Three Questions: Will Penn tennis be able to keep undefeated streaks alive?

As Penn spring sports begin to pick up momentum, there are some questions to keep in mind going into this weekend.

Will men’s and women’s tennis be able to remain undefeated at home?

Penn tennis has been unstoppable at home. The men’s and women’s teams boast an undefeated record at the Hecht Tennis Center and are looking to continue their streaks.

Last weekend, the men (14-5) were able to shut out both Clemson and Drexel, winning by three points in both matches even without the help of senior Kyle Mautner. The team returns to Hecht this weekend to face both Delaware and Temple. Penn has not lost since before spring break and seems to have come with a new ferocity.

The women’s team (9-3) is also set to play Temple at Hecht on Saturday and has an undefeated home record to uphold. Coming off their first loss in four matches to Central Florida, the Quakers are led in part by senior Marta Kowalska, who has a 7-4 singles record in the spring.

Temple’s women’s team (8-3) holds a similarly impressive record and will be coming off a match against Villanova.

Is Penn baseball’s RPI ranking by chance or have the Red and Blue found their footing?

Penn baseball seems to have recovered from a subpar season in 2018, winning its last two games against Winthrop and Lafayette by eight and 16 runs, respectively. Its early season consisted of multiple hard-fought losses against tough competition. After breakout performances by freshman infielders Craig Larsen — winner of this week’s Ivy League Rookie of the Week and Big 5 Player of the Week — and Josh Hood, Penn ranks 24th in the country in RPI.

The Red and Blue’s next contest is a home doubleheader against Fairleigh Dickinson, which will be indicative of the team’s trajectory moving forward. It will be interesting to see if Penn can keep up the high-margin victories in its home opener this weekend. 

Fairleigh Dickinson has lost its last six games, and with the help of the freshman phenoms and the leadership of senior catcher Matt O’Neill, the Red and Blue have a chance to consolidate their position and gain more stability in the national rankings.

How will the men’s heavyweight rowing young core perform?

The spring rowing season is just getting started, and looking at its freshman-focused roster, it will be interesting to see how the young core for Penn men’s heavyweight rowing performs. The team has a total of 15 freshmen this year, which begs the question of how strong the group’s chemistry and confidence will be.

This weekend on the Schuylkill River, the Quakers are set to compete in the Stan Bergman Class Day Races, and they are also preparing to race Northeastern on March 30. The team’s performance in these upcoming events could have huge implications for the rest of this season.