Spring break is just around the corner, but many spring sports are already well underway. Here's a primer for the rest of the season.
Baseball
Defending the first Ivy League Championship in the history of the program won't be easy, but the baseball team has gotten good early results. Brown split a four-game series against the University of Alabama at Birmingham and then managed to win one of three games against the heavyweight University of Florida. Bruno's 3-4 record is a considerable improvement from last year's 1-8 start.
Despite the loss of three First Team All-Ivy players, the Bears return with two other First Team selections, left fielder Ryan Murphy '08 and shortstop Matt Nuzzo '09, in addition to Second Team All-Ivy closer Rob Hallberg '08. Well-rounded third baseman Robert Papenhause '09, a tri-captain this season along with Murphy and Hallberg, will play a key role, as will speedy center fielder Steve Daniels '09. Will Weidig '10 will step in as the ace of the pitching rotation.
Brown will head south for a series of games in North Carolina and Virginia over spring break and then begin Ivy League competition on March 29 in a doubleheader at Columbia. The Bears will return to Murray Stadium to face the University of Rhode Island in a doubleheader in their home opener on April 2.
Men's Crew
The men's crew team is primed for greatness this season. After finishing fourth at the IRA National Championships last year, the Bears capped their season by competing in the Royal Henley Regatta in England in July. They then started this year off with a strong fall season. Brown won a pair of races at the Head of the Genesee Invitational Regatta, had the varsity eight take third place in the prestigious Head of the Charles and then the varsity four won the Tail of the Charles. Colin Keogh '08, Garrett Kirk '08 and Ryan McShane '08 formed a veteran core in the varsity eight at the Head of the Charles.
Brown begins the spring season at Yale on March 29, before hosting Boston University on the Seekonk River on April 5 in the first of its three home competitions. The team will compete in the Eastern Sprints on May 18 before starting the IRA Regatta June 5.
Women's Crew
Coming off their fifth NCAA Championship in the past nine years, the women's crew is shooting to continue its string of national dominance, and the results from the fall season merit optimism. The varsity eight took sixth place at the Head of the Charles and fourth at the Princeton Chase, while the varsity four placed second at the Foot of the Charles. Brown lost six members of last year's team to graduation but returns with a deep nucleus and added strong freshman class - factors that could propel the Bears to the top of the heap once again.
Bruno opens its spring season at Princeton on March 29, before hosting Radcliffe, as the Harvard women's crew is still called, on April 5. Eastern Sprints begin on May 18 and the NCAA Championships commence May 30.
Women's Golf
The women's golf team is made up of an exciting mix of veterans and newcomers. In the fall season, Brown finished in sixth place at the 14-team Dartmouth Invitational, tied for ninth at the 15-team Princeton Invitational and were fifth after the first day of the Yale Invitational, only to slide to ninth overall during a tough second day.
Blythe Crane '08 regularly leads the way, joined by fellow veteran Holly Snyder '09. Newcomers Sarah Guarascio '11, Susan Restrepo '11 and Julia Robinson '11 are solid contributors.
Brown will cross the country to face San Diego State on Tuesday. The Ivy League Championship begins on April 19.
Men's Lacrosse
When the men's lacrosse team hosts Dartmouth on Saturday in its Ivy League opener, it will begin the completion of unfinished business from last year. Brown got out to a good start last year before sliding to a 1-5 record against its fellow Ivies, leaving the team at 7-7 overall. The Bears have started this season 3-2, and this time they aim to finish the job in conference play.
Thomas Muldoon '10 and newcomer Andrew Feinberg '11 pack scoring punches, while Reade Seligmann '09, a transfer from Duke, is a force to be reckoned with in the middle. All-Ivy and All-New England goalie Jordan Burke '09 is the linchpin to the defense. The Bears also boast impressive depth, which they'll need to take the Ivy League by storm.
Women's Lacrosse
After the women's lacrosse team endured a rough 2007 season, struggling to a record of 4-12 overall and 1-6 in the Ivy League, Bruno appears to be destined for a rebound this year, returning its five leading scorers.
The Bears have posted solid results leading up to their Ivy League opener on Saturday at Harvard, though their 2-4 record understates the quality of their play. Brown has racked up big wins over Sacred Heart and Stony Brook, but has also bowed to tough competition from No. 6 North Carolina and No. 14 Boston University while suffering narrow losses to Davidson and Hofstra on the road.
Jesse Nunn '09 and Lauren Vitkus '09 are tied for the team lead in points, followed by Meghan Markowski '10. Bruno will count on those three plus Jadie DeTolla '08, Kiki Manners '10 and Molly McCarthy '10, who were each named Honorable Mention All-Ivy last season, to propel the team in Ivy League play.
Softball
The softball team opened its season with a 2-3 record, gaining a 5-4 win over Oakland on Feb. 29 in the four-game Lady Bucs College Softball Invitational in Charleston, S.C. This year the Bears will attempt to keep rolling and finish the season strongly after last year's team slumped from a fast 6-2 start to a 10-33 overall record and a 2-18 Ivy League mark.
The pieces are in place for a dramatic improvement. Linnea Anderson '08 and Amy Baxter '08 swing solid bats and provide senior leadership. Andrea Browne '10 sparks the offense from the top of the lineup, while Kelsey Wilson '09, selected for Honorable Mention All-Ivy last year as a utility player, seems to have settled in at shortstop in the first five games of the season. Michelle Moses '09 and Jessica Iwasaki '10 return as Bruno's top pitchers, joined by newcomers Emily Chaddock '11 and Kristie Chin '11.
Brown will open its final tune-up tournament of the season on Friday at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla., then begin Ivy League play in a doubleheader at Columbia on March 29. Bruno will host Cornell in a doubleheader on April 5 in its home opener.
Men's Tennis
If only the men's tennis team could carry over its success from doubles matches to singles, it would be far better than its 9-9 record. The Bears have used several different doubles combinations, and almost all have succeeded. Brown has regularly captured the three doubles matches to earn the crucial first point and start its matches off with momentum, but has not always sealed the deal during the six singles matches.
Saurabh Kohli '08 and Chris Lee '09 frequently compete at No. 1 and No. 2 singles. Along with Basu Ratnam '09, some iteration of the three regularly performs as the No. 1 doubles spot.
After competing against Stanford and at Boise State in sunny Idaho over spring break, the Bears will face Princeton on April 4 in their Ivy League opener. As long as the doubles tandems continue to lead the way, Brown will improve on last year's 1-6 Ivy League record.
Women's Tennis
The women's tennis team is riding a hot streak. After starting the season 1-4, Brown has run off seven wins in a row, losing no more than a single point in any of the matches.
Given that recent team-wide dominance, depth has been the key for the Bears, starting at the top, where heralded newcomer Bianca Aboubakare '11 has been a revelation at No. 1 singles; she also teams with Marisa Schonfeld '11 at No. 1 doubles. Sara Mansur '09 has had a strong spring at No. 2 singles after spending the fall semester abroad. Brett Finkelstein '09 keeps the ball rolling at third singles.
<p>Bruno will host Army on March 28 in its final tune-up before the Ivy League season begins two days later at Yale. If they continue their distinguished level of play, the Bears are sure to improve on last year's 4-3 mark against Ivy League competition.
Track and Field
Spring has coaxed the track team out of the indoor season and onto the outdoor track. The women will try to build momentum off their second place finish at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships earlier this month, while the men will shoot to top their seventh place finish.
Seven Bears earned All-Ivy honors in the winter. Nicole Burns '09 earned First-Team honors in the 400-meter dash and Second-Team in the 200-meters, while Natasha Smith '11 was named to the First Team in the pentathlon. Runners Samantha Adelberg '11 and Smita Gupta '08, high jumper Grace Watson '11 and shot putter Danielle Grunloh '10 each earned Second-Team honors. On the men's side, David Howard '09 earned First-Team honors in the shot put.
The team will start its outdoor season in Boston at the Husky Spring Invitational on Saturday. Bruno will host the Brown Invitational on April 12 and the Brown Springtime Invitational on April 27 before competing in the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships starting May 10.
Women's Water Polo
The women's water polo team has started the season with a 3-9 record, but that doesn't reflect the strength of its play. Brown faced five non-conference teams with top-20 rankings in its first nine games, losing all of them, and played in two tough tournaments, the Triton Invitational at UC San Diego and Elite 6 Tournament at Maryland.
The fierce competition has already paid off, as Bruno has begun the CWPA North season with whitewashings of Utica and Harvard and a narrow loss to Marist.
The Bears lost four of last season's top eight scorers to graduation, but haven't missed a beat. Sarah Glick '10, Lauren Presant '10 and Alexis Blaxberg '08 provide the offensive firepower as the three leading scorers. Glick leads the team in steals, and Blaxberg and Herald Senior Staff Writer Joanna Wohlmuth '11 have each drawn 30 ejections. Stephanie Laing '10 anchors Bruno in goal.
Brown will play six games in California over spring break. The Bears have no pool to compete in on campus, but will play two "home" games in mid-April at Wheaton. Given what they've been through to start the season, that's not likely to stop them.
