Feb. 7, 2014

Freshman Will Bellamy joined the Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications staff as a student assistant not long after arriving at Homewood in August. An experienced writer, he will bolster the efforts of the office with a preview of each weekend's events(please note that this is not intended to be an exhaustive in-depth preview of every game or event. Rather, it provides a quick overview for fans with key links and things to look for. Key games, especially those against nationally-ranked teams or those with playoff implacations, will lead the column each week).

Men's Lacrosse
The Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team will kick off another highly anticipated season when Ohio State comes to Homewood Field on Sunday.
The Blue Jays look poised to match or improve upon last year's 9-5 record, with a number of talented returning players - including their top two scorers of 2013 in Wells Stanwick and Brandon Benn - and a crop of new talent giving them a highly potent roster.
Ohio State, however, should be a tough early opponent. The Buckeyes are ranked 14th in the most recent USILA poll and are also coming off a strong season last year, during which they went 13-4.
Lacrosse is the only Division I sport at JHU, so the match, which will be televised by ESPNU, should draw a sizable crowd.
The action is expected to kick off at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Men's Lacrosse vs. Ohio State on Watch ESPN

Men's Basketball
With five games left on the calendar, the Johns Hopkins men's basketball team sits in a tie with Franklin & Marshall for third place in the Centennial Conference. But with the Blue Jays' season sweep of the Diplomats, JHU holds the tiebreaker.
The Blue Jays (9-4 in CC, 12-8 overall) are also within reach of the lead spot in the conference as they trail the first-place Dickinson Red Devils by only two games. A win against Swarthmore at home on Saturday, accompanied by losses by the teams ahead of them, could push them even higher in the rankings.
Swarthmore, however, has a number of scorers, including Chris Bourne (12.5 points per game) and has shown a penchant for keeping possessions alive with offensive rebounds (the team has collected 234 of them this season).
The Blue Jays will have to limit the Garnet's offensive possessions and continue to play efficient offense on their own end in order to come away with a victory.
Tip off is set for 3:00 p.m. ET.

Men's Basketball vs. Swarthmore Live Video

Women's Basketball
The Johns Hopkins women's basketball team will get a break from Centennial Conference competition when it takes on Bryn Mawr at home on Saturday.
But that doesn't mean the Blue Jays (14-6, 12-3 in CC play) can afford to give any less of an effort. JHU is currently riding a two-game win streak and would like to keep the momentum going, especially as it heads into the final stretch of the season within a game of first place in the conference. Fans should keep an eye on the Owls' Nicolette Parmese, who needs just one point to become the school's all-time leading scorer. She enters the game with 1,299 career points.
The game is slated for 1:00 p.m. ET.

Women's Basketball vs. Bryn Mawr Live Video

Men's & Women's Indoor Track
The Johns Hopkins men's and women's track teams will head to Massachusetts this weekend for Boston University's annual Valentine Invitational.
The meet, which is expected to run all day on Saturday, will feature teams from a host of schools, including the Blue Jays' longtime Centennial Conference rival, the Swarthmore Garnet.
The Invitational will be one of JHU's last before the Centennial Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship in late February and will give the Blue Jays the opportunity to continue to hone their skills against strong competition.

Valentine Invitational Live Video

Men's & Women's Swimming
The Johns Hopkins men's and women's swim teams will have one last opportunity to test themselves in a competitive environment during the Virginia Tech Invitational this weekend before the most important part of their season begins.
The Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championship meet will take place during the second half of next week and the NCAA Championships await in March. With those events on the horizon, the Blue Jays will look to stay healthy and focused while competing in Virginia.
The Invitational will run throughout the entirety of Saturday and Sunday.

Wrestling
The Johns Hopkins wrestling team is in for a hectic weekend, as it will take on three teams in two states in two days.
The action will start on Friday, when the Blue Jays will face off against Messiah in Grantham, PA, and continue on Saturday, when they head to the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY, for a three-team meet. The competition will feature the host school, as well as the Blue Jays' fellow Centennial Conference member, Muhlenberg.
Saturday's meet will start at 6 p.m. ET and Sunday's at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Johns Hopkins at Messiah Live Video
Johns Hopkins at Merchant Marine Live Video

Fencing
Both the Johns Hopkins men's and women's fencing teams are in for a smorgasbord of competition this weekend.
The men will look to stay hot after going 5-0 at the Philadelphia Invitational with strong performances at the Duke Invitational on Saturday and the Drew Invitational on Sunday. The women, meanwhile, will put their endurance to the test during Sunday's EWFC Dual Meet Championship in New York, which will pit them against City College of NY, Hunter, Haverford, Stevens Tech, Drew and Yeshiva. The Blue Jays are looking to take home their fifth consecutive conference title on Sunday.