Quakers look to adjust themselves against Ivy foes

The Quakers will have to adapt to Ivy play, as the conference season opens tomorrow. "Adjustment: 1-a. The act of making fit or comfortable; b. The condition of being adjusted. 2. A means for adjusting. 3. The settlement of a debt or claim. Synonyms: Adaptation, accommodation, conformation, movement, turn, move, maneuver." -- Random House Dictionary. The moment has come when the Penn softball team is going to have to adjust to the Ivy League. The Quakers (10-11) open their Ancient Eight season this weekend at Warren Field with a doubleheader against Cornell on Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by another twin bill 24 hours later against Columbia. Last season, Penn finished tied at fifth place with Cornell in the Ivies. This season, the Quakers are looking to do better in the league, but their not alone. This season, the Ivy League has recruited its way into the upper echelons of East Coast softball. So far, two teams are ranked in the Northeast, No. 3 Princeton and No. 6 Yale. Princeton has already defeated the current No. 1 team in the Northeast, Massachusetts. "The Ivies are now legitimate," said Penn coach Linda Carothers. "Three, four, five years ago, Princeton was the only competitive team. Princeton was what everybody tried to compete with. The commitment that the Ivy League has made to the sport has made softball competitive. Frightfully so." It is into this arena that Carothers must lead her team, but the Quakers do not need much pushing to take the field. Although Penn was defeated by Drexel twice on Wednesday afternoon, it is not going to sit back and watch the rest of the season pass by. A fighting effort at the end of Wednesday's second game displayed the pride with which this season's Quakers play. It is a new attitude that Warren Field has not been witness to in recent years. In the two weeks of play this season, the Ivy League has chosen two Players of the Week. Two weeks ago, Cornell's Michelle Lafornara received the honor. She was succeeded by Penn's Sherryl Fodera. It is only fitting that the two teams possessing an Ivy Player of the Week, and who both finished with dismal 3-9 records in the league should cut the ribbon on the Ivy League play this season. Last season, Cornell and Penn split their series. Carothers won't make any promises concerning whether or not the Quakers are capable of beating their co-holders of fifth place in the Ivies. In fact, Carothers is want to make any predictions concerning her young players' performance this season. "Youngsters bring security with them to a program," Carothers said. "They have to want to get better and experience is the best teacher in improving." The Quakers are betting a lot on their freshmen, hoping they can adjust to hit Cornell's impressive rookie pitcher Julie Westbrock. Westbrock has seven of Cornell's eight wins. "I won't be surprised if we see her in at least one game this weekend," Carothers said. Softball pitchers do not put the unnatural strain that a hardball pitcher puts onto his arm and so it is not unusual for a pitcher to go two games in one day. Sunday, the Quakers continue their Ivy League weekend with Columbia. The Lions are a club team -- they do not have varsity status yet. Penn swept Columbia last season in their only Ivy League sweep all season. Even though Penn is not facing its most fearsome Ivy competition this weekend, they are a little apprehensive about the beginning of the last, and most important, third of their season. "The Ivies should be interesting this season," Carothers said. It will be interesting to see who has improved and by how much, all through the Ivies, recruiting will be key this season. It is too late to gain any other players or look at players lost to other schools at this point in the year. It is not too late to continue to adjust, and the Quakers are going to have to do just that if they want to see a marked difference in their record this season as compared to last season. "If we are not successful in our search for an Ivy League title, we can still look to go to the ECACs (the East Coast Atlantic Conference tournament)," said Carothers. Penn is beginning the most important portion of its season on Saturday afternoon. They hope to bring in the beginning of an new Ivy season with two wins. They hope, they yearn, they adjust. Its all part of their growing process that the Quakers are going to have to go through this season. "Everybody has a dream," Carothers said. "And you're only going to be as successful as you can dream." Words that the Quakers are going to have to live by in this season of adjustment.