CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard is set to travel to the west coast this week for the UCR/CBU Classic in Riverside, Calif. While in the Inland Empire, the Crimson will face North Dakota and Saint Mary's twice, and tournament co-host, California Baptist once.
What to Know
- Harvard's games against North Dakota and Saint Mary's will be available on the WAC Digital Network, free of charge. An account, however, must be created. The Crimson's contest vs. CBU, meanwhile, will air live on ESPN+.
- Harvard returns to action after a 1-3 showing at the Green and Gold Classic in Birmingham, Ala. The Crimson was blanked in its three losses (2 vs. UAB, 1 vs. Longwood), but was able to salvage Game 3 of the tournament -- a 5-1 victory over the Lancers last Sunday.
- Through nine games, Morgan Melito leads the Crimson in most offensive categories. The senior finds herself ranked first on the team in batting average (.400), OPS (1.113), hits (10), home runs (2, tied), RBI (9), total bases (18), sacrifice flies (2), stolen bases (3) and slugging percentage (.680).
- Junior Megan Welsh had a team-best three hits last weekend at the Green and Gold Classic. Her effort brought her to within one baseknock of tying Melito for the team. A starter in every game this season, Welsh is hitting .360 to go with an .888 OPS and leads the Crimson in runs (6) and doubles (2).
- Trina Hoang and Allison Heffley both walked four times during the Green and Gold Classic, with Hoang coming around to score twice. The two runs led all Crimson players and gave her five on the season, which ranks second behind Welsh. The junior has walked a team-best nine times, sitting just one ahead of Heffley for the Harvard lead.
- Speaking of Heffley, the junior leads the Crimson with an on-base percentage of .484, helping her produce the team's third-best OPS at .939.
- Heffley and Teagan Shaw both enter this week's games hitting .273, with Shaw posting an OPS of .976. The junior is tied with Melito with two home runs and ranks second with seven RBI.
- Brianna Jewett helped preserve Harvard's win over Longwood with four innings of scoreless relief. The junior inherited and protected a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth en route to her first victory of the campaign. Across four innings, Jewett allowed three hits, struck out one and walked one. In two appearances this year, she has a team-best 3.00 ERA.
- Sophomore Anna Reed has started a team-high four games and made five appearances to date. The pitcher has logged the most innings of any pitcher on the roster (19.0) and comes into the UCR/CBU Classic with an ERA of 4.74.
- The trip to Southern California will be a homecoming for seven Crimson players who hail from the region, including Riverside native and senior Alyssa Saldana, who played at Martin Luther King Jr. High. Other Southern California natives include Ella Lee (Manhattan Beach), Allison O'Heany (Costa Mesa), Grace Krantz (San Clemente), Jewett (Long Beach), Hoang (Irvine) and Melito (Westlake Village).
- Outside of the Southern California natives, the trip west will provide a handful of other Harvard players the opportunity to play somewhat close to home. That list includes Heffley (Lemoore, Calif.), Lindsay G. Poulos (Granite Bay, Calif.), Reed (San Luis Obispo, Calif.), Kaitlin Lampson (West Linn, Ore.), Madi Mays (Pleasant Hill, Calif.), and Molly Dickerson (Scottsdale, Ariz.).
At the Helm
Jenny Allard is in her 27th season at the helm of the Harvard softball program and will be inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in 2022. She has helped guide the Crimson to the last two Ivy League titles (2018, 2019) and owns a career record of 641-486-3.
Up Next
Following its time in Riverside, Harvard will take the 91 Freeway west en route to LMU for a doubleheader on March 15.
