The Crimson will see how it fares in tomorrow’s season opener against the Fighting Irish in DeLand, Fla., at the Bright House Invitational.

The Invitational, along with the subsequent Metrodome Tournament, are part of a challenging early non-conference schedule that has become characteristic of Harvard baseball.

“Our first series, those teams have always been powerhouses,” Albright says. “Spring break is a transition—it’s a game a day. If we come off strong, we can get into the [NCAA] tournament.”

Coach Walsh agrees that the Crimson’s tough opening schedule sets it up for division success later on.

“We like to play those teams, we get better playing those teams,” he says. “And we expect to win.”

As for the other Ivies, results may be a bit unpredictable. Brown and Princeton both have strong left-handed pitching, and Columbia, Cornell, and Penn have all improved in recent years.

“I don’t see any team being dominant, but I don’t see any weak teams,” Walsh says.

The coach also points out that many Ancient Eight squads have lost more talent than they gained during the offseason. While one may be able to say the same about Harvard, Walsh sees his team’s youth in a positive light.

A senior-dominated program could be a great advantage in the future, but the coach is quick to emphasize that the current season is clearly top priority.

“I’m not here to go through the motions,” Walsh says. “We want to win, we want to be a good ball club.”

The Crimson players share the sentiment and are making their intentions just as clear.

“Everyone’s just hungry to win,” Albright says. “And we’re ready to win.”

—Staff writer Madeleine Smith can be reached at smith21@college.harvard.edu.