This week’s focus, although not a specific award, is on the most surprising teams from this season. These are the teams that most exceeded my expectations and are in a much better position than most thought that they would be in.
This tournament has flown by. Just two weeks ago, we had 68 teams in the field, ready to battle it out for the most important trophy in college basketball. Now, only four remain, with three very compelling games left to be played in Arizona. As always, the tournament has been almost unpredictable, but here are my picks for each game and the new (or not so new) National Champion.
No. 3 Tufts women’s lacrosse closed out spring break with wins against Western Connecticut State University at home on Saturday and Endicott College away on Sunday. These victories marked a continuation of the team’s trademark high-margin victories, beating West Conn. 22–2 and Endicott 19–8.
St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame second baseman Rogers Hornsby once famously said that when there was no baseball in the winter, he would stare out the window and wait for spring. For the Tufts Jumbos softball team, this sentiment holds resoundingly true.
The NCAA gymnastics national championships are coming up in April, and there’s one thing we’re certain to see — leotards with completely open backs. These sorts of leotards have become standard issue in college gymnastics. On the one hand, an open back makes it possible to see the athletes’ muscles and appreciate how strong they are, especially on bars. However, there is one major issue with this design choice: the vast majority of backless leotards make it impossible to wear a sports bra.
Tufts baseball headed to California last week, playing eight games in the warm California weather, including a triple header against Whittier College this past weekend.
Finally, we’ve made it to March. And it’s been a great tournament so far. Somehow, each and every year, this playoff brings enthralling narratives that take over the sports world. Whether it's a Cinderella story, a dominant team or a new star of the sport, March Madness never fails to entertain. It’d be hard to capture everything that happened in the 40 games that have been played, so let’s take a look at the best storylines from the first two rounds.
Here are my predictions for the 2024 season, with each team’s 2023 record in parentheses. 10. Tampa Bay Rays (99—63)The Rays are tough to place. They’re coming off a fantastic regular season but will likely be missing their two best players — shortstop Wander Franco for legal issues and pitcher Shane McClanahan for Tommy John surgery — in 2024.
The men’s basketball team lost to the Trinity Bantams this past weekend in the Sweet 16, ending its incredible run in the NCAA tournament. The Jumbos faced a tough obstacle in this year’s NESCAC champions, the Bantams. Tufts finishes its season 21–8 during the program’s fifth trip to the Sweet 16. After graduating four seniors who made big contributions on the court, the program looked to adjust, and went on to exceed expectations in its tremendous success.
Honorable Mentions:Austin Riley, 3B, Braves; Francisco Lindor, SS, Mets; Julio Rodríguez, CF, Mariners10. Matt Olson, 1B, Atlanta BravesOlson has been one of the game’s best sluggers for the past several seasons. Since 2021, he has 127 homers and 353 RBIs with a .902 OPS, and he’s missed only six games in that span.
The Tufts women’s lacrosse team continued their undefeated season with a 20–6 victory over Trinity — who was No. 13 at the time — at home last Saturday. The win helped push Tufts up to a No. 3 ranking and a 5–0 record. With a strong showing across the field, the Jumbos proved that they’re a team to watch in the NESCAC and the NCAA this year.
This week’s focus is on the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the league’s most valuable player. The MVP is the player who is determined to be the most important to their team’s success through outstanding on-ice performance.
Tufts baseball took on Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday in a doubleheader. The first game started at noon, and the weather, while not rainy, was certainly cold. Junior Connor Podeszwa was given the start on the mound for the Jumbos, while Matthew Wootton took the ball for the Warriors.
Eight Tufts track athletes — seven men and one woman — competed at the NCAA Division III Championships on March 8 and 9 after qualifying for the meet earlier in the season. The Jumbos held their own against a selective group of talent.
With a No. 4 national ranking, an impressive playoff run into the NCAA quarterfinals last year and goals to make it to the NCAA Championship this year, hopes were high for the start of the Tufts women’s lacrosse season, and they did not disappoint. Over the weekend, the Jumbos won games against Connecticut College and No. 9 Washington and Lee University and proceeded to beat No. 21 Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Wednesday.
Six Tufts divers competed in the NCAA Diving Regional competition held at Colby College this past weekend. Tufts boasted strong individual performances from divers, while first-year Jay Wilkinson, junior Cameron Yuen and sophomore Malia Leung qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships.
This week’s focus is on the Jim Gregory Award, which is awarded to the best general manager of the season. Each year, one general manager is honored as the best in assembling their team for that season.
A definitive 19–9 win against the Connecticut College Camels in the season opener sees No. 2 Tufts men’s lacrosse continue its amazing form from last season. Any fear that the departure of last season’s star offensive threats would hurt the Jumbos offensively was squashed just three minutes into the game when junior attacker Max Ettinghausen opened the scoring. Although Conn. College’s senior midfielder Bobby Chang tied the game minutes later, Tufts took control from there.
Men’s basketball traveled to New York University for the opening rounds of the NCAA Division III Tournament and notched two big wins in the Big Apple. The postseason environment did not disappoint. Lead changes, lockdown defense, clutch 3-pointers and nail-biter victories secured the Jumbos a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.
It’s officially conference tournament time. On Monday, the Athletic Sun Conference already had their first-round matchups. For the next two weeks, we’ll have a plethora of great games to watch to get us ready for the Big Dance. The ASC can be almost as unpredictable as March Madness, but here are my best attempts at who will be getting an automatic bid from the Power 6 conferences.
