CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard softball continues its chase for a spot in the 2025 Ivy League Tournament this weekend on Friday, Apr. 25 and Sunday, Apr. 27 with a pivotal three game series at Dartmouth.

The series between the Crimson and Big Green starts on Friday, Apr. 25 with a doubleheader, as first pitch is slated for 4 p.m. The final two games of the series will take place on Sunday, Apr. 27, as the doubleheader starts at 11:30 a.m. The entirety of the series will air live on ESPN+.

CRIMSON UPDATE:

• Harvard heads to Hanover, New Hampshire this weekend with a 20-11 record, as the Crimson is in fourth place in the Ivy League standings with a 9-6 record in conference play.
• In its last outing, the Crimson traveled across the Charles River for a midweek contest against Boston University. In a battle between two stellar starting pitchers, the hosts outlasted the Crimson, 2-0.
• Sophomore pitcher Nicolette Hunter shined against the Terriers, holding the Patriot League's top offense scoreless in five innings of work, allowing only one hit with three strikeouts.
• The Crimson return to Ivy League after hosting Brown last weekend. The Bears took the first two of the series, as junior pitcher Riley Flynn led the Crimson to a 3-0 win in the series finale, tossing a complete game shutout.
• In the month of April, first-year utility Alexa Muller is pacing Harvard's offense, posting a .333 batting average, a 1.031 OPS with seven RBIs.
• As a team, the Crimson ranks third in batting average (.306) and second in earned run average (3.22) in the Ivy League. Harvard is only one of two teams in the conference to have both a batting average above .300 and an ERA below 4.00.
• Harvard is capitalizing on fast starts this season, as the Crimson own a 16-3 record when it scores first in 2025.
• The Crimson is led by second-year head coach Jenny Rohn. A former Harvard assistant coach, Rohn is 47-28 in her Harvard tenure and 65-57 in her three-year head coaching career.

SCOUTING THE BIG GREEN:

• Led by head coach Jen Williams, Dartmouth is 17-15 this season, currently sitting in second place in the Ivy League standings with a 10-5 record in conference play.
• Last weekend saw the Big Green travel to New Haven, Connecticut to face Yale. After a doubleheader split, Dartmouth won the series finale to take the series win, 7-2.

SERIES HISTORY:

• Harvard and Dartmouth have met 102 times over the course of the series history, as the Crimson lead the series, 75-27.
• Last season saw the two sides meet four times. In a series at Soldiers Field, Harvard took a pair of contests, as the Crimson ended Dartmouth's season in a thrilling 6-5 comeback win at the 2024 Ivy League Tournament.
• Over the last 10 games against the Big Green, Harvard is 7-3, three of those wins being decided by one run.

HERE COMES THE SUN:

• The only student-athlete in conference history to win Ivy League Player and Rookie of the Year in the same season, sophomore infielder Sophie Sun is orchestrating a remarkable encore season.
• One of 10 semifinalists for the NFCA/Tucci Freshman of the Year award last year, Sun ranks in the top-five in the Ivy League in batting average (.400), slugging percentage (.657), runs scored (27), hits (42), home runs (7) and total bases (69).
• Sun is only of two student-athletes in the Ancient Eight to bat above .400 this season. Sun also owns the longest active hitting streak on the Crimson, logging a hit in six-straight games.
• Across 238 career at-bats, Sun owns a .412 batting average, making her the program leader in career batting average.

BRINGING THE PAYNE:

• A native of Liberty Township, Ohio, Payne is enjoying the best season of her collegiate career.
• Payne ranks second in batting average (.384), OPS (1.076), and RBIs (21), all career-highs.
• Against Ivy League opposition, Payne owns team-highs in batting average (.423) and RBIs (16).
• Her four hits against Columbia earlier this year are the most for a Crimson in a single-game in 2025.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS:

• The Crimson pitching staff is filled with talent this campaign, boasting a steady rotation of strong arms.
• A pair of Harvard student-athletes rank in the top-five in earned run average in the Ivy League. Flynn is second (2.40), while Hunter holds the No. 3 spot with a mark of 2.41. Harvard is the only school in the Ivy League to have multiple pitchers rank in the top-five in ERA in the conference.
• The Crimson is the only school in the Ivy League to have multiple pitchers hold an ERA below 3.00.
• Flynn is second in opposing batting average (.213), while junior Ryan Grace ranks fourth (.239).
• The Crimson ranks second in team ERA (3.22) and opposing batting average (.248), as Harvard ranks third in strikeouts with 152.

MILESTONE WATCH:

• A trio of Crimson are on the verge of career milestones this weekend.
• Flynn is only two strikeouts away from 200 career strikeouts.
• Payne and Sun are both two hits away from 100 career hits.

WE BRING THE BOOM:

• The long ball has been a staple for the Crimson in recent contests.
• From Mar. 29 to Apr. 15, Harvard hit at lease one home run in six straight games, its longest streak since 2011, when it hit a home run in seven straight games.

IVY EXCELLENCE:

• Over the last five full seasons, Harvard is one of the top softball programs in the Ivy League, owning a league-best 75-30 record in conference play from 2018 to 2024.
• In that time span, the Crimson is the only team in the Ivy League to not drop double-digit conference games in a single-season.
• Harvard has won back-to-back Ivy League regular season titles, as it won the inaugural Ivy League Tournament in Princeton in 2023.

CAPTAINING THE CRIMSON:

• Seniors Katie Arrambide, Savannah Fitzpatrick and Grace are Harvard's team captains this season.

CRIMSON ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY:

• Harvard softball has found and recruited talent from all across the United States.
• The Crimson hail from 13 different states, including Illinois, Arizona, New Jersey, Hawaii, Washington, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia, California, Texas, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.

UP NEXT:

Harvard concludes the regular season next weekend, hosting Cornell on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4. All the action from Soldiers Field will air live on ESPN+.

For complete coverage of Harvard Softball, follow the team on Twitter (@HarvardSB) and Instagram (@harvardsb).