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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Following 15 consecutive road contests to open the 2009 season, the University of Maryland softball team makes its home debut by playing host to the Maryland Round Robin Saturday and Sunday in Robert E. Taylor Stadium.
The Terrapins' four-team home-opening tournament also features Dartmouth, Gardner-Webb and Manhattan. Maryland takes on Dartmouth (noon) and Manhattan (2 p.m.) Saturday followed by a matchup with Gardner-Webb (11 a.m.) Sunday. The Maryland Round Robin concludes with consolation and championship games scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday.
The Maryland Round Robin is free and open to the public. Live stats for each of the Terps' tournament games will be available via Gametracker.
For the Terps, the Maryland Round Robin represents the first four of 17 consecutive home games through the end of March. Maryland, which won 22 of its 29 home games a year ago, plays more than 75 percent (31 of 40) of its remaining regular season games within the friendly confines of Taylor Stadium.
"After spending the first month of the season on the road, we are excited to have an opportunity to play in Taylor Stadium in front of our home fans," head coach Laura Watten said. "Our team has been developing nicely the past two tournaments, and we look forward to seeing what we can do in the Maryland Round Robin."
Senior Breanna Shaw and sophomore Kerry Hickey, who serve as team captains along with senior Devon Williams, have been instrumental to the team's success thus far in 2009. Shaw's team-leading batting average (.405) is good for sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and she also paces the squad with 17 hits, seven runs and 22 total bases.
Hickey has pitched her way to victory in one-third of Maryland's games played thus far, compiling a 5-2 record with a team-leading 2.40 ERA. She sits atop the ACC in total appearances (13), relief appearances (10) and games finished pitching (eight). A two-way player, Hickey also ranks second on the team behind Shaw in hits (14) and total bases (19).
Last Time Out
Maryland (6-9) concluded last weekend's Stetson University Hatter Classic with a 3-1 record, beating Centenary College twice and tournament host Stetson once. The Terps tied their season-best run total during their tournament-opening 8-3 win over Centenary College, and Maryland's pitching staff posted its first shutout of the season during the ensuing rematch, a 3-0 victory.
Senior Breanna Shaw swung a hot bat throughout the Hatter Classic, hitting at a .667 clip (8-for-12) with three runs and two RBIs. The Ellenwood, Ga., native tallied three multi-hit games during the Terps' four contests, raising her team leading batting average to .405. Sophomore Niki Lau added four hits, two runs and two RBIs during the quartet of games.
Sophomore Kerry Hickey earned all three Maryland's victories on the mound to improve her overall record to 5-2. The right-hander from Huntingtown, Md., pitched 14.1 innings during the Hatter Classic, allowing just four earned runs while striking out 14 to lower her team-leading ERA to 2.40. Senior Sarah Dooley added a pair of saves for the Terps.
Scouting the Competition
• Dartmouth (3-2) opened its season at the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament last weekend. The Big Green, a member of the Ivy League, boasts a team batting average (.259) that is nearly identical to that of Maryland (.257).
• Junior Alyssa Parker leads Dartmouth in most offensive categories, including batting (.533), hits (eight), home runs (two), RBIs (five) and total bases (14). Freshman Kat Hicks (1-0, 2.61 ERA) pitched 6.2 scoreless innings during her only start of the season during a Feb. 28 over Colgate.
• Gardner-Webb (4-6), which had its most recent game snowed-out, has pounded out 75 hits through its first 10 contests, including 18 for extra bases. Five members of the Bulldogs are batting better than .300.
• Junior Christa Fullwood has recorded hits in 16 of her first 29 at-bats this season (.552) and leads the Bulldogs in doubles (three), triples (two) and RBIs (eight). Fellow junior Christine Murray has 32 strikeouts and a pair of wins in 24.1 innings pitched.
• Manhattan opens its season at the Maryland Round Robin. The Jaspers, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), return 16 letterwinners from a year ago.
• Senior Danielle Just led Manhattan with three home runs and 12 RBIs last season, while sophomore Kristina Walraven was named team MVP in 2008 after pacing the squad in batting average (.319), hits (43), runs (18) and stolen bases (11). Sophomore Melissa Donnelly was the ace of the Jaspers' pitching staff last season, compiling seven wins and an ERA of 3.15.
Series Histories
The Terps are playing each of their three opponents in the Maryland Round Robin (Dartmouth, Gardner-Webb and Manhattan) for the first time in the program's 15-year history.
ACC Rankings
Several Maryland softball players currently rank among the best in the ACC in their respective top statistical categories. Following her big weekend at the plate, senior Breanna Shaw ranks sixth in batting (.405), tied for eighth in hits (17) and 10th in on-base percentage (.468). Fellow senior Devon Williams sits tied atop the conference in sacrifice bunts (four), and junior Nadine Blackie stands eighth in on-base percentage (.486) and tied for ninth in stolen bases (five). Pitching-wise, sophomore Kerry Hickey has been extremely productive on the mound for the Terps. She ranks first in relief appearances (10), first in games finished (eight), tied for first in total appearances (13), tied for fourth in wins (five), fifth in innings pitched (49.2) and tied for fifth in strikeouts (46). Senior Sarah Dooley stands first in saves (two), tied for seventh in games started (seven) and tied for 10th in complete games (two). Freshman Kendra Knight ranks ninth in opponents' batting average (.211).
Did You Know
Maryland's outfield - which consists of junior Nadine Blackie, sophomore Niki Lau and freshmen Vangie Galindo, Michelle Takeda and Kathy McLaughlin - has combined to commit just two errors through the first 15 games of the 2009 season.
Up Next
Following the Maryland Round Robin, the Terps hold their non-tournament home opener Wednesday against local rival Towson. Game time is set for 5 p.m. in Robert E. Taylor Stadium.
