3B Dan Williams (.337-4-42)
OF Derek Vigoa (.335-4-27, Frosh All Am.)
INF/RHP William Gordon (.327-10-48/1-1, 4.50)

The Good News:
Just about everyone returns to the lineup as the Quakers will surely improve on that awful 5-15 Ivy record. Warning to opposing pitchers: Lots and lots of voracious bats come back to the dish, including seven players that hit .304 or better. Yikes! And yes, in case you’re wondering, Penn led the Ancient Eight with a .310 average and 104 doubles. There’s a lot of power in this offense, and that should keep them in every game.

The Bad News:
The pitching was a big problem as they dipped to 6.74 team ERA last year. Most of those pitchers are back, but must do better. In fact, it’s imperative for RHP Todd Roth (2-2, 7.26) to revert to his sophomore form where he led the Ivy League with a 2.32 ERA in 62 innings. Oh yeah, and the defense was the worst in the Ivies as well, fielding at a .949 pace. Noonan!

Schedule Note:
The last to get off the start line.
Penn will get quite possibly the latest start to the season than any team in the country, with the opener being vs. Georgetown in Winter Park, Florida on March 6th. The Quakers will hope for a short winter since they’re scheduled to play five home games in the month of March. I’m crossing my fingers for you guys.

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- PRINCETON (18-19, 10-10)
2009 RPI: 221
Starters Returning: 3
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 0
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 3

All Conference Candidates:
LHP David Palms (5-2, 3.06, .253OBA)
RHP Matt Grabowski (2-1, 2.65, 5svs, .252OBA)
RHP Ryan Makis (1-0, 3.90, .257OBA)

The Good News:
The Tiger staff led the Ivy League with a team ERA of 5.08 and has the three hurlers above to build around, all of whom are steady and bring a different style to the mound. Look for LHP Langford Stuber (3-4, 6.12) and RHP Tim Feess (0-1, 5.85) to improve and add depth and quality to the staff. 1B Brian Berkowitz (.248-5-26) and OF Jon Broscious (.286-4-15) are two seniors who should improve their sticks and bring some power to the order.

The Bad News:
Oh boy. This could be a rebuilding season for the Tigers. Lots of losses, including six of the top seven hitters in the order, four of whom hit .294 or better. Dual threat David Hale is the biggest loss after hitting .284 and being a weekend starter on the mound. The defense was surprisingly bad, fielding at a .954 clip. If the new replacements on the infield can keep pace with their pitching staff quality, this could be a better team.

Schedule Note:
Mission (almost) impossible.
It seems to be a similar theme throughout the Ivy League, but again, Princeton is another team that seems to be a bit in over its head in the pre-conference schedule, traveling to Elon, UNC-Greensboro, North Carolina and Santa Clara. Look for a better ending as Princeton will play seven of their final nine games at home, six of those in Ivy League play.