March 7, 2007

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - After three weeks and fifteen games on the road, the Maryland softball team returns home this weekend to host the Maryland Invitational, a five team tournament which will run from Friday through Sunday. Admission and parking will be free all weekend.

Maryland will welcome Rhode Island, Louisville, Central Connecticut, and Princeton to Robert E. Taylor Stadium. The tournament kicks off 10:00 a.m. Friday when Princeton takes on Central Connecticut, and games will continue throughout the day Friday and Saturday starting every two hours.

Bracket play is scheduled for Sunday, with the top two seeds playing for the championship at 1 p.m. See the Maryland Invitational Link on the softball page for the complete schedule.

The Terrapins play back-to-back games on Friday, at 4 p.m. versus Rhode Island, and at 6 p.m. versus Louisville. On Saturday, Maryland plays host to Princeton at 1 p.m. and Central Connecticut at 5 p.m.

The Terps were nearly washed out of South Florida last week, but earned a 2-2 split against tough competition despite some difficult scheduling changes due to the rain. Maryland defeated Central Michigan 3-2, and rallied together for a 5-4 come from behind win over Auburn.

The Terps trailed 3-1 in the fifth inning of that game when it was postponed over night due to rain. When play resumed, the Terps scored four runs in three innings to grab the win in dramatic fashion.

Despite not yet having played a home game, Maryland currently stands at 7-8. The next part of the schedule appears to be more forgiving, however, as 12 of the Terps' next 14 games will be played within the friendly confines of Robert E. Taylor Stadium.

Head Coach Laura Watten said she is looking for the team to be consistent. "We've set a level of play for ourselves and proven we can play at a top ten level," she said. "Now we're just focused on getting there and staying there."

The Terps will look to achieve that focus against some challenging competition.

Rhode Island began their season last week at the Tar Heel Invitational, and will be looking for their first win of the season when they come to College Park. Freshman Melissa Wilson led the Rams a week ago with two home runs and three RBIs.

The Louisville Cardinals feature a deep and dangerous lineup, led by senior shortstop Courtney Moore, who has 12 hits, five RBIs and seven runs in thirteen games this year. Teammate Brittany York has recorded ten hits and seven RBIs. The Cardinals (6-7) began the season ranked 20th in the NFCA top 25 poll, and will look to get their season back on track in College Park.

Princeton also began their season last week at the Tar Heel Invitational, and they won their last two games to earn a 2-2 split. The Tigers have scored 23 runs through only four games this season.

Central Connecticut has begun the season 1-3, but hit the ball well last week at the Patriot Classic at George Mason. Pam Shifrin (.364), Karen Costes (.417) and Alison Rossi (.455) will look to continue their sweet swinging this weekend.

Catch both the Terps' games on Friday on WMUC Radio. Check out www.wmucradio.com when the Terps take on Rhode Island at 4 p.m., and listen to www.wmucsports.com for Maryland's 6 p.m. game against Louisville.

Click here for directions to Robert E. Taylor Stadium.