It will be a year of firsts for the Harvard women's softball team.

The squad has a new field, a new Ivy schedule, and a new spring break practice location--Myrtle Beach, S.C.

The Crimson heads South this morning for a week of workouts scrimmages, and sun. "This is the best thing we've ever done," says fourth-year Coach John Wentzell.

After practice on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, Harvard will play doubleheaders against the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and Coastal Carolina on Wednesday and Thursday.

"We've never had this kind of chance before," Wentzell says. "We'll be more ready than we've ever been."

In previous years, when the Crimson remained in Cambridge over break, the weather often prevented extensive outdoor practice, and there was little opportunity to scrimmage against other squads.

"One week is almost a quarter of the season for us," Wentzell says, "and if it takes you two weeks to get ready, there goes half your season."

If the Crimson can use its week of spring training to work out some of the early-season kinks, it should be able to improve on last year's 11-10 record.

The regular season will get under way on April 1--the day after the squad returns from its trip--with Harvard hosting Wheaton.

"We've got a brand new field this year," Wentzell noted. "We used to play in a patch of grass where the new outdoor track is. The [Athletic] Department stepped forward and made us a new field this year that will be the home of Harvard softball for years to come.

The diamond -- located on Soldiers Field--will get plenty of use that first week, with games scheduled against Boston University on Tuesday and M.I.T. on Thursday. Last year, the Crimson swept a doubleheader from the Terriers, 3-2 and 11-2, but lost to M.I.T., 5-0.

"Our schedule is tougher than ever," Wentzell says. "Each year more and more kids come up with experience and talent. I think that the talent has improved the quality of teams the throughout the league."

Harvard doesn't open its Ivy season until the weekend of April 13 14, when it hosts Penn Penn and Princeton The Tigers, two time defending league champions, are favorites to repeat again this year.

"Harvard, Brown Yale, and Penn are pretty even--we'll all battle each other in good games "We're in the hunt with the rest of them, and we could even steal one from Princeton."

The Ivy schedule has been altered this season--in previous years, the five varsity squads, as well as Cornell's and Dartmouth's club teams, would meet over one weekend for an Ivy tournament.