Ivy League Rivals Set for Cold, Wet Opener at Yale Field

WEST HAVEN, Conn. (Interstat) — The Brown Bears and Yale Bulldogs are set to open an Ivy League baseball doubleheader on Saturday at Yale Field, with first pitch scheduled for a cold and rainy afternoon with a game-time temperature of 46 degrees.

The Bulldogs (8-6) enter with a winning record and will look to defend their home field against the Bears (5-9) in the first game of the conference series. Yale holds a notable advantage in recent simulations, with Interstat projecting a 6-4 Bulldogs victory and giving Yale a 69.4% probability to win.

A key matchup will feature bullpen arms for both sides. Brown will look to right-hander Bryan Yang, who delivered 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in a 7-3 loss to Northeastern on Wednesday. Yang’s season has been uneven, however, as he allowed six earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings against Rhode Island on March 8.

Yale will counter with reliever Brett Faccio, who has been a frequent and often effective option. Faccio struck out all three batters he faced in a perfect inning against Quinnipiac on Wednesday. In his last five appearances, he has posted three scoreless outings, including four strikeouts over three innings in a win over Albany on March 14.

Brown seeks to snap a two-game skid after the midweek loss to Northeastern. First baseman Christian Butera drove in two runs in that contest. The Bears have struggled on the road this season, dropping recent series at Seton Hall and Charleston Southern.

Yale aims to rebound from a 15-9 road loss at Quinnipiac, a game in which center fielder Garrett Larsen collected two hits. The Bulldogs have shown potency, scoring 10 or more runs in four games this season, including a 15-run outburst against George Washington on March 8.

The teams will conclude the series with a single game on Sunday. Brown’s schedule continues with a home game against Stonehill on Tuesday, while Yale will visit Iona next Wednesday.