Maryland's Saturday Doubleheader with Georgia Tech Moved to 11 a.m.
4/13/2007 8:00:00 AM | Softball
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April 13, 2007
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland and Georgia Tech, two teams jostling for position in the middle of the ACC standings, will square off this weekend at Robert E. Taylor Stadium, beginning with a Saturday doubleheader at 11 a.m. The Terrapins rank sixth in the conference with a 4-5 record, while the Yellow Jackets, ranked 24th in the country in the latest NFCA poll, are fourth in the ACC at 6-6.
The Terps hope to carry over their explosive hitting from Wednesday's doubleheader sweep of Georgetown, in which Maryland recorded six home runs and 22 runs in two games.
If nothing else, the series will not lack for offense. The Jackets and Terps rank first and second in the conference respectively in batting. Georgia Tech owns a .323 average, also good for 14th in the country, while Maryland stands at .284.
Five players in this weekend's series rank among the top ten in individual batting average in the conference, led by Georgia Tech's Caitlin Lever, who is tops in the conference, and sixth in the country, with a .503 average.
The senior from Amhurst, NY, also leads the ACC in hits with 50 and on base percentage (.567). Whitney Haller, Jennifer Yee, Aileen Morales, and Lever rank two through five in the conference in runs scored. The top ranked player? That would be Amber Jackson from Maryland.
The Terps will look to counteract the Jackets' dangerous bats, with strong hitting of their own, led by Jackson, who had three home runs Wednesday against Georgetown. Her 16 homers on the season easily make her the conference leader in that category. Savannah Brown, Lever, and Brittany Barnes rank one, two, and four in the ACC in runs batted in per game, but Jackson is third.
Maryland displayed a potent offense against the Hoyas, as Jackson, Lindsey Ubrun, Alex Schultz, and Stacey Jennings all homered in the two games.
The odds seem to favor the Yellow Jackets offensively, but Maryland has the edge in pitching. Maryland aces Jennings (2.12) and Meredith Nelles (2.32) rank eighth and tenth in the conference by ERA, while no Georgia Tech starter is in the top 10.
Savannah Brown was named the ACC player of the week for her work against Florida State. Brown led the Jackets to a 9-1 victory in six innings Friday night. She tallied three home runs and broke the school's single-game record with six runs. She currently ranks fourth all-time in Tech history with 29 career home runs.
Georgia Tech finished fourth in the conference a year ago with a 13-9 record, and swept the Terps in Maryland's ACC-opening series by scores of 4-1, 9-0, and 5-1. The Yellow Jackets own a slight edge in the all-time series 16-19.
