The Cornell baseball team (11-23, 7-11 Ivy) will continue making an impact on the Ivy League postseason today. However, with the second-worst record in the league, it won’t be making any more league appearances after today’s season finale.
Brown (21-22, 10-8) visits Hoy Field at noon for a pair of contests that could determine the Rolfe Division champion. The Bears are just a game behind division-leading Dartmouth. A Brown sweep will force a one-game playoff against the Green for the Rolfe Division title.
Thanks to a postponed game from the beginning of the season, the Ivy opener for these two teams became the last game on the league schedule. Since every other Ancient Eight contest has been played already, the Gehrig Division champion has already been determined.
Princeton took that crown this weekend as it took three of four games from the Red. The Tigers are awaiting today’s results to see whether they will have to travel to Hanover, NH for Saturday’s Ivy championship opener. A Bear win will delay any Princeton travel plans.
Cornell is currently tied with Penn for last in the Gehrig Division and can save a little face with a pair of wins, which would end the season with the Red in third. A split will maintain the tie for last, while getting swept sticks the Red with sole possession of the basement.
Brown is coming off a 13-3, 5-4 sweep of Holy Cross yesterday. If the Bears can tack two more wins onto that streak today, they will have to head back to New England immediately. The possible division playoff against Dartmouth is slated for tomorrow.
Leading the charge for Brown are second baseman Robert Deeb, a freshman who earned Ivy Rookie of the Week honors for his 9-for-17 weekend against Yale. Third baseman/pitcher Dan Spring is also riding a hot streak from this weekend.
Meanwhile, Cornell’s Erik Rico continues to have a stellar season, making the Ivy Honor Roll after back-to-back Player of the Week awards. The junior outfielder/pitcher is in the top three on the team in batting average, homers, RBI, ERA, wins, and strikeouts.
In addition to a having a chance at the playoffs, the Bears have the chance to break a school record. Brown’s Class of 2001 is currently tied at 78 wins for the winningest class in school history. A win, while not enough to reach the playoffs, will snap that mark.
Archived article by Alex Fineman