When Penn shortstop William Gordon tweaked his shoulder last week, the Quakers weren't just in danger of losing their No. 6 hitter - they would have been a man short in the bullpen as well.
Luckily for Penn, the freshman will be available to be the man the middle infield for this weekend's home doubleheaders against Harvard and Dartmouth. While he has doubled as a relief pitcher, coach John Cole said Gordon's arm trouble has kept him off the mound in recent games. But even if he's just asked to trot out to short this weekend, Gordon has relished his dual role.
"I just try to help out whenever I can," Gordon said. "Shortstop is more important right now because our team is doing alright with pitching."
Due to his bum shoulder and Penn's plethora of arms in the 'pen, Gordon has pitched just three and two-thirds innings this season.
But despite his .231 batting average, Gordon has started every game, and of late, his bat is starting to get a little bit hot - his two runs and two RBIs against Saint Joseph's this week helped the Quakers crawl back and get the win.
Cole knows what he's capable of.
"He's a talented kid, he's a two-way guy," he said. "We need to get him back healthy so he can help us on the mound."
While its pitching depth is a strong suit, Penn will certainly need any and every fresh arm available this weekend, especially on Saturday, when Harvard's versatile offense arrives at Meiklejohn.
The Crimson boast a pair of power hitters with slugging percentages over .420 in right fielder Tom Stack-Babich and first baseman Steffan Wilson. Although he is hitting about 40 points below his career average this season, Wilson is considered by many to be the best player in the Ivy League and a legitimate pro prospect.
Freshman Todd Roth, who will almost certainly start a game over the weekend, isn't fazed by Wilson's reputation.
"I'm gonna go out and do my thing," Roth said, "and make him adjust to me."
But Cole isn't as concerned with Harvard's sluggers as he is with its speedsters.
Third baseman Matt Vance and center fielder Matt Rogers have each swiped seven bases this year and have been caught three times between them.
"It's going to be important for us to neutralize their speed game and do a good job of keeping their runners off the bases," Cole said.
Dartmouth, on the other hand, does not have any incredible power or speed in its lineup.
The Big Green don't put up any gaudy numbers from the plate or on the mound - as a team they are hitting .269 and have an ERA of 7.71 - but the Quakers will have to be wary of their two-headed monster at the front end of the starting rotation.
Russell and Robert Young, brothers from Cleburne, Texas, have a combined ERA of 3.82, and a start from either one could give Penn trouble.
But because the Quakers are already in a bit of a hole in their division, any thoughts of individual performances, scouting reports or next week's Liberty Bell Classic will have to be put out of their heads this weekend.
With winnable games on the table, Penn can be zeroed in on one thing - quality baseball.
