April 26, 2005
MARYLAND (20-17, 4-8 ACC) hosts TOWSON (28-14, 8-2 CAA)
Wednesday, April 27, 2005 | 6 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Terrapin Softball Complex | College Park, Md.
Game Notes
The Maryland softball team will play a 6 p.m. non-conference doubleheader with Towson Wednesday at the Terrapin Softball Complex. The Terps will remain at home for the rest of the season, including the 2005 ACC Tournament which will take place from May 12-15 in College Park. The Tigers come into Wednesday's matchup having won nine of their last 10 games, while Maryland is looking to get back in the win column after dropping a three-game series to North Carolina over the weekend.
NOTING THE TERRAPINS
Maryland (20-17, 4-8 ACC) was swept by North Carolina in its home-opening conference series with North Carolina last weekend. With three ACC games left on is schedule, Maryland is in sixth place in the conference standings.
Pitcher Crystal Crews (4-6) was charged with two losses despite maintaining a 1.08 ERA over 13 innings pitched. The junior's playing time has steadily increased after returning to the lineup following a preseason knee injury and will look to finish her debut season strong.
With four conference victories, Maryland has improved on or matched its ACC win totals from each of the last five years. The best conference mark in school history came in 1999, when Maryland compiled a 10-2 ACC record en route to a school-record 51 victories and appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Lindsay Klein continues to lead the Terps offensively, hitting at a .308 clip. Her batting average is tied for sixth-best in the conference and she also appears in the ACC's top 10 lists for hits (37), home runs (4), doubles (7), runs batted in (23), total bases (58) and slugging percentage (.483).
Keri Lounge has also been a standout on offense, as she is the only other Terrapin with multiple home runs (4) and leads the team with 27 RBI.
As a duo, Klein and Lounge have accounted for 50 of the team's 110 RBIs (45 percent) and eight of Maryland's 13 home runs. Batting in the heart of the Terrapin lineup, the pair has been clutch during scoring opportunities, as Klein is hitting .359 and Lounge is batting .357 with runners on base.
Lauren Pollock continues to make the most out of her plate appearances, as she is third on the team with 14 runs batted in despite having the second-fewest number of at-bats of the Terrapin starters. Pollock also ranks first among Terrapin starters with a .429 batting average with runners in scoring position and came up with a seventh-inning single in a pinch hitting appearance in the series finale against the Tar Heels.
The other Terp in double digits for RBI is outfielder Jenny Belak, who has totaled 10 on the year.
The depth of the Terrapin pitching staff continues to show as all four hurlers have at least four victories. Elyse Lucas has a team-best ERA of 1.43, while Jessica Aditays leads the team with 68 strikeouts. Abbey Welch, meanwhile, has earned six victories - including wins over ranked teams Missouri and Georgia.
Maryland will play the remainder of its regular season games at the Terrapin Softball Complex, where it has a 7-4 record in 2005. The ACC Softball Championship will also be held in College Park from May 12-15.
RECAPPING THE NORTH CAROLINA SERIES
The Terrapins were led offensively by Crystal Tweedy and Keri Lounge against North Carolina, as Tweedy notched three hits, including a double, and Lounge hit her team-high tying fourth home run of the year. Lounge's two RBI off the long ball upped her season total to 27.
Close games continue to not go in the Terrapins' favor, as Maryland lost the three games to North Carolina by a total of four runs (0-1, 2-3 and 1-3).
The second game of the series, which North Carolina won in 12 innings, tied the Terps' longest conference game in history. The 12-inning, three-hour game stretched over two days because it was halted Saturday due to heavy rain and resumed on Sunday.
HOME RUN CLUB
Seven different Terrapins have hit home runs in 2005, already eclipsing last year's total of different players. Seniors Nneka Cardoza, Lauren Pollock and Crystal Rizzuto, juniors Natalie Grossman and Nikki Smith and sophomores Lindsay Klein and Keri Lounge have all homered so far this season. Klein and Lounge are tied for the team lead with four home runs apiece.
TERPS IN THE ACC RANKINGS
Several Terrapins are at or near the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference top 10 lists. Lindsay Klein ranks sixth in the conference for batting average and also appears in the top 10 for home runs, hits, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage and doubles.
Keri Lounge leads the league for runs batted in and Nneka Cardoza is listed for runs scored and walks per game.
Pitcher Elyse Lucas has the fifth-best ERA in the ACC and averages nearly seven strikeouts per game - good for seventh place in the league. Jessica Aditays is averaging over six K's per game, which ranks eighth in the ACC. Crystal Crews, meanwhile, has the ninth-best ERA in the conference.
THREE IS A MAGIC NUMBER
Three seems to be the decisive digit for the Terrapin offense. So far in 2005, the Terps have compiled an 18-0 record when they score at least three runs. All 17 of Maryland's losses have come in games that it has scored two runs or less.
FRESH FACES
Head coach Gina LaMandre's squad welcomes seven new faces in 2005. Freshmen Jenny Belak, Meghan Booth, Medley McGuire and Whitney Reigel are the Terps' class of 2008, while sophomore Abbey Welch joins the program from Longwood University and juniors Nikki Smith and Crystal Crews come to College Park from Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce, Fla.
Welch (6-4) has made an immediate impact, as the versatile sophomore has seen time at pitcher and in the outfield. The La Plata, Md., native gave the Terrapins their first victory of the year with an outstanding pitching performance against Missouri (Feb. 19). She notched two more victories at the Red and Black Challenge against UNC Greensboro (March 4) and then-No. 13/17 Georgia (March 5). Welch's most impressive performance to date came at the Florida State Invitational, where she one-hit St. Joseph's (March 13) and picked up two victories. Most recently, Welch held Villanova (March 30) scoreless in her three innings of relief work to pick up the win. In 2005, Welch has a team-high tying six victories, 43 strikeouts and two saves.
Also excelling in the pitcher's circle is Crews (4-6). The junior fireballer returned from an autumn knee injury and has pitched extremely well in her 10 starts.
Smith has started 32 of the Terps' first 37 games behind the plate and hit her first career home run on Feb. 19 vs. Penn State. The junior is hitting .248 on the year with five doubles and six RBI.
Belak has seen extensive action in the outfield and had her first career RBI in the Terps' 3-2 win over Missouri on Feb. 19. The rookie has scored 14 runs and has stolen a team-high six bases. She hit the game-winning single against Georgia on March 4 and posted her first-career multiple-hit game against Mount St. Mary's on March 19. In her ACC debut, Belak tallied three RBI and a stolen base in the three-game series at Virginia Tech. She notched a career-high three RBI in the Terps' 5-0 win over Villanova and hit her first career triple on April 6 vs. Delaware State. Recently, the right fielder went a career-best 3-for-3 at the plate in the first game of the series at Virginia.
TERPS BY THE NUMBERS
330
Career coaching victories by Terps' head coach Gina LaMandre
27
Keri Lounge has batted in a team-high 25 runs
12
Maryland plays its last 12 regular-season games at the Terrapin Softball Complex
7
Seven different Terrapins have hit home runs in 2005
7
The Terps have faced seven opponents in 2005 that have either been ranked or receiving votes in the top 25 polls
4
Against those opponents, Maryland has earned four victories
SCOUTING TOWSON
Towson will play a Tuesday night doubleheader at Mount St. Mary's before visiting the TSC. The Tigers have compiled a 28-14 record (8-2 CAA).
Leading the Tigers offensively is Keely Walsh, Jeanne Bosch and Katie Mumbauer. Walsh is batting a team-high .313 with 15 RBI, while Bosch has hit four home runs and batted in a team-high 24 runs. Mumbauer, meanwhile, hits at a .303 clip and has stolen a team-high eight bases. Jessica Fisher and Jessica Wides lead the Tiger pitchers, as Fisher has a team-best 13-5 record and 1.58 ERA, while Wides has a 10-6 record and has struck out 89 batters.
Towson head coach Lisa Costello is in her 10th season leading the Tigers.
Maryland leads the all-time series with Towson, 15-6, in games dating back to the 1997 season. Maryland has won four straight in the series, including a pair of 3-1 victories last season at Towson.
LAST TIME OUT: MARYLAND 1, NORTH CAROLINA 3
North Carolina (35-23, 8-7 ACC) got an early one-run lead in the series finale at the Terrapin Softball Complex after capitalizing on two Maryland fielding errors in the second inning.
Maryland (20-17, 4-8 ACC) fought back to tie the score at 1-1 in the fifth inning. Crystal Rizzuto started the rally with a single up the middle, and pinch runner Meghan Booth advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Natalie Grossman. A Nneka Cardoza single moved Booth to third base and a North Carolina fielding error on a ground ball off the bat of Crystal Tweedy scored Booth to tie the game.
A Tar Heel home run again to be the difference in the game, as Jennifer Jacobs' two-run shot to center field put North Carolina up 3-1.
Elyse Lucas (4-4) pitched seven innings and allowed five hits and two earned runs in the loss, while Crystal Cox got her third win of the series and improved to 19-14.
Cardoza led Maryland in game two with a double and a single, while Lounge, Rizzuto and Lauren Pollock also had hits for the Terps.
ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS: OUR HOUSE
The Terrapins' 2005 schedule is highlighted by being selected to host the ACC Softball Tournament from May 12-15. The Terrapin Softball Complex, now in its third full season as the home of the Terps, will provide an outstanding facility for the conference tournament. The Terps are 7-4 on their home field so far this season.
TERPS PICKED SIXTH IN PRESEASON POLL
As determined by a preseason vote of the league's head coaches, the Terrapins were picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Florida State was tabbed the preseason favorite, followed by Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
CALLAWAY RETURNS TO MARYLAND AS ASSISTANT COACH
Former Terrapin infielder Jillian Callaway, a 2003 University of Maryland graduate, joined the staff of her former team as an assistant coach in August 2004. A standout for the Terrapin softball team from 1999-2003, Callaway finished her career on Maryland's all-time top 10 list for games played (195) and started (189), hits (128) and RBI (63).
Callaway joins former teammate Michelle Burrell on head coach Gina LaMandre's staff. Burrell, a 2001 Maryland graduate, was an outstanding outfielder for the Terps from 1998-2001 and is in her fourth season as an assistant coach.
UP NEXT
Maryland hosts its final conference series of the year when it welcomes Georgia Tech to the Terrapin Softball Complex on Friday and Saturday. Friday's doubleheader starts at 5 p.m., while Saturday's single game is at 1 p.m.
Fans should note that Saturday, April 30, is Maryland Day. Thousands of visitors will be taking advantage of the opportunity to visit campus. Parking is free on campus and the best lots to park in for the softball game are 4B (on the north side of Comcast Center) or other lots surrounding Comcast Center.
EMAIL STRAIGHT TO YOU
If you would like the latest Maryland softball news sent directly to you as soon as it breaks, email softball contact Amy Mulligan at mulligan@umd.edu with "Softball Email" as the subject and you will automatically receive every update on the team.
