Crimson in way of Ivy League title

While it would have been easy to sink into depression after the first half of the season, Princeton was able to keep perspective on the type of competition it had faced.

“Over spring break, we were playing several of the best teams in the country,” senior pitcher Kris Schaus said. “We knew that facing these teams would be difficult, but in the end, they made us a better team, and we were more prepared for the league schedule.”

Being “prepared” is perhaps an understatement. The team has found every way to win this season. From blowouts to nail biters, Princeton has trounced the competition. Along the way, it has broken the Ivy League record for number of league wins in a season, set at 16 last year by Penn. Though the wins have been numerous, perhaps this past Sunday’s games against Cornell were the most memorable. They clinched the Ivy League South Divisional title from Cornell with two stunning come-from-behind performances.

This weekend, the team will look to ride that momentum as it faces another league heavyweight. The Crimson crushed its Ivy League North rivals, finishing five games ahead of second-place Dartmouth. The Tigers, however, are prepared for the battle ahead.

“We’re relaxed and keep getting good cuts at the plate and have had some solid workouts for our pitchers,” Schaus said. “We’re really excited headed into the weekend. It’s so great to see how far we’ve come and the challenges we’ve overcome.”

When the two teams faced off earlier in the season, Princeton scraped by with two one-run wins. Harvard has been hitting well all season, and its run production has recently skyrocketed. Lauren Murphy leads the team in batting average with a stellar .361 and is tied for the team lead in home runs with seven. The other big bat in the lineup is Jennifer Francis. Tied with Murphy at seven home runs, Francis leads the team with an impressive 37 RBI.

Besides being capable of doing damage with long blasts, the Crimson is also deadly when it comes to the small-ball tactic. The team isn’t afraid to run on the basepaths and has dangerous speed. The two players most likely to run are Ellen Macadam, who has been successful on 16 of 16 steal attempts, and Emily Henderson, who has stolen a total of 28 bases.

Harvard’s pitching, however, has been weak of late. The No. 1 pitcher, senior Shelly Madick, has struggled recently, and more pitching duties have fallen to the sophomore duo of Dana Roberts and Margaux Black.

Princeton can look to capitalize on this weakness, as the Tigers’ own heavy hitters have been reaching their stride as the end of the season draws near. After last weekend’s performance at the plate, sophomore first baseman Jamie Lettire won Ivy League Player of the Week honors. Lettire is tied with sophomore outfielder Kelsey Quist and junior infielder Kathryn Welch for the team lead in home runs with 13. All three of these players are one home run shy of tying Princeton’s single-season home run record.

Another record on the verge of falling is that for career strikeouts. Schaus stands a mere four strikeouts away from overtaking former teammate Erin Snyder ’06 as the all-time leader.

While individual records may add extra incentive, the team’s focus remains on winning games. In the best-of-three series at Princeton’s Class of 1895 Field, the Tigers will settle for no less than their best.

“We’ve come together as a team and want to get our chance at Regionals,” Schaus said. “We know that we need to close things out at home this weekend and will rise to the challenge.”