Four games in two days against the same team is usually quite a grueling challenge. But for the baseball team, it will be the norm, as Princeton begins divisional play in its Ivy League season.
The Tigers (11-15 overall, 5-3 Ivy League) will play doubleheaders at Penn (9-18, 5-7) as they start play in the Gehrig division.
Their previous Ivy League games have come against teams in the Rolfe Division, against whom Princeton only plays one doubleheader apiece.
The Tigers come in fresh off a 10-0 drubbing of Seton Hall on Tuesday. But Princeton will still need to concentrate on the games ahead of them.
"You have to approach every day as a new day," head coach Scott Bradley said. "We have to concentrate this weekend on where we can really separate ourselves in the division."
The Tigers lead Penn by two games in the Gehrig division, which is by far the weaker of the two Ivy League divisions.
With both superior hitting and pitching, Princeton should come away with a victory in the series and is hoping for a sweep.
Hitters' ballpark
The key to the Tigers' success all season has been their strong core of hitters. The team is collectively batting .300, a number that could well rise after play finishes this weekend.
"Our hitters are really anxious to get down to Penn, since it is a hitters' ballpark," Bradley said. "Hopefully it will give us an advantage."
The Princeton offense is led by its 2-3-4 hitters, senior centerfielder Will Venable, junior rightfielder Andrew Salini and junior designated hitter Ryan Eldridge.
Venable leads the team with a .440 batting average and 26 runs scored. He also is second on the team with six home runs and 18 runs batted in.
Salini is second on the team with a .418 average, and he leads the team with seven doubles. Salini also has contributed four home runs and 22 RBIs.
Eldridge is the team's home run leader, with seven, and RBI leader, with 24. He has a .354 batting average, which places him in third place on the team.
Despite its plethora of home games, Penn has not been able to take advantage of that home support. A partial explanation for the Quakers' record is that they do not have even close to the level of hitting talent the Tigers have. Infielder Sean Abate currently holds the team's triple crown, leading Penn with a .337 batting average, four homeruns and 22 RBIs.
However, the Quakers do have a consistent lineup from the first batter to the ninth, as seven of their starters are hitting above .270. In comparison, Princeton only has six.
Quakers can't pitch
Pitching has been the Quakers' Achilles heel all season, and the Tiger offense should be able to take advantage of this weakness.
Penn's ace, Brian Cirri, is 2-3 with a 4.64 earned run average. The Quakers' three other starting pitchers all have ERAs over five, and none has a winning record.
Princeton boasts the dynamic duo of junior Erik Stiller and sophomore Gavin Fabian at the head of its staff.
Stiller has pitched at the top of his game all season, posting a 4-1 record with a 2.29 ERA. Additionally, he has two complete games and 34 strikeouts in 35 innings pitched.
Fabian is struggling through a bit of a sophomore slump, but he always has the potential to give the Tigers a big outing. After accumulating a 4-3 record and 3.48 ERA last season, he is 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA this year. Fabian's main problem has been control, as he has given up 19 walks.
If Stiller and Fabian perform, then the Tigers will be in a good position to win the series.
After this weekend, Princeton will host Monmouth on Tuesday before continuing its League play against Columbia the following weekend.
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