Like many college students during spring break, the members of the Georgetown baseball team ventured south to escape the brutal winter.

Yet, unlike those same students, the Georgetown baseball squad spent most of its week hard at work.

Last week, the Hoyas traveled to Winter Park, Fla., to participate in the Rollins Baseball Classic. Though the Hoyas may not have spent the week sipping margaritas at the beach, they did leave the Sunshine State with a worthy souvenir, as they were crowned co-champions of the tournament.

“I was very pleased we got a chunk of the championship,” Head Coach Pete Wilk said. “It’s quite an accomplishment.”

The classic consisted of three other teams: the University of Pennsylvania, Maine University and host Rollins College. Since the tournament was played in a round-robin format, the Hoyas matched up against each team multiple times, enabling them to get some ample experience in preparation for Big East play.

“We were able to play baseball for seven to eight days, so that was huge,” Wilk said. “And we played pretty good.”

The Blue and Gray finished the tournament with a 4-3 record, recording victories over all three of their adversaries. Most impressively, the Hoyas showed poise in close-game situations, as all four of their victories were decided by a margin of fewer than four runs.

In seven games, the Hoyas racked up nearly 50 runs, averaging seven per contest. Their most impressive offensive day came in a game against Ivy League power Penn, as consistent hitting propelled them to a 13-11 victory.

After piling up four runs in the first four innings, the Georgetown bats exploded for seven runs in the fifth. Junior catcher Erick Fernandez started the hit parade with a lead-off solo homerun. After two singles, the Hoyas capitalized on a Quaker error, driving in two runs and evening up the score at six apiece.

The Hoyas would rack up four more runs and three more hits in the inning, including a two-run single from junior designated hitter Dan Godefroi. Georgetown tacked on two more runs in the later innings to secure the win.

The Hoyas’ collective success throughout the week translated into individual accolades for many Georgetown players, as the Hoyas had five members named to the all-tournament team. Junior first baseman Dan Capeless, senior shortstop Tom Elliott, sophomore DH Rand Ravnaas, senior pitcher Tim Adleman and sophomore pitcher Will Harris all made the squad.

“There’s a lot of tradition for this tournament so I was very pleased for those five,” Wilk said. “It’s huge.”

This week the Hoyas returned to the Hilltop for their home opener, and the offense struggled mightily against local rival George Mason, who defeated the Blue and Gray 4-1.

As they head into their final week before Big East play, the Hoyas boast an 8-7 record.

Georgetown returns to action this afternoon, as they will make the cross-town commute to face the Colonials of George Washington.

“They’re competitive. We need to take care of business,” Wilk said.

Though he asserted that his team needs to execute on offense and stay strong on the mound, the Hoya skipper seemed fairly confident of his team’s chances.

“We need to play our game,” Wilk said. “And if we do, we should be fine against them.”

First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.