Amherst vs Harvard baseball programs

Can you give the Board some context to your question?  What specifically do you want to know?

I agree with Fenway's comment about context. But let me just throw something out there.

If you....or a relative or someone you coach...has a choice between Harvard and Amherst, I think it would be difficult for most people to recommend Amherst ahead of Harvard in terms of academics, strength of baseball program, location.

But maybe there are special interests involved here that would change the equation. Are there?

Academically, both are top tier institutions that admit the smartest kids in the country. At Harvard you'll get lots of large classes and teaching assistants; not so at Amherst. The difference is mostly whether you want a smaller liberal arts college or a larger university.

In terms of baseball: Amherst went to the NCAAs in 2013, whereas Harvard lost a lot of games and is trying to rebuild. Because Amherst did so well, and because people respect their program, athletic culture, and coaching staff, they've already gotten a number of class of 2014 recruits who were also aggressively recruited by D-I schools. Harvard has lost some class of 2014 recruits to other schools. Amherst's coach has been around a few years and has garnered considerable respect; Harvard's is relatively new, coming from Trinity a year ago. But make sure to do your own research on the relative merits of their coaching staffs. You don't want to regret your decision. 

Coach Decker at Harvard was well-respected at Trinity (CT) for many years, and he knows the academically-selective recruiting scene. Soon after his arrival, Asst Coaches LoRicco and Birtwell, who had been involved in recruiting under late Coach Walsh, moved on. Mediocre record in 2013, 5 new recruits for 2014....may take them another year or so to get on track, but wouldn't bet against them.

Maybe. And saying LoRicco and Birtwell "moved on" is a polite way to phrase it. Decker certainly had a big year when he won the national championship at Trinity. But there are lots of stories out there. And there are new assistant coaches. Without getting into specifics, my advice to any recruit remains: do your research and due diligence.

Harvard will be better this year as there were several non-seniors on Harvard's 2011-12 roster who did not play last year. They have atoned and will play this year. Harvard's field is very underwhelming--even when compared with its Ivy League brethren.

slotty,

Harvard may be better than last year, but are they good enough to topple Dartmouth in the Red Rolfe with a six year divisional winning streak?  I sure hope so!   While our kids are duking it out in the street in the Gehrig division, Dartmouth just keeps on rolling every year in the Rolfe.  I think you will see a much improved Yale team this year, and I hope they put the fear of God into Dartmouth!

If one of the OPs goal is to get to the NCAA post-season, I like my chances with Amherst (over Harvard) much better for the reasons Steal This Base suggests.  For almost all of these young men it is about the education, but it is always nice to win a ring too.

Agree that Yale may get better. Among the Ivy recruiting coaches, Yale and Columbia have the best reputations. Yale likes to wrap up its recruiting early and sometimes snags players that others want ... but also sometimes secures players they know they can get without trying for some of the more competitive kids. Some Ivy recruiting programs are a mess.

This sentence sent me straight to my "Super Duper Glossary of the Ivy Language" for a quick translation!   <---fenwaysouth   <--- Prepster

So, just to make sure that I'm clear about this, you'd approve if Dartmouth didn't win their division title? 

Yes. 

Dartmouth hasn't been challenged the last few years in their division which gets to the Ivy championship series.  However, they are 0-3 in the last 3 years losing to Princeton ('11), Cornell ('12) and Columbia ('13) in Ivy championship series.   I'd like to see some new blood in that division.  But that is very wishful on my part thinking because they are a very good team and well coached.