This past weekend proved to be one of extraordinary highs and staggering lows for the handful of Varsity Blues teams that have commenced their 2002-03 season in this early school year.

After an incredibly successful season where they won the OUA championship, the Varsity Blues baseball team started their 2002-03 season with three victories at Ninth Line Fields over the weekend.

It was a busy couple of days for the Blues, who played a pair of double-headers at home against McMaster and the University of Waterloo. The season began on Saturday, as the visiting McMaster Marauders gave the Blues a tough time in game one of the double-header.

Despite an evenly played nine innings, the Blues slipped past the relentless Marauders 5-4. Game two of the double-header was a seemingly easier victory for U of T, as they shook off their opponents 5-1. Both teams showed signs of fatigue as the players battled under blistering sunlight for around six hours.

On Sunday afternoon, the Waterloo Warriors were in town to try and slow down the charging Blues. They did just that in game one, edging U of T 1-0 in a hard fought, defensively tight game. However, the loss became a rallying point for the highly experienced Blues, who came back and won game two 9-5.

The 3-1 record puts the team atop the OUA standings, tied with Waterloo and Laurier after one week of play. Next up on the slate for Blues baseball is a match on Wednesday against York before the team enters play at the Blue Jay Cup, which is being played at Vaughan Grove starting Friday, and concluding on Sunday.

Varsity Blues football had another disappointing result this week as they dropped the second game of their infant season to the Guelph Gryphons 32-16. The loss put the team’s record at 0-2, leaving them at the bottom of the OUA standings (tied with Laurier for last place).

The Blues put forth a valiant effort, far from the lacklustre affair that was their season opener against the Ottawa Gee Gees last Saturday.

The visiting Blues trailed 17-0 in the first quarter, but rallied to close the gap to one point (17-16). Quarterback Carter Livingstone had a very successful outing, connecting on 17 of 32 passes for 199 yards, while running back Templar Iga carried the ball 16 times for 106 yards and a touchdown.

The Gryphons, however, had plans of their own, scoring a quick pair of touchdowns to win the game. This weekend will see the football team return to Birchmount Stadium for a much-anticipated game against their cross-town rivals the York Yeomen on Saturday at 2 p.m.

In exhibition action, the women’s field hockey team was victorious twice, Saturday against Queen’s (2-1) and Sunday against the Guelph Alumni team (2-0), after a tough loss to the University of Alberta 1-0 on Friday. The OUA champions are hoping to defend their title this year, and their strong play over the weekend shows that they mean business.