Spring break sports preview

With much of campus jetting off to tropical destinations for spring break, many of Tufts' sports teams will be traveling as well. Several spring teams are just beginning their seasons, while some of the winter teams are wrapping up theirs at NCAA championships. Here's a look at what the Jumbos will be up to next week:

Baseball

The baseball team kicks off its season with a 12-game swing through Virginia and North Carolina. They should probably just stay down there, because if the snow ever melts its going to leave Huskins Field a muddy mess for years to come.

Softball

The back-to-back NCAA Div. III champions begin their second straight title defense with seven doubleheaders in eight days down in Clermont, Fla. Tufts has been practically unbeatable during its last two trips there, going a combined 25-2 in 2013 and 2014. The team figures to steamroll through this year's slate of games as well.

Men's Lacrosse

Already 3-0, the reigning NCAA Div. III champs have three games scheduled for the break, including a pair of NESCAC games. With all three games taking place in different states, the Jumbos will do a fair amount of traveling. Tufts plays at Colby tomorrow and at Stevenson (Maryland) on Tuesday before returning home to face Trinity on March 21.

Women's Lacrosse

The women's lacrosse team also has three games on tap next week and will face the same NESCAC opponents on the same dates as the men's team, albeit at alternating locations. Tufts (4-0) has a home match against Colby on March 14, then plays Buffalo State at Union College on St. Patrick's Day before meeting Trinity in Connecticut on March 21.

Men's Tennis

After competing in four tournaments last fall, the men's tennis team returns to the court with three games over spring break. The Jumbos get to spend the week in Southern California, where they'll take on Denison University at Claremont-McKenna on March 16, No. 15 Pomona-Pitzer on March 18 (also in Claremont) and No. 25 Cal Lutheran University on March 22.

Women's Tennis

The women's tennis team, ranked No. 17 in the latest ITA NCAA Div. III rankings, resumes its season after going 1-1 and participating in a pair of tournaments last fall.They'll also be in SoCal for the week, playing four games against opponents ranked in the top 30. The first is against No. 28 Denison at Claremont-McKenna College on March 17 and the second is against No. 22 La Verne at the Claremont Club -- a local fitness center -- on March 19. Then the team heads back to Claremont-McKenna to face off against No. 5 Mudd-Scripps on March 20 before wrapping up the next day against No. 22 Redlands.

Men's Swimming & Diving 

Junior tri-captain Michael Winget and sophomore diver Matt Rohrer will represent the men's swimming and diving team at the NCAA Div. III Championships in Shenandoah, Texas, which takes place from March 18-21. Winget will compete in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke after setting school records in both events at the NESCAC Championships. He is also entered in the 100 butterfly. Rohrer qualified for both the one-meter and three-meter dives by winning the three-meter title at the NCAA Zone Qualifying meet with a 585.20 score. He also took third in the one-meter event with a score of 509.35. Both competed in the same events at last year's NCAAs in Indianapolis as well, earning three All-American honorable mentions between them.

Men and Women's Track & Field

Both men's and women's track teams sent contestants to the NCAA Div. III Championships in Salem, N. C., which are being held today and tomorrow. For the men's team, juniors Mitchell Black and Veer Bhalla will run the 800-meter after finishing first and seventh in the preliminaries, respectively. Black is also running the 4x400-meter relay with classmates Alex Kasemir and Francis Goins along with first-year Andrew DiMiati. For the women's team, junior Marilyn Allen will compete in the 60-meter hurdles following a 13th-place finish in the preliminaries. The distance medley relay team of senior Lauren Gormer, junior Sydney Smith and sophomores Kelly Fahey and Rita Donahue will participate as well. Fahey is also running the individual 3,000 meters after placing 16th in the prelims.

Women's Basketball

Last but definitely not least, the NESCAC champions will host the third round of the NCAA Tournament tonight, squaring off against Eastern Connecticut State at Cousens Gym at 7 .p.m. If you're still around, get out and support the Jumbos as they try to advance to the Elite Eight.