Cody Spence Equipment Manager | Penn Athletics
Cody Spence Equipment Manager | Penn Athletics
The University of Pennsylvania baseball team is set to host Cornell this weekend in a significant Ivy League matchup at Tommy Lasorda Field at Meiklejohn Stadium. This marks Penn's first home game in April, and the series will feature Alumni Day on Saturday and the Vs. Cancer Game on Sunday.
Saturday's Alumni Day will welcome former Quaker players back to University City, with the first 100 fans receiving a commemorative Penn Baseball print for the 2024 season. Sunday's Vs. Cancer Game is part of a collaboration with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation to support cancer research and family programs.
The weekend series pits two competitive teams against each other, as both are vying for positions in the Ivy League Tournament. Penn currently holds a record of 13-15 overall and 5-4 in conference play, while Cornell stands at 8-12 overall and 6-3 in the Ivy League.
Penn has been strong at home, going 7-2 in March with victories over Villanova, Lafayette, Lehigh, and Brown. The team aims to continue its success during this four-game homestand before heading back on the road.
The Vs. Cancer organization was founded by a pediatric brain cancer survivor and supports sports teams in raising funds for pediatric cancer research and family support programs.
Wyatt Henseler recently set an Ivy League career RBI record with his performance against Villanova, surpassing Matt Kutler's previous record from Brown. Henseler also holds the conference's all-time home run record with 46 career homers.
Penn leads the Ivy League in several offensive categories including batting average (.283) and hits (277). Individually, Henseler tops multiple categories such as home runs (14) and slugging percentage (.806), while Davis Baker leads in hits (40) and triples (3).
On the pitching side, Penn's staff has achieved a conference-best 274 strikeouts this season. Senior ace Cole Zaffiro leads the team with 46 strikeouts.
Cornell has exceeded expectations this season after being ranked sixth in preseason polls. They have posted a .276 batting average as a team with several players hitting above .300. The Big Red pitching staff allows an average of 7.17 runs per game.
Historically, Penn holds an advantage over Cornell with a series lead of 164-121-2. The Quakers have won five out of their last six meetings against Cornell since early 2022.
All games this weekend will be available for streaming on ESPN+ with live stats provided online.
For updates on Penn baseball, follow @PennBaseball on X (formerly Twitter), @Penn_Baseball on Instagram, or visit PennAthletics.com.
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