Another top contributor has been junior outfielder Jeff Bridich. Bridich, The Harvard Crimson's Athlete of the Week, went 9-for-16 against Brown, doubling his RBI total by scoring 8 on the weekend, and raising his average to an even .400.

Bridich, a natural catcher, has adjusted very well to his new position in the outfield.

"[Bridich's] really come on big for us," McKay said. "He came up from JV ball this year and has really hit the ball well."

Senior second basemen Peter Woodfork, junior first basemen Erik Binkowski, sophomore outfielder Scott Carmack, and freshman shortstop Mark Mager all have averages over .300, giving Harvard a formidable starting lineup.

In fact, the only players not banging out the hits have been captain Hal Carey and senior catcher Jason Keck. The pair are still in a bit of a slump, with their averages under the magical .300 mark.

Surprisingly, Woodfork, despite his .349 average, did not play the last couple of games for Harvard. Coach Joe Walsh did not comment why Woodfork remained on the bench.

"We still have a ways to go as a team," McKay said. "I've got some arm troubles. [Woodfork's] been hurting a bit. We have to raise our game a few notches to get ready for NCAA tournament play."

Still, the bats are finally giving some run support to the Crimson's very talented pitching staff, which ranks among the best in the Ivies. They are taking a strong 4.60 team ERA into the tournament.

Harvard will have to rely on its depth, as it exhausted all of its top arms this past weekend. there was no official word on today's starters, but junior Mike Giampaolo, sophomore Dan Saken, and freshman Justin Nweide are among those projected to start.

"Coming in we know our pitching is the most formidable part of the team." Burtwell said.

One of those strong pitchers will have to shut down a UMass lineup that can wield the stick pretty well itself. Seven of the Minufemen's projected starters also hit above the 300 mark.

At the heart of the lineup is senior outfielder Aaron Braunstein. He is currently hitting .336 with nine dingers and 40 RBI, which translates into a hefty .638 slugging percentage.

The top three in the Minutemen lineup, each with an on base percentage of over .400, set the table well for Braunstein. No 3 hitter senior Mike Kulak leads the team with a .360 batting average.

"We want to take every game in stride and come out playing hard," Birtwell said, "UMass has always been known as a power team, and we didn't get to play them last year."

If the Crimson gets by Umass, it will play the winner of today's Boston College-Northeastern game. A final matchup against B.C. next Tuesday would give Harvard a chance for avenge their most recent loss against B.C.

Before Harvard's hot streak, the Eagles steamrolled the Crimson 12-6 and 16-5 on April 13.

Every player wants the shot to remove that stain from its record.

"I'm hoping to see B.C. again," Birtwell said. "Hopefully, the Green Monster will keep some of their shots in the ballpark."

But first, Harvard has to beat UMass. the glory and tradition of the Beanpot starts at 2 p.m. today on the field of Fenway.