"We've got a great pitching staff," Franzese said. "We've got depth, and that's one of our biggest assets. Our pitchers keep other teams guessing."

If Harvard's pitching has been a bright spot, Abeles has been the sunshine. Last season's Ivy League Rookie of the Year has already tied the Harvard single-season home run record (6) and is one round tripper shy of the all-time mark.

Her 64 career RBI place her seven away from the school's all-time record in that category as well. She currently leads Harvard with a .418 batting average.

"I feel confident at the plate," Abeles said. "I'm seeing the ball really well, and I'm just trying to hit it hard."

Harvard opens its Ivy season at home on Friday afternoon with a doubleheader against Yale, followed by two more versus Brown on Saturday. The Crimson knows that regardless of what has happened thus far in the season, the next four games are the beginning of Harvard's quest for its first ever Ivy crown.

"You'd like to go into Ivies really dominating the teams you've faced beforehand," Abeles said, "but we're feeling good. These are the games that count."