As the last-place team in the Red Rolfe Division, it might seem that Yale (15-10, 5-3 Ivy) would pose little threat to first-place Harvard in four games at O’Donnell Field this weekend.

Yet the Bulldogs are not a team to be taken lightly.

Despite its place in the division cellar, Yale leads the league in both team pitching and team fielding, arguably the two most crucial qualities of winning baseball.

Yale boasts a 3.76 ERA, 0.59 better Harvard’s current second-place number of 4.35.

Also contributing to Yale’s league-best pitching staff is its stable of power arms, headed by the top four pitchers in the league in strikeouts. Bulldog ace Josh Sowers—whose twin brother Jeremy was picked sixth overall in the 2004 Major League Baseball draft by Cleveland—leads the pack with 42 strikeouts in 39.2 innings. Yale hurlers Jon Hollis, Mike Mongiardini, and Alec Smith round out the league strikeout leaders.

“We can’t take Yale lightly,” Harvard captain Schuyler Mann said. “They’re a good team with good pitching.”

Defensively, the Bulldogs continue to show strength as they lead with a 0.959 fielding percentage, four teams better than Harvard at 0.954.

Leading the league, then, in what seems to be two crucial areas, how has Yale found itself at the bottom of the Red Rolfe standings?

The answer is simple: the quality of division competition.

For perspective, Princeton leads the Ivies’ rival Gehrig Division with a 5-3 league record—a number identical to Yale’s.

So what would appear to be a lopsided match-up should actually prove to be more challenging.

A challenge is just what the Crimson would love to avoid after losing three out of its last four games against the Bulldogs—all in 2004.

So while Yale currently sits at the bottom of the standings, action this weekend could turn the tables—in one weekend, Yale potentially could overcome its two-game deficit.

Ready to counter the Bulldog’s force is junior shortstop Morgan Brown, who has proved to be one of Harvard’s key defensive players.

After shoulder surgery last year, Brown earned limited action, forgoing regular time at shortstop to rising sophomore Zak Farkes.