Around the Ivies: Penn, Dartmouth are Princeton’s top challengers for league title

Penn (15-12, 6-2)

Like the Tigers, Penn entered last weekend undefeated in conference play but settled for a split, dropping one of two games at both Yale and Brown. Outfielder Jeremy Maas ranks second among qualifiers in on-base percentage and third in slugging. Right-handed pitcher Paul Cusick has posted a 2.56 ERA in eight appearances and leads the league with 55 strikeouts. The Quakers swept defending champion Dartmouth on the first weekend of conference play and host Princeton for four games on Saturday and Sunday; if either team wins the series, it will become the heavy favorite in the Gehrig Division.

Columbia (12-15, 3-5)

Tabbed the preseason favorite in the Gehrig Division, the Lions have struggled out of the gate in conference play. A sweep at the hands of Dartmouth — which defeated Columbia in the Ivy League Championship Series last May — was understandable, but few expected Brown to do the same a week later. The Lions are currently three games below .500 despite outscoring their opponents by 31 runs this season; their luck should improve over the final 17 games, but they need to make up three on both Princeton and Penn to return to the postseason. Columbia’s 3.70 ERA is nearly half a run lower than that of any other team in the conference.

Cornell (4-22, 2-6)

Only two years removed from a Gehrig Division championship, the Big Red have fallen on tough times. The team split doubleheaders against Harvard and Brown while playing Dartmouth close twice, an improvement from a nonconference slate in which Cornell won just two of 18 games. Outfielder Brian Billigen leads the league with seven homers but has had little help in the lineup, as Cornell has outscored only two other teams.

Dartmouth (18-6, 6-2)

Last season, the Big Green won the conference championship and impressed in the NCAA regionals, upsetting Florida International and nearly doing the same to then-No. 20 Texas A&M. Dartmouth appears strong again this year, boasting easily the best record in the league to date. The Big Green has outscored every team in the Ivy League by 35 runs despite playing the fewest games and is batting .327 as a team. Its defense, however, was the key to its 4-0 mark last weekend — Dartmouth scored only 16 runs in four games but allowed just nine. Second baseman Ennis Coble leads the league with a .420 batting average, while double-play partner Joe Sclafani is right on his heels at .394.

Yale (16-12, 4-4)

The Bbulldogs have an overall record above .500, thanks largely to a potent offense. They rank second in the conference in runs scored thanks to a .288 team batting average and a league-high 103 walks. Though few members of the team appear high on the individual leaderboards, Yale can score runs from any position in the lineup. Its run prevention is also not a weakness; the Bulldogs rank fourth in runs allowed and left-handed pitcher Vinny Lally is second with 53 strikeouts.

Brown (6-18, 4-4)

The Bears had an eventful start to their season, playing three tight games against No. 1 Vanderbilt and winning one of four against No. 6 Texas. Their momentum did not last, however, as Brown won just one of its following 11 nonconference games. Though the Bears are 4-4 in the Ivy League, they have been lucky to split their games; they have outscored only one team and allowed more runs than only one team in league play. First baseman Mike DiBiase ranks third with a .462 on-base percentage.

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Harvard (4-25, 1-7)

The Crimson dropped its first nine games of the season and followed its first win with five more losses, setting the tone for a disappointing season. An 11-8 victory over Cornell last Sunday is Harvard’s only Ivy League victory. Harvard ranks dead last in runs scored and runs allowed in conference play, as it has been outscored 69-30 through eight games. The one skill Harvard has shown is speed, as it leads the league with 41 stolen bases.