COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Winners of seven of its last nine contests, the University of Maryland softball team plays host to five more games in Robert E. Taylor Stadium this weekend when they play host to the Maryland Invitational Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Terps' six-team, 15-game weekend competition brings Delaware, Fordham, Howard, Mount St. Mary's and Seton Hall to College Park. Maryland opens the tournament bearing its namesake at 3 p.m. Friday against Seton Hall. The Terps take on Delaware (1 p.m.) and Fordham (3 p.m.) Saturday and finishes Sunday against Mount St. Mary's (3 p.m.) and Howard (5 p.m.).

Maryland, which went 22-7 in Taylor Stadium last year and is off to a 4-1 start this season, is in the midst of a 17-game homestand running through the end of March. The five games as part of the Maryland Invitational represent the team's final tune-ups prior to the start Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Prior to Wednesday's 7-3 victory over local rival Towson, the Terps claimed the title at last weekend's Maryland Round Robin by winning three of their four games, including a decisive 10-2 victory over Dartmouth in the tournament's championship contest. Each of Maryland's three pitchers - senior Sarah Dooley, sophomore Kerry Hickey and freshman Kendra Knight - picked up a victory, with Hickey and Knight combining for the team's first no-hitter in three years last Saturday.

Hickey, junior Nadine Blackie and freshman Michelle Takeda shouldered the bulk of the load offensively for the Terps during the Maryland Round Robin. Blackie batted .538 (7-of-13) with four runs and two triples, Takeda hit .455 with two home runs and six RBIs and Hickey added seven hits during the four games.

Parking
Softball fans may park in Lot 4B, located just northwest of Taylor Stadium, free of charge for Wednesday's game starting at 4 p.m. and for Friday's tournament games starting at noon. Lot 4B also provides free parking all day Saturday and Sunday for Maryland Invitational attendees.

Last Time Out
The Terps claimed the championship last weekend at the Maryland Round Robin after finishing the four-team tournament with a 3-1 record. Maryland outscored its opponents by a combined total of 19 to 6, beating Dartmouth twice and Gardner-Webb once, while losing to Manhattan.

Pitchers Kerry Hickey (6-2) and Kendra Knight collaborated on a no-hitter as Maryland opened the Round Robin in impressive fashion, blanking Dartmouth, 6-0, Saturday for its first no-hitter since 2006. Freshman Michelle Takeda accounted for the Terps' biggest offensive outburst, belting a three-run home run over the left field wall during the sixth inning to push Maryland's advantage to six runs.

During their second game Saturday afternoon, the Terps fell to Manhattan, 4-2, despite a two-out seventh-inning rally. Freshman Kathy McLaughlin tripled to left field and scored on a single by sophomore Niki Lau. Consecutive singles by junior Nadine Blackie and Hickey produced another run before the comeback bid stalled.

Maryland notched its second shutout in four games by edging Gardner-Webb, 1-0, Sunday. Senior Sarah Dooley (2-5) allowed just four hits over five innings before handing the ball over to Hickey, who pitched the final two innings to earn her first save of the season. Blackie drove in the contest's lone run in the third inning when her double to left center scored McLaughlin, who led off the inning with a single.

The Terps establish season-best totals for runs and hits (15) during a 10-2 victory over Dartmouth in six innings during Sunday's championship game. Hickey (4-for-4) and Takeda (3-for-3) both were perfect at the plate, with Takeda launching her second home run in as many days, a two-run shot in the third inning. That run support was more than enough for Knight (1-3), who pitched five strong innings with seven strikeouts to earn her first collegiate victory.

Scouting the Competition
• Seton Hall (6-8), a member of the Big East Conference, is playing in the state of Maryland for the second consecutive week after participating in the UMBC Dawg Pound Invitational last weekend in Baltimore. Freshman Nicole Loewenstein paces the Pirates with 10 RBIs, and sophomore Michelle Reed is 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts.
• Delaware (2-4) had five of its 11 games cancelled due to inclement weather. The Blue Hens are led by Michelle Grap, who is batting .500, and fellow sophomore Anne Marie Pagano, who has gone the distance on the mound in each of her three starts this season.
• Fordham (8-8) beat reigning ACC champion Virginia Tech earlier this season. The Rams boast a team ERA of 2.03. Freshman Lindsey Kay Bright leads the team with a .392 average, and sophomore Jocelyn Dearborn has four home runs.
• Mount St. Mary's (1-9) earned its lone victory over Western Carolina March 1. The Mountaineers have been led by senior Amanda Burk, who is batting at a .355 clip.
• Howard (4-11) has won two of its last three contests. Junior Courtney Young and freshman Cierra Gordon both have a team-leading 15 hits thus far in 2009. Sophomore Jessica Hurston has earned three of the Bison's victories on the mound.

Series Histories
The Terps boast winning records versus four of their five opponents entering the Maryland Invitational, standing 11-3 all-time against Delaware, 7-0 against Mount St. Mary's, 2-1 against Seton Hall and 1-0 against Fordham. The victory over Rams occurred almost exactly a year ago, when Maryland overcame a six-run deficit to win a 13-12 thriller with a walk-off single by former Terrapin Sarde Stewart during the 2008 Maryland Invitational. The Terps' matchup with Howard Sunday during the tournament's final game marks the first meeting between the programs.

ACC Rankings
Several Maryland softball players rank among the best in the ACC in their respective top statistical categories.

Junior Nadine Blackie:
• Ranks third in the ACC in on-base percentage (.520), fourth in batting (.415), tied for fourth in triples (two) and tied for 10th in stolen bases (six).
Senior Sarah Dooley:
• Ranks first in the ACC in saves (two) and tied for seventh in games started (eight).
Sophomore Kerry Hickey:
• Ranks first in the ACC in relief appearances (13), first in games finished pitching (12), second in appearances (17), fifth in strikeouts (66), tied for fifth in wins (six), and sixth in innings pitched (61.1). Offensively she is tied for 10th in hits (21).
Freshman Kendra Knight:
• Ranks fourth in the ACC in opponents' batting average (.170) and 10th in strikeouts (45).
Senior Breanna Shaw:
• Ranks tied for third in the ACC in doubles (four), 10th in batting (.396) and tied for 10th in hits (21).
Freshman Michelle Takeda:
• Ranks tied for fifth in the ACC in home runs (three).
Senior Devon Williams:
• Ranks tied for first in the ACC in sacrifice bunts (five).

Did You Know
Sophomore Kerry Hickey has made an appearance as a pitcher in 17 of Maryland's first 19 games this season, with all but four of her appearances coming in relief. If the Huntingtown, Md., native continues at her current pace, she would break the school record for single-season pitching appearances - 50 by former Terrapin Kelly Shipman in 1999. Fellow pitcher Kendra Knight, a freshman, has surrendered just two extra-base hits in 26.2 innings pitched this season. She is the only pitcher in the ACC (minimum one inning pitched per team game) to have not allowed a home run in 2009.

Up Next
Following its five games during the Maryland Invitational, the Terrapins commence ACC action by playing host to No. 15 North Carolina for a three game series in Robert E. Taylor Stadium. The Terps and Tar Heels play at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, and at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 22.