The Penn baseball team's three wins may not seem like much at first glance.
But because they came after a season-opening nine-game losing streak, their victories take on a much greater significance -- as the markers of a new chapter in Penn's young season.
With their early losses receding further and further into the past, the Quakers head into this weekend's four-game set against league rival Columbia (2-10) with momentum on their side and a newfound confidence.
The recent weather-related schedule change that moved the doubleheader at Murphy Field from tomorrow to today can only benefit Penn, as it gives the team a good chance to extend its current home win streak before traveling to New York for tomorrow's doubleheader.
Columbia opened its season very much like the Quakers did. The Lions won only one out of their first eight games and were shut out four times. "Columbia is very young," Penn coach Bob Seddon said. "They have a lot of new faces out there."
Six seniors were lost to graduation and have been replaced on the roster by an overwhelming 15 new players.
Among the Lions' rookies is Noah Cooper, a Philadelphia-area native who is coming into this homecoming series batting .304 with a team leading five RBIs.
While he may be flying under the radar as of now, the Quakers will be sure to look out for his teammate Ryan Schmidt, a senior who recently made the switch from catcher to first baseman.
Schmidt, the Lions' leader in home runs last season, handled the defensive adjustment very well, starting off the season 3- for-8 in his team's two losses to Elon to open the season.
Since then, the senior has only played in two other games, but his replacement, sophomore Tighe Holden, has done a fine job in his absence. Holden is batting .333 and leads the team with ten hits, four of which are doubles.
Columbia should have its hands full on the offensive side, however, as the Quakers pitching of late has been outstanding. The freshman trio of Andy Console, Nick Francona and Steven Schwartz evenly split the first six innings against Lafayette, holding the Leopards to just two runs.
Three perfect innings by Remington Chin secured the 3-2, 10-inning win for the Quakers, whose offensive output would not have been enough without help from the mound.
"The pitching has been excellent, the defense is OK, and we're starting to get hits when they count," Seddon said. "But we still need to hit more and produce more runs."
The Quakers gathered 12 hits against Lafayette on Tuesday, but their runs were few and far between. After scoring twice in the third, they were held scoreless until the winning run crossed the plate in the 10th.
With more consistent hitting and the continuation of great pitching, the Quakers should have a good chance to come out victorious against Columbia in this important Ivy League series. A solid showing would not only give the Quakers an early advantage in the league but would help to set the tone for the rest of the season.
Overall, however, the Ivy League is very strong and will certainly test the Quakers -- and their freshman pitchers -- in the weeks to come.
