NEW YORK - The Columbia baseball team returns to the Northeast to begin its Ivy League title defense against Cornell this weekend. The Lions are coming off a 3-2 spring break trip against North Florida and Miami.
 

LEADING OFF

COLUMBIA'S STATUS
The Lions are coming off a 4-2 victory at Miami Wednesday. Columbia used a pitcher an inning, holding the Hurricanes to just four hits and one earned run.

CORNELL'S STATUS
The Big Red have had the week off after splitting two games at Towson on March 16-17.

Ramon Garza is hitting a team-high .282 with four runs. Josh Arndt has five RBI, but is hitting just .103 on the year.

John Natoli has made five appearances, four in relief He is 2-1 with a 3.97 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 11.1 innings.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Cornell leads the all-time series 131-111. Columbia took two-of-three last year in Ithaca. After dropping the opener, 14-2, the Lions earned back-to-back 3-2 victories over the Big Red.

COLUMBIA IN IVY LEAGUE OPENERS
Columbia has won five of the last seven Ivy League opening series after topping Yale twice in 2018. Under head coach Brett Boretti, Columbia is 17-6 on Ancient Eight opening days.

NEWS/NOTES

NO JOSHIN'
Senior Josh Simpson has been lights out in his last two starts, posting a 1-0 record with a 1.35 ERA and 15 strikeouts, compared to just three walks over 13.1 innings. He lasted eight innings in the opener at UNF, fanning seven and allowing just one unearned run. Simpson struck out a career-high eight batters over 5.1 innings at Cal Poly on March 18 to earn a spot on the Ivy League Weekly Honor Roll. Simpson missed all of 2018 while recovering from injury.

BUSTING OUT
Junior Liam McGill snapped out of an 0-for-18 funk with monster weekends at Cal Poly and North Florida. The two-time All-Ivy Leaguer is hitting 19-for-39 (.487) with a 1.325 OPS, two homers and eight RBI in his last eight games.

HEY JULES
Junior Julian Bury is the 11th toughest batter to strike out in the nation, averaging just one punchout per 19 at-bats. The junior gained a spot on the Ivy League Weekly Honor Roll on March 10 after hitting .429 (6-for-14) with two doubles and two RBI at Oklahoma. Bury was appearing in his first games since the 2018 ILCS after suffering an injury during practice that forced him to miss the NCAA Gainesville Regional. Bury was the 2017 Ivy League Rookie of the Year and a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American.

COOL HAND LUKE
After missing the 2017 season due to injury, Lucas Hall emerged as a go-to reliever the past two seasons. Over his last 18 outings, he has allowed just one run. Last year, he recorded four saves, one shy of tying the single-season mark, with a 1.59 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 22.2 innings of work.

MILESTONE ACHIEVED
Columbia picked up its 1,400th all-time win after topping Miami, 4-2, on March 20. The program dates all the way back to 1888 and rich history, including alumni Lou Gehrig and Eddie Collins. 

MILESTONE AHEAD
Additionally, head coach Brett Boretti needs seven more victories to get to 400 for his career. Boretti spent four years at Franklin & Marshall before joining Columbia in 2006. His 277 wins with the Lions are third all-time and is 16 away from moving into second place.