There's nothing like opening day in the springtime. Soon enough, the baseball team will be soaking up the rays on its annual trip to the Sunshine State to kick off the season. But before that happens, the Quakers will play their first game right here in Philadelphia, when West Chester makes the short trip to Meiklejohn Stadium.

For four years straight, the Quakers have blown out Yale at the Palestra, winning by an average of 22 points. But when they take on the Bulldogs at the John J. Lee Amphitheater - as they will tonight - nothing comes easy. In two of the last three seasons, the Quakers' lone Ivy League loss came in New Haven, Conn.

They're physical. They've got great guard play. And most importantly, they've emerged as the second-best team in the Ivy League this season. But you don't have to tell Glen Miller what Brown (15-3, 7-3 Ivy) does well. The former head man in Providence, R.

Ever since they began practicing in January, the young Quakers have been anxiously awaiting their first taste of collegiate softball. They were supposed to begin their season on Saturday, but forecasted inclement delayed their opener further. On Sunday, the Red and Blue finally took the field against Lafayette, but even then they had to wait 11 innings to find out the result of their first game.

It's been a season to forget for the Quakers, but at least some of their final memories at the Palestra will be positive. The Quakers' defense, porous against Yale on Friday, clamped down against Brown on Saturday. After losing 79-70 to the Bulldogs at the Palestra, the Quakers bounced back the next night and beat Brown 56-45.

For such a little team, there sure are great expectations. Despite the Penn softball team entering the 2008 season with only fourteen players, fifth-year coach Leslie King says this year's is the "most talented group that we've had here in my time at Penn.

Penn swim coach Mike Schnur wants his women to swim "as if their hair is on fire." While Harvard and Princeton are expected to finish first and second at the Ivy League Swimming and Diving Championships, running today through Saturday, the rest of the slots are all very much up for grabs.

Fire has a dual nature for Christina Khosravi. Internally, it has driven her to three seasons of near-perfect softball. The seasoned veteran and senior captain was crowned 2006 Ivy League Player of the Year and has not missed one varsity game. Outside, however, fire has proven to be much more serious than a game.

This time last year, basketball was the furthest thing from Porter Braswell's mind. He was too busy exploring the Serengeti and throwing spears with Masai warriors. Braswell, a freshman guard at Yale, spent just over two weeks of his senior year at The Lawrenceville School on a trip to Tanzania.

On Friday night, Bob Adams watched his daughter net 13 points for Penn in a 62-47 loss to Dartmouth at the Palestra. On Saturday, he was on hand in a slightly more active role as the Siena Saints men's team downed Boise St. 93-70 in Boise, Idaho. Such is the life of an NCAA referee and basketball dad.

Last year, a Penn team picked by Baseball America to finish last in the Gehrig Division rode a remarkable season on the mound from Rookie of the Year Todd Roth to prove the pundits wrong. The Quakers played themselves to the brink of NCAA Tournament qualification, winning their division before falling in the Ivy playoff to Rolfe Division champion, Brown.

Numbers alone were enough to vouch for John Cole. The Penn baseball coach had led Rowan University to a .758 winning percentage and five Division-III tournaments in seven years. And since he took the helm of the Penn program in 2005 - the one that finished last in the Gehrig Division two years straight - the Quakers have re-staked their claim for Ivy relevance.

Penn wrestling coach Zeke Jones got more than he expected when sophomore transfer wrestler Phil Boyer showed up. Boyer was recruited at 125 pounds; he came to the team weighing 133. He was expected to be just another lightweight addition to an already strong team.

With older brother Brian - Penn basketball's senior captain - about to suit up at the Palestra for the final time, you might think Tom Grandieri would have some substantial shoes to fill as the only sibling left wearing Red and Blue. They're actually cleats.

One telling sign of a veteran team is an ability to put together a complete game - 40 minutes of solid play in all phases, offensive and defensive. The youth of the Penn men's basketball team is no secret, and it has most often manifested itself away from the Palestra.

It's been quite the two months for Cornell basketball. Despite unspectacular numbers from individual players - junior forward Jeomi Maduka's 14.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game aside - the Big Red continue to stifle Ivy League competition. They pummelled Yale and Brown by an average of 17 points this weekend, setting several school records.

Since hiring Tommy Amaker, Harvard has improved in a few areas. Closing out games has not been one of them. Going into the weekend, Harvard was 1-9 in games decided by ten points or fewer. That one win came in November, and since then the Crimson (8-18 overall) have lost close games in the most criminal of ways.