MULTI-TASKING: Princeton University baseball player Mike Ford gets ready to bat in action last weekend. On Sunday, former Hun star Ford excelled on the mound, at the plate, and in the field as Princeton swept a doubleheader against visiting Brown. Princeton, now 5-17 overall and 3-1 Ivy League, plays a single game at Seton Hall on April 3 and then gets back into Ivy action with doubleheaders at Dartmouth on April 6 and at Harvard on April 7. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Mike Ford showed his flair for multi-tasking on the diamond as the Princeton University baseball team swept visiting Brown in an Easter Sunday doubleheader.

In Game 1, junior Ford, a former Hun School standout, starred on the mound, pitching a seven-inning complete game to help Princeton top the Bears 3-1.

Playing at first base in the nightcap, Ford contributed with his bat and glove as the Tigers completed the sweep with a 3-1 triumph. Ford hit a single and scored a run in the first inning and then had a walk in the seventh as Princeton added another tally. He ended the game by scooping up a one-hopper and starting a sparkling 3-6-3 double play.

The wins gave Princeton a 3-1 Ivy League record as it had split a doubleheader against Yale on Saturday. The solid weekend also proved to be a jolt of confidence for a Tiger team that had struggled through a number of near-misses in going 2-16 this spring before getting into Ivy play.

“We really needed this,” said Ford, a 6’0, 225-pound native of Belle Mead. “I think we had lost nine one-run games to this point.”

Ford gave the Tigers what they needed in the opener Sunday as he struck out five and gave up five hits in outdueling former Hun teammate and Brown pitcher Anthony Galan.

“I felt pretty good; I developed a slider today,” said Ford, the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2011 and a two-time All-Ivy performer.

“I guess I have an out pitch now. I had a slider before but it was similar to my other breaking ball. So me and coach [Scott Bradley] have been working hard on trying to develop a sharper one. I changed my grip up because of an extra suggestion by coach’s friend; it really worked today. It was the second time I tried to throw it in a game and it really worked for me.”

Ford’s hard work on the mound is paying off as he is 2-0 this season with a team-leading 1.36 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 33 innings.

“I am just learning how to pitch; I guess it is a learning curve,” said Ford.

“I have always felt that I had the stuff to compete at any level. Just learning how to pitch; I am setting guys up a lot better this year. It has just been a good ride so far on the mound for me.”

Ford is getting in a good groove at the plate as well, hitting .240 with a team-high 15 RBIs.

“I had a bad first week but since then I have been feeling really good and hitting balls hard,” said Ford.

“It will come at some point; it is baseball. Hopefully it comes right now because that would be the right time for it.”

Spending extra time on his hitting since last season has made a difference for Ford.

“I had a real good summer in the Cape Cod League; I tried to get a little more power in my swing,” said Ford, who played for the Cotuit Kettlers and had a batting average of .252 with two homers and 17 RBIs in 32 games.

“After the season last year, I worked on my swing a little bit. The summer was really good for me. I saw a lot of good pitching; it is an awesome league to play in. It was one of the best experiences of my life for sure. I tweaked the swing and did real well this summer. Hopefully it is going to translate. I am not worried about it right now.”

After Princeton fell just short of a Gehrig Division crown last season, Ford and his teammates are hoping for a better experience this spring. “Everyone is hungry after our start, 2-16 isn’t what we want,” said Ford, who will look to keep up his hot play as Princeton plays a single game at Seton Hall on April 3 and then gets back into Ivy action with doubleheaders at Dartmouth on April 6 and at Harvard on April 7.

“It doesn’t really matter until we get into the league but it is still nice to scratch more than two wins in the beginning of the year. I think that kind of fueled everyone too. I think after the second game yesterday, everyone was down because of how we walked over the team in the first game. This time we were upbeat and maintained our focus that was really good. If we win three or four every weekend, then we are golden.”