Philly Leader

The University of Pennsylvania baseball team is preparing for a significant rematch with Cornell this weekend, as part of their drive for another Ivy League title. Following a series sweep of Princeton, the Quakers have climbed to the top of the Ivy League standings, tied for first place.

"Pitcher of the Week" honors were recently awarded to junior right-hander Thomas Shurtleff. "Shurtleff appeared in three of the Quakers' four games in the unbeaten week, most notably recording a win and a save in a three-game sweep of the Tigers," according to the team's statement. During these games, Shurtleff pitched 5.2 innings in relief, striking out 11 batters without allowing any walks or runs.

The coming series against Cornell is notable, given last year's Ivy League Tournament championship series, where the Quakers emerged victorious. Penn leads the all-time series against the Big Red, with a record of 167-124-2. Both teams are set to clash again at Booth Field in Ithaca.

Offensive standouts for Penn include Jarrett Pokrovsky, who leads the team with a .364 batting average and ranks second in the Ivy League. "Pokrovsky's hitting streak is now at seven consecutive games," the team reported. He also leads the Ivy League in doubles, with a total of 14.

Cornell, on the other hand, enters the series with a 5-4 record in Ivy play. They started their season with a notable 11-8 victory over Duke. "Ryan Porter (.357), Kevin Hager (.333), and Mark Quatrani (.329) have been the leading hitters for the Big Red," detailed a statement describing Cornell's current form.

Despite recent challenges, both teams have key players maintaining strong performances. "Cornell is currently in fourth place, a game behind Yale for third and two behind Penn and Columbia for first," the statement indicated.

The series will be broadcast live on ESPN+.