SPORTS BRIEF: Harvard to Seek Consistency Over Spring Break

The softball team has battled to stay at .500 all year, but a spring break full of promise provides the chance to rise solidly above that mark.

Yesterday, the team took off for Utah, where they will play eight games before returning to the East Coast and rounding out their break with a game at Quinnipiac.

A key to success for the Crimson will be finding some consistency, both on the mound and at the plate. The team went through a weekend of wild swings last weekend, notching their season highs in hits and runs only to immediately follow that up in the second game of the doubleheader by getting shut out.

Similarly, the pitching and defense for the team has been suspect at times. The team surrendered 19 runs in two games last weekend while giving up just five in their other two bouts.

Harvard will be facing all of their opponents over break for the first and last times this year.

The first six games will be part of the Utah Tournament, and the Crimson will open with Friday games against Utah State and Portland State.

On Saturday, Harvard will square off against Utah Valley State and Utah, before wrapping up on Sunday with contests with Portland State and Utah.

During the week, the Crimson will travel to Logan, Utah, on Tuesday to face Utah State once again before a Wednesday trip to Orem, Utah, to play Utah Valley State.

After returning to Cambridge, the team will board the bus once again for the trip to Hamden, Conn., to play Quinnipiac in their last road game before finally playing a home date.

Harvard’s home opener, on April 4 against Boston College, will be the first home game played by the Crimson since their March 4 season-opener against Toledo.

This week will be crucial to the Crimson’s preparation as they look ahead to the Ivy League season. Ancient Eight play begins on April 8 with a doubleheader at Columbia.

Spring break also provides the team’s most intense training of the season, allowing a long stretch of uninterrupted games in warm-weather areas.