Perhaps what best illustrates Penn’s lack of success this season is the way it failed to stack up to its rivals within the Big 5.

At 2:30 p.m. today, the Quakers will look to extend their winning streak to three as they take on a struggling Vanderbilt team at Franklin Field.

Thanks to designated hitter Joey Greco’s sixth inning bash, the Quakers (9-6) powered their way to a 12-5 win over their crosstown rival, the Villanova Wildcats (5-13), on Wednesday afternoon. In a game that featured some messy pitching, it was the offense that decided this one.

Only four years after McLaughlin took over, the Red and Blue are back in the postseason for the first time since 2004. They’ll take on Howard at the Palestra tonight at 7 p.m. in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational, one of three postseason tournaments for Division I programs.

The ending to Jerome Allen’s tale is yet to be written, but he and Fran Dunphy deserve comparison, if for no other reason than because Dunphy’s success represents the lofty expectations of the program.

Every Saturday morning, the Palestra gives guys like Scott Kegler a chance to mean a lot to both friends and strangers alike, while losing themselves in basketball.

In only his first year on the team, freshman attack Nick Doktor has quickly established himself as one of Penn’s most dependable and mentally tough players.

Wednesday, the Penn baseball team hopes to have a little bit of recent history repeat itself against Villanova.

On a team that returned only three members from last year’s squad, Jeremy Court fits the description of a veteran in every way.

The Red and Blue will play in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) when they host Howard at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Palestra.

The Penn Chess Club from nabbed its third straight Ivy League championship last February after sending two teams of four — teams A and B — and one team of two to the third annual Inter-Ivy League Chess Tournament.

It’s Penn’s defense first and foremost that can elevate the Quakers back to Ivy contender status next season.

With the Quakers returning just three seniors, a lot of attention has been placed on the team’s youth. And leading the new wave for the Red and Blue is a group of eight freshmen who are already making an impact for Penn.

The Quakers have suffered offensively so far this season as numerous upperclassmen have taken on new roles to compensation for the absence of graduate Erin Brennan.

The senior’s effort helped the Quakers knock off Yale, 12-8, on a cold and snowy Saturday afternoon.

On Monday, they will participate in an NFL pro day at Villanova with 15 other college players, where they hope to impress various NFL and Canadian Football League (CFL) scouts.

Penn got off to a fast start, shutting out the Tigers (4-2, 0-1 Ivy) in the first quarter, while scoring three goals of its own.