Feb. 5, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Following nearly a month of preseason preparations, the University of Maryland softball team opens the program's 15th season Friday at the Florida Atlantic Kick-Off Classic in Boca Raton, Fla. The Terrapins commence their 2009 campaign by taking on five squads this weekend in their season-opening tournament, including a pair of ranked opponents.

The Terps face No. 24 Massachusetts at 4 p.m. Friday before playing tournament host Florida Atlantic at 8 p.m. the same evening. A game against Long Island at 11 a.m. Saturday precedes a showdown with No. 5/8 Michigan at 1 p.m. Maryland wraps up its opening weekend by taking the field against Pittsburgh at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Each of the Kick-Off Classic's 15 total contests will be played in the FAU Softball Stadium. The games can be followed on Gametracker on fausports.com or by clicking the following link: 2009 FAU Kick-Off Classic

For the Terps, which have been conducting preseason practices since Jan. 12, the Kick-Off Classic represents an initial opportunity to gauge where the team stands at the start of its 53-game 2009 season.

Maryland returns seven letterwinners from a squad that orchestrated the third-winningest season in school history in 2008 by posting 36 victories, including a school-record 16-game win streak. P Sarah Dooley led the Terps in wins (16), strikeouts (179) and innings pitched (206.1) last season, and she is joined by IF Breanna Shaw and 3B/U Devon Williams as the team's senior leaders heading into 2009.

Three other 2008 starters are back in P/U Kerry Hickey, SS Alex Schultz and OF Niki Lau. Hickey served as a dual threat on the mound and at the plate season, compiling a 4-0 record and 2.48 ERA, while also batting .292 with 45 hits, four home runs and 31 RBIs.

Although Maryland lost nine letterwinners from a year ago, the team welcomes 10 newcomers for the 2009 season, including five freshman, four transfers and one walk-on.

"We have a nice blend of talented returning players and promising new players who should all contribute toward our team's success," said head coach Laura Watten, who has 101 career wins at Maryland entering her fourth year. "The FAU Kick-Off Classic should provide us with a strong indication of where we stand entering the season."

The Terps enjoyed a fast start to their 2008 season during last year's Kick-Off Classic, winning three of their four tournament contests, including the program's first-ever victory over Michigan. Hickey picked up a pair of victories on the mound and tallied six hits during those four games. Dooley earned her first win of the season, and Lau and Schultz both contributed a pair of RBIs.

Scouting the Competition
The Terrapins face a strong slate of opponents this weekend. Massachusetts, Michigan and Long Island each qualified for the NCAA regional tournament last season. The Minutewomen, who like Maryland won 36 games a year ago, have claimed four consecutive Atlantic-10 Conference championships and are led by three-time Easton All-American P Brandice Balschmiter. The Wolverines won 52 games in 2008 en route to a share of the Big Ten title and a NCAA Super Regional appearance. They feature a trio of USA Softball National Collegiate Play of the Year preseason watch list candidates - P Jordan Taylor, P Nikki Nemitz and OF Angela Findlay.

Series Histories
Maryland has experienced considerable success versus Long Island (8-1 all-time), but less success against Florida Atlantic (2-5) and Michigan (1-6). The Terps have even series records against both Massachusetts and Pittsburgh, both at 1-1 all-time.

Did You Know
The Feb. 6 season-opener marks the Terps' earliest start date since the 2000 team opened its season on Feb. 4 of that year.

Terrapins Picked to Finish Sixth in ACC Preseason Poll
Maryland has been tabbed to finish sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference according to the preseason coaches' poll, the conference office announced Thursday. The Terps garnered 32 points in the annual poll. The 2009 ACC Preseason Softball Poll consists of votes by the league's eight head softball coaches. North Carolina (63 points), the reigning ACC regular season champions, has been selected to win the conference followed by Georgia Tech (48) and Virginia Tech (41).

2009 ACC Preseason Softball Poll