With only eight games left in the season, the Harvard baseball is entering the proverbial stretch run. This weekend, the Crimson host Brown for two crucial double headers, with first place in the Red Rolfe division on the line.

“This weekend is our biggest step toward winning the championship,” junior starting pitcher Justin Nyweide said.

Harvard (12-19. 9-3 Ivy) enters this weekend perched atop the Red Rolfe division of the Ivy League. The Bears (19-20, 8-4) currently stand in second place, making this weekend’s series crucial for the standings. Should the Crimson sweep all four games, they would secure themselves the division and a spot in the Ivy League Championships. However, a Brown sweep would place the Bears three games ahead of the Crimson with only four to go. In order to entertain any league title hopes, the Crimson must win at least one, but probably two, games this weekend.

All season long the Crimson has been led by its pitching staff, including staff ace Ben Crockett. Crockett, a senior, is a genuine major league prospect, with every one of his starts attracting legions of professional baseball scouts. In addition to Crockett, Nyweide (3-2, 4.54 ERA) and Madhu Satanarayana (1-3, 5.29) have consistently given the Crimson needed quality starts. Harvard is currently third in the league in ERA, and Crimson pitchers have been able to keep Harvard in games all season.

However, Harvard’s Achilles heal is its offense. As a team, Harvard is batting a paltry .250, and the Crimson has only two players with batting averages above .300. Outfielder Trey Hendricks (.340, 3 HR, 15 RBI) has led the way for the Crimson leading the team with his mammoth .530 slugging percentage. Outside of Hendricks, most Crimson hitters are batting around .250, with the biggest disapointment being third baseman Nick Carter, who is batting just .214 with no homeruns.

However, over the last few weeks, the Crimson has started to score runs, and in its last six games the Crimson is averaging seven runs a game.

“I definitely feel the team is over the early season scoring slump,” shortstop Mark Mager said.

Brown’s strength lies in their offensive production. Averaging over six runs a game, the Bears have hit 28 home runs this season, good for second in the Ivy League. In comparison, the Crimson has hit only eight home runs all season long.

The Bears’ power attack is led by catcher Greg Metzger (.362, 8, 34). Metzger is the Ivy League equivalent of Ivan Rodriguez, a power hitting catcher with a cannon for an arm. Metzger is throwing out an impressive 35 percent of runners this season.

Not only can the Bears swing for the fences, they also are very good at manufacturing runs. With speedsters up and down the lineup, the Bears have one of the fastest teams in the league. Centerfielder Rick Lynn has already stolen 25 bases and second baseman Robert Deeb has stolen 17. Brown likes to play the hit-and-run and should test the arms of Harvard catchers Schulyer Mann and Mickey Kropf.

“Kropf and Mann have proven that they are exceptional catchers capable of controlling opponents’ running game,” Nyweide said. “We have complete confidence in these guys to throw the Brown runners out.”

Like Penn two weekends ago, Brown’s problem is its pitching. The Bears’ team ERA has hovered around six all year long, and the Bears lack a game-stopping starter like Crockett. Brown pitchers have given up 137 walks all year, second most in the Ivy League. Opposing hitters are batting .304 against the Bears, and Brown has given up 24 home runs, second most in the Ivy League. Most startling, opponents have a .387 on-base percentage against the Bears.

“I think that Brown has a good pitching staff,” Mager said. “Those numbers do not represent their four starters.”

Ironically this season, the Crimson has suffered from a home field disadvantage. Harvard is a perfect 8-0 in league games on the road, yet only 1-3 at home. Home has essentially been foreign territory for the Crimson. Of Harvard’s 31 games this season, only six have them have been played at O’Donnell Field.