THE JOCK BLOCK

Big games, big game, big game! This weekend Harvard baseball travels down to Providence for a four-game showdown with division co-leader Brown. The Crimson, the two-time defending champs and pre-season pick for the league championship, have improved their capricious play of late and look to pull away from the Bears and the rest of the league this weekend. Catch the hourly Bonanza bus to Rhode Island and ditch the pre-frosh in favor of some good old-fashioned school spirit.

Here's one for you early-birds. The men's lightweight crew has a rare home meet, and it's the biggest one of the year: H-Y-P's Harvard versus Yale versus Princeton. The big three in one river. The catch: It's mad early on Saturday morning, to the tune of a 7:30 start. Either go to bed early or don't go to bed at all--just get your butt down to the River to check out the action.

While the baseball team travels south to assert their superiority over the dunces of the Ivy League, the softball team, at least on Saturday, can do it in the backyard. The Crimson play host to Cornell on Saturday at 1 p.m. before traveling north to Vermont on Sunday. We'll forgive you if you pass on Vermont, but show up on Saturday to watch the girls shrink-wrap the Big Red.

Speaking of softball, those more into amateur thing we'll like this. Crimson softball--The Harvard Crimson, that is--kicks into its third week of competition, as THC squares off against the Harvard Independent. Show everyone which Thursday publication you support by coming out and cheering on David A. Fahrenthold as he goes for his third homer of the season and Erica B. Levy as she attempts to set a record for consecutive innings pitched without severely injuring a batter. Saturday--Check the Crimson's Web site for more info.