“We have two freshmen that can flat out fly in [Jeff] Hajdin and [Carlton] Bailey. I would love to get their bats in the lineup with [junior J.T.] Tomes making the start,” Walsh said. “I don’t expect us to be a power-hitting team…but I do think we’re going to have nine guys in our lineup that are going to be tough outs.”

Harvard will put its new squad to the test as it heads down to Florida this weekend for a four-game series against Jacksonville St., before heading out on its marathon 11-game Spring Break roadtrip.

“We’re going to have to be a tough ballclub when we play some of these teams down South,” Walsh said. “There are some hard-nosed players on those teams, and we’re going to have to be that way as well.”

“It’s great having this indoor facility, but to go down and play other teams that have been outside all year and have already played eight games kind of puts us at a disadvantage,” Albright added. “But, then again, we’re excited to get outside … and to put up some W’s.”

The Crimson will return to the Northeast to begin conference play in April. Last year, Harvard split every Ivy weekend, and the team can’t stand the thought of a repeat.

“That doesn’t win it for you,” Walsh said of the splits. “When you come back from a weekend 2-2, it’s like kissing your sister.”

Jokes aside, the Crimson faces a tough slate of Ancient Eight opponents.

“There’s so much parity in the Ivy League that any team can compete any year,” Franklin said. “One good thing about that is that you can be optimistic every year, but on the other hand we’re facing great competition every weekend.”

But with both experience and fresh talent on its side, Harvard is poised to make a run for the Ivy title that has eluded it for the past five years.

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