As the regular season comes to a close, Centennial Conference playoffs are just around the corner. Post-season play will begin on April 29, at which point teams who qualify will compete in a single-elimination tournament. Swarthmore boasts several serious competitors for the conference title this spring — who will take the trophy home?
Women’s Lacrosse:
Swarthmore women’s lacrosse currently sits in sixth place in the conference standings. Right on the outskirts of playoff qualification, the team must win its matchup against Haverford College this week in order to get a chance. From there, it becomes a waiting game, as the team watches to see if Washington College’s team (currently the fifth seed) loses its next game. Washington College must win two matchups this week to ensure its fifth-place standing. Otherwise, with a Swarthmore victory over Haverford, Swarthmore and Washington College would have matching 4-4 conference records. In this case, the head-to-head tiebreaker would favor Swarthmore, who won the sole matchup of the spring between the two. In other words, the Garnet would take the fifth seed and Washington College would be eliminated. Regardless of the outcome, Swatties should take pride in this being one of the best women’s lacrosse teams in recent years.
Men’s Lacrosse:
Men’s lacrosse currently sits in fifth place in the conference standings. Despite this middle-of-the-road record, the team is receiving votes in national rankings, and its exemplary track record in recent years makes them a dangerous threat come playoff time, as long as they build momentum and play well this week as they prepare for the playoffs. Be on the lookout for this week’s game, as the team looks to hold off Haverford before conference play, before going to battle for the title once again.
Men’s Tennis:
The perennial powerhouse, the Garnet sit in first place in the conference standings with a 6-0 conference record. Be on the lookout for the results of their two matchups later this week against Washington College and Johns Hopkins University, respectively. With victories in both matchups, men’s tennis would sweep the regular conference season and secure the one seed in the tournament. So far, Swarthmore look promising to add a third consecutive trophy home, fueled by a two-year stretch of tournament dominance.
Women’s Tennis:
Like the dominance of the men’s program, the women’s tennis team sits in first place in the conference with a 6-0 conference record. Look for the team to clinch the first seed in the tournament this week, with wins over Muhlenberg and Washington College. Victories in both of these matchups would set the team up well for a chance to avenge their loss in the conference finals last year.
Softball:
Softball once again is in the midst of a strong campaign and sits tied with Gettysburg for first place in the conference, with dueling 11-1 conference records. The team faces an upcoming slate of four games this week. Emerging victorious from all four matchups would secure the one seed for the team, as Swarthmore holds the tiebreaker over Gettysburg via run differential if Gettysburg were to also win their last stretch of games. The team will then turn its sights to the playoffs, where it looks to return to the glory it tasted in the 2022-2023 season with a big conference championship win.
Baseball:
Swarthmore baseball has seen itself put together a bounce-back campaign from its lackluster showing this past season. The team currently sits in second place in the conference with an 11-3 record. Be sure to watch the scoreboard this week as they play their final four conference games. Two victories this week would clinch their spot as the number two seed, or just one victory over Haverford. From there, the team will look to go to battle with the other Centennial Conference teams and hopefully take down the presumptive one-seed Johns Hopkins. If so, this would ruin their chance at a centennial championship three-peat.
Men’s Golf:
Men’s golf will look to take home both individual and team crowns at the Centennial Conference tournament this weekend. Players are looking to bring home the individual championship, competing individually for the lowest cumulative score. The team as a whole will also battle it out to tally the lowest cumulative score amongst the conference teams to win the overall team championship. The tournament figures to be an exciting watch, so cheer on our golfers this weekend.
Track and Field:
Both the men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete at the conference championship meet from May 2 to May 4. Instead of a team-based record system, athletes punch their tickets into the tournament with their individual performance in the regular season. From the dominance of numerous Garnet athletes throughout the past weeks, remain confident that Swarthmore will make waves in conference competition. Be sure to be on the lookout for the results of these championship events coming up!
Swarthmore athletes, coaches, staff, and fans have worked tirelessly all season to put the Garnet on the Centennial map. As teams continue playing to protect current titles, regain them, and make new ones, there is a drive within every one of the individuals to win, win, and win. Be sure to cheer on your Garnet athletes of all forms throughout the playoff stretch so Swarthmore can bring home as much hardware and pride!
