May 22-23, 2018
Yale Field | New Haven, Conn.
Columbia (18-27, 13-8)
Yale (22-19, 15-6)
| Stat Comparison |
| Category |
Columbia |
Yale |
| Batting Average |
.263 |
.258 |
| Runs Per Game |
5.2 |
5.2 |
| Runs Allowed |
6.7 |
4.4 |
| Hits Per Game |
9.1 |
8.9 |
| Doubles |
70 |
55 |
| Triples |
13 |
7 |
| Home Runs |
24 |
16 |
| SB-ATT |
24-33 |
35-50 |
| ERA |
6.15 |
3.90 |
| Opp. Batting Avg. |
.307 |
.254 |
| Strikeouts |
304 |
292 |
| Walks |
169 |
145 |
| Fielding Pct. |
.972 |
.985 |
LEADING OFF
SETTING THE SCENE
Columbia and Yale will meet in the 2018 Ivy League Championship Series, a best-of-three slate to determine the conference's NCAA Tournament auto-qualifier. The Bulldogs (22-19, 15-6) and Lions (18-27, 13-8) were the preseason favorites to reach the event. Yale is the defending champions and Columbia won it last in 2015.
ILCS HISTORY
Columbia owns a 9-6 ILCS mark, with series wins in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Yale and Columbia met in the first-ever ILCS in 1993, with Yale sweeping the series behind 17-7 and 11-1 victories. Additionally, every player that head coach Brett Boretti has recruited and has played for the Lions for three seasons has gotten to at least one ILCS.
COLUMBIA'S STATUS
The Lions won their final two games at Cornell to take the series and received some help from Harvard, who took two of three, to reach the ILCS for the fourth time in six seasons. Columbia received strong pitching from Harrisen Egly, Ben Wereski and Ty Wiest in a pair of 3-2 victories over the Big Red in Ithaca.
YALE'S STATUS
The Bulldogs clinched home-field advantage and at least a share of the Ivy League Championship, winning the opening game of their series against Penn, 4-3, in extra innings. However, the Quakers claimed the final two games of the set.
YALE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Griffen Dey | Jr. | 1B/RHP
.317 • 6 2B • 7 HR • 35 RBI
Benny Wanger | Jr. | 1B/RHP
.200 • 3 HR • 30 RBI • 23 BB
15 APP • 0-2 • 6 SV • 1.08 ERA • 28 K
Tim DeGraw | Jr. | OF
.283 • 38 R • 5 2B • 11-14 SB
SERIES HISTORY
Columbia is 70-103 all-time against Yale. The Lions won the regular season series on Ivy League opening weekend. Columbia scored seven runs in the ninth to take the opener, 11-10, and followed up with a comeback, 6-5, victory. The Bulldogs took the finale, 8-2.
DIRTY HARRY
After three seasons of working out of the bullpen, Harrisen Egly moved into the starting rotation and has steadily improved all season long. He earned Ivy League Pitcher of the Week honors on May 16 after 7.2 innings of one-run ball in a must-win game at Cornell. Egly also fanned a career-high nine batters. The Edina, Minnesota, native has appeared in 57 games, tying the Columbia career record originally set by Clay Bartlett '10CC. Egly is a two-time All-Ivy League selection and Columbia's all-time leader in saves with 11 to his name.
BENNY AND THE JETS
Ben Porter has been red-hot since returning from injury on Apr. 11. He has hit safely in 14 of those 17 contests, including seven multi-hit games. On the year, he is hitting .358 with five doubles and leading the squad with six stolen bases.
HEART OF A LION
With its two wins over Cornell to close the regular season, Columbia improved to 16-4 in "elimination games," dating back to the 2013 NCAA Fullerton Regional.
2013 (1-1)
• Lost first game of NCAA Regional and beat New Mexico 6-5 in 13 innings. Then lost to Arizona State.
2014 (2-1)
Needed a win vs. Penn to force a one-game playoff with the Quakers for Gehrig Division title and advance to ILCS
• Won 5-2 in the regular season finale and 4-0 on the road in a playoff game.
• Later lost to Bethune Cookman after dropping first game at NCAA Regionals.
2015 (6-1)
Same scenario with Penn as 2014. Won at Penn, 8-6, in 10 innings to force a playoff on the final day of the regular season.
• Won the playoff game, 4-2, at home. Lost opening game in best-of-three ILCS to Dartmouth and came back, winning the next two games, 7-2 and 10-7.
• Dropped second game of NCAA Regionals, and defeated FIU, 4-3, and Miami, 3-0, to force decisive game vs. Hurricanes. Fell in Regional final to Miami.
2016 (2-0)
• Trailed division leading Princeton by five games with six to play and topped the Tigers, 5-4 and 8-7. Later eliminated by virtue of Princeton clinching division before completion of series with Penn.
2017 (3-1)
Behind Penn by three games in Gehrig Division with three to play.
• Defeated Quakers, 12-7 at home, and swept a doubleheader at Philadelphia 14-4 and 7-5 the following day to force another playoff, but fell 6-3.
2018 (2-0)
• Needed two victories at Cornell to have a chance to surpass Dartmouth for final ILCS spot. Won both games, 3-2.
