Category: NCAA D1

Ivy League Tournament

JP

It took a sweep of Dartmouth in the last series of the year for Yale to claim a share of the regular season championship with Columbia, and to also host the Ivy League Tournament. It was Yale’s first regular season championship since 2018, as they looked to win the win the tournament and gain their first automatic berth to the College World Series since 2017.

We were able to attend 4 out of the 6 games played, including the championship game. Weather was perfect all weekend, but there were lighter crowds than I expected. I was hoping for a packed Yale Field to bring some extra energy, but it wasn’t in the cards.

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LeHigh @ Holy Cross

JP
“They ran out of room on the scoreboard.”

After a night in Worcester at Polar Park, we made the drive back a few miles down the road to Fitton Field to see the Holy Cross Crusaders take on the LeHigh Mountain Hawks in the final series of the regular season for the Patriot League. In retrospect we probably should have spent the night in Worcester, but the drive isn’t that bad.

It was Senior Day for the Crusaders, with a short pre-game ceremony and many family members in attendance. Eli was conflicted on what to wear, and chose a Red Sox hat and Phillies t-shirt – something to represent both teams. I still can’t figure out his admiration for the Phillies, but that’s ok!

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Princeton @ Yale

JP
“It’s a great day for baseball. Let’s play two.” — Ernie Banks

We made the quick 30 minute drive to Yale for the second time this year, to see the Princeton Tigers live for the first time in an Ivy League double header. We arrived for Game 1 at the start of the 6th inning, with Yale ahead 11-0. It was Senior Day, with a slightly larger crowd than I’ve seen previously – mainly parents and alumni. It was decently warm, around 70F, but the intense wind and intermittent cloud coverage made it slightly uncomfortable at times.

We sat front row, 3rd base side as we normally do at Yale Field, and Eli was chatting up players as they walked between the club house and dugout. After Game 1 ended, Eli talked to both head coaches and was able to get their dugout cards.

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Norfolk State @ CCSU

JP
“The game is a lot like life. You’re going to have your ups and downs.” — Phil Rizzuto

Norfolk State was in town so we took the opportunity on a Friday afternoon to head to CCSU for a double header to see a new team. They entered with a record of 1-29 overall and 1-17 in the NEC, with CCSU having the opposite conference record of 17-1.

I picked Eli up from school a few minutes early, and we headed to New Britain. The weather was warm-ish and sunny, with high wind gusts. We arrived early in Game 1, around 3:00, and spent time passing a ball to the right of the home plate netting – something Eli has wanted to do more and more as of late.

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UMass @ UConn

JP
“A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz.” — Humphrey Bogart

We took the opportunity to see UConn host UMass at Dunkin’ Park while the Yard Goats were on the road, on what turned out to be a nice Tuesday night. This was our first time seeing UMass live, and third of the season seeing UConn.

There isn’t much more I can say about Dunkin’ Park than I have previously. It’s an amazing stadium to catch a game, with a beautiful field and extremely easy to get in and out. We arrived early to catch some BP, with Eli talking to players whenever he could. Before first pitch we headed to our seats, this time selecting the Home Plate Club which is a unique area, both for the proximity to the action as well as the slightly sunken seating.

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Cornell @ Harvard

JP
“Win the inning, we win the game.” — Bill Decker

Concluding Eli’s spring break trip was an Ivy League matchup, with the Crimson taking on the Big Red. This was our first trip to Harvard and first time seeing them play, while we saw Cornell @ Yale earlier in the season. The ride was short from our hotel by Fenway, but I didn’t anticipate the parking nightmare that would shortly unfold.

I didn’t realize it was the first annual “Cambridge Day” hosted at Harvard, with many local vendors, activities and sports. I counted 5 teams hosting matches, including baseball, softball, rugby, lacrosse and tennis, and believe there were even more. Parking was awful – single line of traffic from outside the gates, and by the time we arrived had to park past the rugby fields making for a long walk to the baseball field.

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Kansas State @ Northeastern

JP
“Foul balls have no mercy and no map.”

Day 2 in Boston before heading home briefly, and game 3 of the spring break trip. Today we took the short ride to Northeastern to see an early afternoon matchup against Kansas State. As we got close, it was apparent that the ballpark was in the middle of a residential neighborhood, which was interesting.

Parking options were either on the street or within the stadium in a small, single row down the left field line. I decided to take our chances and park there, ignoring the numerous “park at your own risk” signs.

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UConn @ Boston College

JP
“It was one of those games where the scoreboard needed a breather.”

We continued on for game 2 of Eli’s spring break trip, heading to Boston College for a game against UConn on a Tuesday afternoon. Before getting into Boston we stopped at Top Golf in Canton which was a blast for Eli. We stayed overnight nearby BC, so we checked into the hotel and then headed to the field.

I was impressed with the ballpark – it was in a nice complex with their softball field next door, and easy to get to with ample parking. It was a beautiful start to the day, sunny and almost 70. Eli had fun chasing foul balls in right field, and loved rolling down the small hill there. We were hoping BC was using balls with the “BC” logo on them, but no luck.

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