Penn was riding high last Sunday morning, having pulled out a second straight come-from-behind win against Columbia, the Quakers' third straight win and fifth in six games.
Then things went sour. Later that day, Penn (6-14, 2-2 Ivy League) lost four games in four days, getting outscored 59-26.
Tomorrow and Sunday, the Quakers will get back on the diamond for two crucial Ivy League matchups against Brown (0-12) and Yale (11-9).
However, while it seems like the winless Bears may be a ripe target, having played in North Carolina last night, traveling back to Providence, R.I., then to Philadelphia for tomorrow's 11:30 a.m. start, the numbers may be deceiving.
"They're way better than their record," Penn coach John Cole said. "They'll be as good as anybody offensively in the league."
Indeed, Brown's offensive numbers are at the top of the Ivy League despite playing half its games on the road against top-20 teams, including a season-opening set at No. 1 Florida State.
Heading into tomorrow, Brown leads the Ancient Eight with a .291 batting average, and has the highest home run-to-game average, with 10 in its last 11 before last night.
The Bears have seven starters hitting over .290, including senior Paul Christian, who is hitting .357 with 10 RBIs in just 42 at-bats.
But Brown has had its troubles on the mound, with a league-worst 10.20 ERA going into last night.
But since many of those runs came against the Seminoles and No. 17 Vanderbilt, Cole said that he would put more stock in the Bears' performances against more evenly matched opponents.
He said he hopes to keep the score close and try to win late.
The key to that will be limiting big innings, which is a problem that has plagued the Quakers all year.
Penn has made 19 errors in the last four games, including a combined 13 against Villanova and Saint Joseph's on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"We're going to have our hands full staying out of big-run innings," Cole said.
He added that one error leads to another.
"It becomes a monkey-see monkey-do situation," he said.
But if Penn can put some positive plays together, Cole says he hopes that this will also catch on.
"Hopefully, a leader or two will emerge that makes a defensive play that stops an inning from snowballing," he said.
One of those leaders could be senior captain Sean Abate.
Abate has been struggling at the plate this year, hitting .094, but he hopes to try to get his teammates relaxed in the field.
"I just try and tell guys to forget about it," he said.
Abate said that yesterday's practice, during which the team played whiffle ball, was a good tool to create a more laid-back atmosphere and ensure a fun day in the midst of a difficult week.
He also said that he has been working with Cole and the Quakers' hitting coach, Ryan Wheeler.
"I feel better," he said.
Against Yale, Penn will have to deal with a team that is over .500 in non-conference play and is very opportunistic, with more than a quarter of its runs unearned.
The Elis also have some power, as their 11 homers are second in the Ivy League.
As of early yesterday afternoon, Cole hadn't yet picked a starting rotation for the weekend but said that it would be based on matchups, especially because of Penn's limited depth on the mound.
"We have to go with the guy out there who hopefully gives us the best chance to win the ball game," he said. "Hopefully, we'll get the game to Doug Brown," he said.
The junior closer has emerged as a constant on the Penn pitching staff, and if he sees more action this weekend, the Quakers will be on their way to some much-needed wins.
