The uncertainty of the outcome has not dampened the Crimson's high hopes.

"Sure, we still think about being undefeated and that's always going to be a goal," Vogt-Lowell said. "But the real focus is playing our best and winning by playing that way."

Clearly, in the Crimson's mind, an ugly win hardly equals an unsuccessful outing. Harvard has certainly reflected that mindset on the field, as the team appears to be firing on all cylinders of late.

"We were pretty happy with our play after [sweeping] Holy Cross," Vogt-Lowell said. "Our pitching and defense had been good, but the hitting was really there."

While the line-up is still not certain, the Crimson offense produced 11 runs on 18 hits against the Crusaders.

"We've been playing well and practicing well," Thoke said. "The team is excited and relaxed and ready to play."

The Tigers, who finished third in the league a year ago, most recently defeated Rutgers, 2-0. Penn (9-14) finished last in the Ivy League in 2000, but recently upset LaSalle in nine innings and split with Army.

Come tomorrow, the Crimson can throw the records and rankings out of the window. The focus will be on hammering out another successful season.