Sports

Crew | Both teams ebb and flow on the river, see mixed results

Both the men's and women's crew teams hit the water this weekend, hosting Middlebury College on the Malden River in a head-to-head regatta before making their way to Worcester on Sunday to compete in a multi-team invitational. Skidmore, William Smith, Washington College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) were all in attendance in Worcester, Mass., giving Tufts a tough challenge as the teams sought to prepare physically and mentally for the upcoming ECACs and New England Championships.

Women's Track and Field | Wilfert, throwers lead Jumbos at MIT

Just one weekend after a meet with some of the best racing weather New England can offer, Boston was hit with a cold and blustery day. Despite the conditions, the women's track and field team still managed to leave the non-scoring MIT Invitational with five individual victories.

Softball | Jumbos suffer first-ever NESCAC series loss to Polar Bears

With the NESCAC East regular-season title — and with it the right to host the conference championships — still very much up for grabs, Tufts could not afford to give up ground on its trip to Bowdoin this weekend. The Jumbos had reason to be confident, given that they had never dropped a series to the Polar Bears in the 10-year history of the NESCAC.

Baseball | Fantastic 14: Tufts breaks NESCAC-era winning streak record

After a doubleheader sweep of non-conference foe UMass-Dartmouth yesterday and a three-game sweep of Colby this weekend, the baseball team extended its winning streak to 14, its best since at least 2000.

Three Jumbos earn POTW honors

Three Tufts athletes were named NESCAC Players of the Week yesterday in their respective sports. Here's a rundown:

Alex Prewitt | Live from Mudville

Few off-the-field achievements exemplify an athlete's success and influence like an appearance on the cover of the "Madden NFL" franchise. Consider it the technological equivalent of the MVP trophy; if you succeed on the field, then EA Sports will find a place for you atop the wildly popular and successful video game.

Men's Lacrosse | Jumbos overcome early deficit to top Camels

It wasn't pretty, but the formerly No. 1 — now No. 4 —  men's lacrosse team, sparked by a run of five unanswered goals that started late in the second quarter and continued throughout a dominating third quarter, was able to gut out a 6-5 win Saturday at Bello Field against Conn. College, the team that ruined the Jumbos' bid for a perfect season last year.

Men's Tennis | Doubles pairings lead the way in close victory over Colby

After a close loss to non-conference foe MIT last Wednesday, the men's tennis team was looking to bounce back this weekend in NESCAC matchups against Colby and Amherst. The Jumbos earned a split, defeating Colby 5-4 on Friday but falling 8-1 to No. 4 Amherst on Sunday.

Women's Lacrosse | Jumbos smoke Camels for eighth win in previous nine games

The women's lacrosse team's five-game winning streak earlier this year saw the team catapult up the NESCAC standings. After two consecutive blowout wins against non-conference opponents earlier last week, the team dominated Conn. College Saturday 13-7 on the road; the Jumbos are on their way to another hot stretch heading into the final portion of the season.

Inside MLB | The Daily recaps the best of 'Manny being Manny'

In the wake of Manny Ramirez's retirement, announced last Friday, the Daily counts down the top 10 moments of his career.

Baseball | Three doubleheaders on tap for streaking Jumbos

Barring extreme circumstances, most Major League Baseball teams don't play more than three doubleheaders in a season. The No. 25 Tufts baseball team will soon play three in a span of eight days.

Lacrosse| Kozin, Rappoli break records as Jumbos down Endicott

NBA Playoffs | Five things to watch for in the upcoming NBA playoffs

Here are five things, in no particular order, to keep your eye on during what might be the most hyped, star-studded NBA playoff season ever.

David McIntyre | The Beautiful Game

In my March 10 column, I tentatively predicted that Arsenal would win the Premier League, although I also said it would be a close race that came down to the last day, with perhaps Chelsea jumping in at the very end. Apparently, I should stop taking those amateur psychic classes, because neither of those things has come true: Manchester United is running away with the title, and the London clubs have nearly given up hope of catching the Red Devils.

Men's Lacrosse | Loss to Endicott serves as wake-up call for top-ranked Tufts

The No. 1 men's lacrosse team lost one game by one goal to one of the top teams in the nation on Tuesday night. Really, there's no reason to panic.

Eastern Conference Preview | Bulls look dominant even in top-heavy East

Though the two-time defending champions reside in the West, the Eastern Conference playoffs are shaping up to be the marquee event of this postseason. Can Derrick Rose continue to lead the Bulls all the way through to the finals? What about Boston and its veterans, and the Heat's terrific trio? The Daily provides a primer for the first-round matchups set to begin this weekend:

Boston Celtics | Five keys to a successful return trip to the finals for the Celtics

The Celtics are three years removed from their last NBA title and, with a core of stars at the end of their careers, basketball's most storied franchise has a slim window in which to add another title to its mantel. They'll get back to the land where "anything is possible" if these five things happen:

Western Conference Preview | Familiar faces, Spurs and Lakers, lead loaded West

Advancing out of a Western Conference that includes the defending NBA Champions, perennial contenders like the Spurs and Mavericks, and a slew of talented teams that could be primed for an upset will be a marathon. Making it to the finals will take skill, focus and, sometimes, a little luck of the draw.

Eastern Conference Preview | Capitals lead wide-open field of contenders in the East

With the NHL playoffs set to begin tonight, the Daily makes sense of the four Eastern Conference showdowns:

Brian Rowe | Calls the Shots

I saw a preview for "The Hangover 2" the other day. Looks really good, by the way. But it got me thinking about Las Vegas, which got me thinking about gambling, which got me thinking about sports and finally about this column. Anyway, I decided it's time for some arbitrary enthusiasm, irrational reasoning and either being horrifically wrong or amazingly right. Basically what Vegas is all about, yeah? Without further ado, here are some over/unders for the rest of the sports year and beyond.