Though much has been made of the imminent retirement of Penn baseball coach Bob Seddon, it is the players suiting up in Red and Blue for the last time that will define this weekend.
Barring a miraculous reversal in the Lou Gehrig division standings, this will be the last time Seddon and the 12 seniors take the field as the Quakers (11-22, 7-9 Ivy) travel to Ithaca, N.Y., for a pair of doubleheaders against Cornell (11-16, 5-7).
If Penn is to catch league-leading Princeton, it will need significant help from Columbia and Cornell. The Quakers are currently four games behind the Tigers in the loss column with four games to play.
Princeton has four games left against both Columbia and Cornell. Over their next eight, Princeton would have to lose four more games than Penn does this weekend to slip into a tie. If that scenario occurs, the result would be a one-game playoff for the right to face the winner of the Rolfe division.
Unfortunately for Penn, Columbia currently boasts a woeful 2-14 Ivy League record.
With these long odds, the Quakers cannot afford to lose their focus.
As has been his custom throughout the season, Seddon is trying to approach the last weekend of the season like any other.
However, he did concede that the last game will be special for the Class of 2005.
"You always remember your first game you play and your last game," Seddon said. "We try to point out to them to go out positive because that's what you remember."
As for Seddon himself, the finality of the last series of his illustrious 34-year career has not hit him yet.
"When the game's over, the game's over," he said. "I'm just not going to start reminiscing. That's just not me."
What Seddon will be focused on is the task of reviving a pitching staff that surrendered 21 runs in two losses to Princeton last weekend, then 23 and 20 to Lafayette and Lehigh, respectively.
Seddon quickly wrote off the losses to Lafayette and Lehigh, however, because none of his top four starters took the mound.
The biggest area of concern for the Quakers will be the health of freshman lefty Nick Francona. The southpaw has been sick the past week and may be unavailable to pitch this weekend. If he is unable to go, Seddon tabbed Andy Console as his replacement.
As is always a possibility, the weather may play a factor. A rainout would give Francona some extra time to recover, but would also give the Big Red a respite after playing Brown Wednesday and Thursday as part of a make-up.
While the pitching has struggled recently, the hitting has not. Third baseman Kyle Armeny earned Ivy League co-Rookie of the Week honors for his contribution against Princeton, going 7-for-14 and scoring six runs in the four games.
For Penn to have a successful weekend, both phases of the game will have to come together.
Cornell is "going to be very competitive. We're going to have to hit and pitch," Seddon said. "I think we will. I'd be very surprised if the team is flat."
