PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania baseball team makes its way to the Big Apple this weekend to continue Ivy League action against the Columbia Lions. After a recent schedule change, the series will begin with a 2 p.m. first pitch on Friday and Saturday's doubleheader is slated for 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. starts.

The Red and Blue are currently in a three-way tie for third in the conference standings with a 3-3 record, along with Harvard and Columbia. Penn had a perfect start to conference action two weeks ago, sweeping Dartmouth across three games. The script flipped last weekend as Yale stole three games from the Quakers. The Lions' three victories were earned against Harvard (2) and Dartmouth (1).

GAME 23-25: Penn (8-14, 3-3 Ivy) at Columbia (5-16, 3-3 Ivy)
April 3-4 | Robertson Field at Satow Stadium | New York, N.Y.
Watch (ESPN+) Game 1, Game 2, Game 3 | Live Stats Game 1, Game 2, Game 3

Need for Speed
Senior speedster Ryan Taylor recorded three more stolen bases in Penn's first taste of Liberty Bell Classic action against Delaware State on Tuesday. The Elmer, N.J. native sits on 56 career stolen bags, now just three shy of eclipsing the program record (58) set by Doug Glanville (1989-91). 
 
The Series
Penn paces the all-time series with a record of 154-131-2. However, over the last 10 meetings, the Lions hold a 6-4 advantage. The hosts claimed the series victory in Philadelphia last season, but the Red and Blue prevented a sweep with a 9-8 victory in Game 2. 

The Lions hold a narrow 68-65-1 all-time lead at home, and the Quakers are looking to earn their first win in New York since the 2024 campaign (5/17).

The first matchup between both schools took place on April 17, 1886, with Penn notching an 11-6 victory in Philadelphia.

At the Plate
Gavin Degnan has started in all 22 games this season for the Quakers and leads the team with a .256 batting average. The junior ranks fourth in the Ivy League in RBIs (21) and he's rung up a team-leading 21 hits, six doubles, three home runs, 38 total bases and a .463 slugging percentage (9^th in IL).  

Junior first baseman Nick Spaventa holds a .247 batting average this season and had a great day at the plate during Penn's midweek contest at Delaware State, registering two hits and three RBIs. He's currently tied with Degnan in pacing the Red and Blue in hits (21) and home runs (3).

Jay Secretarski's .392 on-base percentage holds the top spot in the Quakers' lineup, and he ranks second on the team in stolen bases (8). The Asheville, N.C. native has tallied 19 hits, 16 runs scored and drawn 17 walks this campaign, which is tied for first in the Ivy League. The freshman opened his collegiate home run account on Tuesday at Delaware State with a deep shot over the left-field wall in the fourth inning.

Ryan Taylor (.247), Jarrett Pokrovsky (.220), and Ernie Echevarria (.220) enter the slate all batting above .200. Taylor's 14 stolen bases in 2026 rank second among his Ivy foes.

As a unit, Penn enters the series versus the Lions with a .224 batting average, ranking fifth in the conference.

On the Mound
The Quakers used seven pitchers in their midweek victory over Delaware State, which featured a third start for freshman left-hander Ben Moulin (1-2, 4.38).

Junior southpaw Marty Coyne (2-3) ranks second in the Ivy League this season with a 3.00 ERA and his 31 strikeouts hold the seventh spot. He's thrown 36.0 innings through six starts, while allowing just four walks, which ranks second in the conference and 15^th in the country. Coyne comes in at second place in batters struck out looking (11).

Jake Moss (2-1, 5.46) and Thomas Shurtleff (2-2, 3.90) are prepared to log starts across the three-game series. Shurtleff holds the eighth spot among his Ivy foes with 32.1 innings pitched and Moss ranks eighth in strikeouts (29). The duo has combined for 61.3 frames pitched and 48 strikeouts this season.

Aidan von Zuben, Nick Newburn, Moulin, Connor Darling, Luke Pokrovsky and Josh Katz remain as the Quakers' first arms out of the bullpen.

Penn's pitching staff enters the three-game slate sitting at second in the Ivy League with a 4.88 ERA, allowing a conference second-best 119 runs this season. The Red and Blue have also walked a conference-low 88 batters in 2026.

Scouting the Lions
Columbia gears up for Penn holding a 5-16 record and it's coming off a narrow defeat at Fordham on Tuesday (9-8). The hosts matched up with Dartmouth last weekend to keep conference action rolling, but the Big Green took the series 2-1. The Lions' first two victories in Ivy League competition were secured with back-to-back victories at Harvard (3/21 & 3/22).

The hosts hold a .248 team-batting average, with six hitters batting over .250, including Anthony Temesvary (.319), Jimmy Chadwell (.297), Jack Kail (.273), Cole Fellows (.266), Jackson Brewer (.259) and Ben Fishel (.256). Temesvary and Chadwell pace the offensive unit with 22 hits apiece and their batting averages come in at ninth and 10^th in the conference.

Kail (21), Fellows (21), Brewer (21), and Fishel (20) have all tallied 20 or more hits this season. Brewer leads the pack with 20 RBIs, four home runs and a .469 slugging percentage, while Chadwell has been a nightmare to deal with at the plate due to his .441 on-base percentage (4^th in IL).

On the mound, Alex Sotiropoulos (1-2) and Thomas Santana (2-2) hold 3.56 and 5.40 ERAs to pace Columbia. Sotiropoulos currently leads the Ivy League in opposing-batting average (.160), while his ERA and strikeout total (35) rank fifth and sixth respectively. Santana has thrown the fifth-most frames in the conference (33.0) and has allowed only 16 runs over that stretch.

Evan Kleinhans (1-1, 6.75) and Will Harrigan (1-1, 14.21) have both notched a win on the bump for the hosts, primarily as relievers. Payton Soske (0-0, 1.04), Baylor Hicks (0-2, 5.40) and Tomas Lopez (0-2, 3.06) are also expected to appear on the hill over the course of the weekend.

Columbia's pitching staff ranks sixth in the conference with a 7.08 ERA, and its 200 hits allowed is the third-worst mark in the Ivy League.

Follow the Action
Fans looking to keep up with all the action can watch the series with an ESPN+ subscription. Live stats will also be available throughout the weekend.

For the latest on Penn baseball, follow @PennBaseball on X (formerly Twitter), @Penn_Baseball on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.