Going into the final weekend of the lacrosse, softball and baseball seasons, all four Tufts teams have clinched playoff berths and are now jockeying for positioning.
The men's lacrosse team, currently in fifth place in the conference, can secure a home game in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament with a win - and some help from around the league.
First, the Jumbos need to defeat Conn. College at home in Saturday. If they can do that, a Middlebury win over Bates this weekend would put Tufts and Bates in a tie for fourth place. The Jumbos' 8-7 double-overtime win over the Bobcats last Saturday gives them the head-to-head tiebreaker, and would give the Jumbos the home-field advantage.
The women's lacrosse team is in control of its own destiny in its hunt for a home playoff game. The Jumbos are currently tied with Bowdoin for fourth place, but their regular-season win over the Polar Bears gives them the edge. If Tufts wins at Williams on Saturday, it will secure a home game regardless of Bowdoin's result at Wesleyan. Even if the Jumbos lose, a Wesleyan win would yield a first-round home game for Tufts.
The baseball team faces the toughest scenario. Currently second place in the NESCAC East, the Jumbos have only an outside chance to win the division and host the conference tournament after having been swept by Bowdoin earlier in the season. The Jumbos need to take at least two from Colby this weekend and hope the Bowdoin-Bates matchup going down in Maine yields at least two Bowdoin losses.
Despite being atop the NESCAC East, the softball team has no chance to host the NESCAC Tournament, as the honor will to belong to the NESCAC West champion this season (either Williams or Amherst). As they have already clinched the top spot in the East, the only thing the Jumbos will be playing for this weekend in Waterville is a perfect 8-0 record in the division, which would be the first for any current members of the team.
