Baseball Set for Inaugural Ivy League Tournament in Philadelphia - Harvard University (2024)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University baseball is set to compete in the inaugural four-team Ivy League Tournament set to take place from May 19-22 at Tommy Lasorda Field at Meiklejohn Stadium in Philadelphia on the campus of No. 1 seed Penn as the No. 2 seed Crimson meets No. 3 seed Princeton in the opening round on Friday, May 19 at 11:00 a.m. (ESPN+).

What to Know

• The No. 2 seed Crimson (19-22, 15-6 Ivy) meets the No. 3 seed Tigers (22-21, 13-8) in the tournament's first game on Friday. Harvard won six of its seven Ivy League series during the regular season, including a 2-1 set win over Princeton. The Crimson has posted a 6-1 record in its last seven games – all Ivy contests.
• The inaugural Ivy League tournament will feature four teams for the first time in conference history. The tournament will follow the same format as the NCAA Regionals and will take place at the site of the No. 1 seed – Penn. The event features the Quakers (29-14, 16-5 Ivy), Crimson, Tigers, and No. 4 seed Columbia (23-20, 11-10 Ivy).
• Harvard won the regular season series against all three other teams that will feature in the Ivy League Tournament, That record includes 2-1 series wins over Penn (Mar. 24-26) and Princeton (Mar. 31 to Apr. 2) as well as a 3-0 series sweep of Columbia (Apr. 28-29).
• In program history, Harvard has collected 19 Ivy League titles and 22 EIBL titles with the latest Ivy title coming in 2019.
• From 1993 to 2022, the Ivy League conducted a three-game championship series to determine the conference champion. Harvard made nine appearances in that championship format, last winning the title in 2019.
• Harvard made appearances in the Ivy League Championship Series in 1996, 1997 (win), 1998 (win), 1999 (win), 2002 (win), 2003, 2005 (win), 2006, and 2019 (win).
• Harvard closed out its regular season with a 2-1 series win over Yale (May 13-14). The Crimson offense totaled double-figure runs in each of the last two games of the series behind 11-4 and 11-1 wins in games two and three. Harvard notched a season-high 19 hits in the game two victory.
• Following the Yale series, senior first baseman Logan Bravo earned Ivy League Player of the Week, and sophom*ore right-handed pitcher Sean Matson gained Ivy League Pitcher of the Week. Bravo posted a .727 average (8-for-11), seven RBIs, and two home runs on the weekend while Matson tossed 7.0 innings in the game three win, allowing one run with eight strikeouts.
• Bill Decker, The Joseph J. O'Donnell '67 Head Coach for Harvard Baseball, recently earned induction into the Trinity Athletics Hall of Fame. Decker coached the Bantams for 22 seasons (1991-2012), posting a record of 529-231 and winning a national championship in 2008. For his career as a head coach (1990-2023), his record stands at 700-472 entering the weekend.
• Harvard leads Princeton in the all-time series, 152-128-25 in a series that dates back to 1868. The Crimson leads Penn in the all-time series, 120-76-1 in a series that dates back to 1886. Harvard leads the all-time series with Columbia, 94-70-1 in a series that dates to 1886.
• Harvard seniors Hunter Baldwin, Logan Bravo, and Will Jacobsen and juniors Chris Clark and Jay Driver all earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors on May 16, for their combined work on the field and in the classroom.
• Harvard ranks 28^th in the NCAA in doubles per game (2.29) as a team while junior Peter Messervy stands 62^nd in the nation in doubles per game (0.38) as an individual. Harvard has hit at least two doubles in 31 games this year and knocked a season-high six in game two vs. FIU (Mar. 4).
• As a team, Harvard ranks third in the conference in average (.279), doubles (94), and ERA (5.70), while standing second in pitching strikeouts (360). In Ivy play, the Crimson ranks first in the conference in average (.293), second in hits (211) and doubles (44), and third in OBP (.388), ERA (4.29), and pitching strikeouts (194).
• The Crimson has tallied double-figure runs in eight games – including three of its last four games – and double-figure hits in 20 games in 2023.
• Senior Logan Bravo has notched a .325 average with 52 hits, 32 runs, 14 doubles, seven homers, and 32 RBIs. In Ivy only play, he has hit .375 with 30 hits, 19 runs, and 25 RBIs. In Ivy only play, he ranks fourth in the league in average (.375), third in slugging (.663), third in OVP (.465), second in OPS (1.128), second in RBIs (25), third in hits (30), third in doubles (eight), and third in homers (five).
• Bravo tallied three two-hit games in the Texas A&M-CC series (Mar. 16-18) before a 3-for-5 effort with the go-ahead home run in the 10^th inning in the series opener with Penn (Mar. 24). Bravo posted four RBIs, a home run, and a double in the series finale victory over Columbia (Apr. 29). He went 8-for-11 with seven RBIs and two homers in the Yale series (May 13-14).
• Senior Hunter Baldwin has hit .301 on the season with 40 hits, 25 runs, eight doubles, two homers, three triples, and 20 RBIs. He ranks fourth in the league in triples (three) and eighth in stolen bases (nine). Baldwin launched a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth inning in Harvard's game one win at Dartmouth (Apr. 8), blasting his second career homer and first since March 2019.
• Senior Will Jacobsen serves as a two-way player for the Crimson. At the plate, he has hit .302 with 32 hits, 14 runs, nine doubles, two homers, and 22 RBIs. In Ivy play, he has hit .333 with 24 hits, 12 runs, six doubles, and 12 RBIs. On the mound, he has thrown 34.2 innings over 10 appearances and eight starts. As a hitter, he posted six RBIs in game two of the FIU series (Mar. 4), and as a pitcher, he allowed just two runs over 6.0 innings in the Beanpot semifinals against Northeastern (Apr. 4).
• Sophom*ore George Cooper has hit .347 on the year with 42 hits, 24 runs, 11 doubles, and 16 RBIs. He ranks fifth in the league with a .347 average. In Ivy play, he has hit .361 with 22 hits, 13 runs, and eight RBIs. He has posted a trio of four-hit games this year – at FIU (Mar. 4), at Brown (Apr. 22), and vs. Yale (May 13).
• Junior Ben Rounds has posted a .289 batting average, 44 hits, 31 runs, 11 doubles, five home runs, and 32 RBIs. He stands third in the Ancient Eight in walks (27). In Ivy only play, he ranks first in the conference in walks (20), sixth in runs (20), and ninth in OBP (.438). Rounds notched a season-best four hits in game three at FAU (Mar. 12).
• Junior Jake Berger has posted a .282 batting average alongside 42 hits, 29 runs, 10 doubles, and five home runs. He paces the league and sits 33^rd in the NCAA in sacrifice flies (six), while ranking sixth in the league in RBIs during conference play (19). He hit a key two-run home run in the Crimson's 3-2 win in 10 innings in game one at Penn (Mar. 24). Berger notched four hits in game two vs. Princeton (Apr. 4).
• Junior Peter Messervy ranks sixth in the Ivy League with 15 doubles and ranks 62^nd in the NCAA in doubles per game (0.38). Overall, he has hit .277 with 41 hits, 29 runs, and 17 RBIs. Messervy hit a go-ahead, bases-clearing double to help lead Harvard to a game two win over Dartmouth (Apr. 8).
• Junior right-handed pitcher Chris Clark ranks seventh in the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings (13.35), while leading the Ivy League in strikeouts (87). He has tallied seven or more strikeouts in eight of his 11 starts in 2023, posted double-figure strikeouts three times, and notched a career-high 11 strikeouts at Dartmouth (Apr. 8). Clark has registered 87 strikeouts over 58.2 innings pitched on the season. In Ivy play, he leads the league with 57 strikeouts over 39.2 innings.
• Junior right-handed pitcher Jay Driver ranks sixth in the Ivy League in strikeouts (64) and has notched a 4.16 ERA, throwing 62.2 innings on the year. He has posted six or more strikeouts in six of his starts this season. In Ivy play, he has notched a 3.64 ERA.
• Sophom*ore right-handed pitcher Sean Matson has tallied a 2.84 ERA and 44 strikeouts over 38.0 innings in conference play. In Ivy play, he ranks fifth in the league in strikeouts (44). Overall, he has tossed 55.0 innings on the year, posting a 4.66 ERA and 56 strikeouts.
• Senior left-handed pitcher Harrison Stovern ranks sixth in the Ivy League in saves (three) and has tallied four wins. He notched saves against Holy Cross (Mar. 28), Northeastern (Apr. 4), and Columbia (Apr. 28). Over his last 12 outings, he has allowed four earned runs over 18.2 innings.
• In Ivy League play, first-year right-handed pitcher Callan Fang ranks first in the conference in ERA (1.23) and third in opponents' batting average (.179). Overall, he ranks fourth in the league in saves (four). Fang has not allowed an run over his last five appearances and 14.0 innings. He notched a pair of saves against Brown (Apr. 22, Apr. 25), another against Dartmouth (Apr. 8), and another vs. Columbia (Apr. 28).

Up Next

The winner of the Ivy League Tournament will gain the Ivy League's automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. The selection show for the tournament is set for Monday, May 29 at noon (ESPN2) with regional competition taking place from June 2-5.