Softball Begins Ivy Title Defense

Two in a row? Perfection?

Both could happen for the Harvard softball team, as the defending Ivy League champions open up conference play this weekend with doubleheaders against Princeton and Penn.

The Crimson (9-13) posted an 11-1 record in Ivy play last year, with its only loss coming to Dartmouth. Harvard finished four games ahead of Big Green, however, claiming the team's second-ever title under Head Coach Jenny Allard.

The Crimson's chief competition within the Ivy League this year will come from Cornell and Princeton. Both the Big Red and the Tigers (5-6) were ranked among the Northeast's top teams.

Harvard is not ranked currently.

"If anything, [our absence from the rankings] is a motivator," sophomore catcher Monica Montijo said. "But the rankings don't mean a lot to us. We want to play for us, not the people who make the polls."

Indeed, Harvard's concentration is focused inward.

"We, probably more than anyone, can beat ourselves," tri-captain Jen Vogt-Lowell said. "We have a tendency to overthink and overreact, so we want to not beat ourselves before anyone else has the chance."

Thus far, the Crimson has demonstrated great skill at playing solid softball, making fewer and fewer mistakes with each game.

Such consistency is noteworthy given that the Crimson lost a host of starters from last year's title-winning team. Two personnel losses were particularly stinging. Deborah Abeles, superstar shortstop and holder of five all-time hitting records, graduated last year. Junior pitcher Suzanne Guy, an All-Ivy First Team selection last season, is taking the year off.

Having entered the spring in such a state of flux, Harvard has had an enormously successful season up to this point. Harvard's talented class of recruits-ten in all-has stepped in admirably, helping the Crimson put together a memorable spring.

"We've surprised ourselves a bit, to tell the truth," Vogt-Lowell said. "We played well at the Buzz [Classic] and are pumped going into this weekend."

After performing well against nationally-ranked competition in tournaments in Georgia and California, the Crimson returns to Ivy play with a losing record, but much experience.

The Tigers, whom Harvard plays tomorrow, failed to win a game at the Buzz Classic, going 0-4. The Crimson, on the other second, took second in the 25-team field.

"We know Princeton is ranked highly, but we can't worry too much about that," senior pitcher Chelsea Thoke said. "It's still up in the air who will win it this year."

The uncertainty of the outcome has not dampened the Crimson's high hopes.

"Sure, we still think about being undefeated and that's always going to be a goal," Vogt-Lowell said. "But the real focus is playing our best and winning by playing that way."

Clearly, in the Crimson's mind, an ugly win hardly equals an unsuccessful outing. Harvard has certainly reflected that mindset on the field, as the team appears to be firing on all cylinders of late.

"We were pretty happy with our play after [sweeping] Holy Cross," Vogt-Lowell said. "Our pitching and defense had been good, but the hitting was really there."

While the line-up is still not certain, the Crimson offense produced 11 runs on 18 hits against the Crusaders.

"We've been playing well and practicing well," Thoke said. "The team is excited and relaxed and ready to play."

The Tigers, who finished third in the league a year ago, most recently defeated Rutgers, 2-0. Penn (9-14) finished last in the Ivy League in 2000, but recently upset LaSalle in nine innings and split with Army.

Come tomorrow, the Crimson can throw the records and rankings out of the window. The focus will be on hammering out another successful season.