More importantly, he helped develop the young pitching squad that Walsh depended on. Lentz only allowed four passed balls and gunned down 19 of 55 (34.5 percent) potential base-stealers.

He was also a clutch offensive power. In an early season double-header at Cornell, Lentz drove in Harvard's only runs in a 2-1 victory. In the second game, he hit a game-winning triple in the ninth inning.

If the Crimson wants to return to form after a lackluster 2000 season, Lentz's all-around game must figure prominently in Coach Walsh's plans. Moreover, this season might be the last in which the Crimson can rely on the man in the mask for leadership: He may bolt at the end of the year.

According to the rules of Major League Baseball, once a player enters a four-year college he is draft-eligible after three years or when he is 21.

Lentz qualifies either way.

"I think the problem is that I'm a sophomore, and I always knew that when you go to college you lose a lot of bargaining power with the pro guys because there's nowhere else for you to go after your eligibility's up," he says. "I always knew I would like to leave early for that reason, but I always wanted to be in a position to leave only two semesters away from graduation."

It might be a moot point a year from now if Lentz can't reclaim the eligibility of his first freshman year. Scouts still badger him with calls and the pressure is intense to make the hop to the big leagues. Lentz is so tired of it that he has made it known to major league teams that most calls should go to Merullo first.