The Catamounts (3-1) are coming off a season in which they finished third in the America East conference, but they are also scrambling to fill the void left by a deep group of departed seniors, including several four-year starters.
Harvard found out first-hand that Vermont still has a deep pitching staff when Trevor Marcotte and Jamie Merchant held them to two runs in last week's loss.
Northwestern (8-9) has been about as consistent as its record indicates this year. A telling stat for the Wildcats is their three shutout wins and two shutout losses in its first month. Junior Zach Schara, a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2000, leads a young and fairly deep rotation.
Ohio State (12-4-1) boasts even more decorated players, among them preseason Big Ten player of the year Nick Swisher. The first baseman is batting .383 with seven home runs in 16 games so far this season.
E.J. Laretta, a preseason All-American hurler, held the Crimson to a single run last week, and could be called upon to inflict more damage in one of the two Ohio State-Harvard games this weekend.