TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Winners of its last five Atlantic Coast Conference games, the University of Maryland softball team hits the road this weekend to take on No. 21 Florida State in a crucial three-game series at JoAnne Graf Field. The Terrapins and Seminoles take to the diamond Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. and close out the series Sunday at 1 p.m.

Maryland (20-17, 5-4) and Florida State (29-13, 5-4 ACC) enter the weekend tied for third in the conference standings behind first-place North Carolina and Georgia Tech. The Terps swept three games from host Virginia last weekend after winning the final two of a home series against NC State March 28-29. The Seminoles opened conference play by taking two-of-three from both North Carolina and Virginia, as well as a single victory over Georgia Tech.

The Terps, who stand 4-1 on the road this season, are no strangers to formidable competition. Prior to this weekend's showdown, the team already has played nine games against opponents ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 national poll - tied for the second most in the ACC behind NC State.

Led by junior Nadine Blackie, Maryland earned a split with 2008 NCAA Regional qualifier Hofstra Wednesday evening in Robert E. Taylor Stadium. Blackie enjoyed one of the best individual offensive performances in the program's recent history, batting 6-for-6 with three home runs and four RBIs during the pair of games. Her three long balls are the most by a Maryland player during a doubleheader since 2007 and her 15 total bases are the most by a Terp since 2006.

Senior Sarah Dooley secured her 10th win of the season during Wednesday's 4-2 victory over Hofstra, pitching six strong innings. The Terrapin right-hander now has won nine of her last 10 decisions, having limited the opposition to two runs or less in each of her last four appearances.

In Florida State, Maryland is facing one of the best pitching staffs in the ACC this weekend. The Seminoles, who boast a home record of 18-4, rank second in the conference with a team ERA of 1.41.

Each game of this weekend's three-game series with the Seminoles will be streamed live over the Internet by ACC Select.

Last Time Out
Nadine Blackie enjoyed a career day at the plate Wednesday, batting 6-for-6 with three home runs and four RBIs, as the Maryland softball team earned a split with Hofstra in Taylor Stadium. The Terrapins claimed a 4-2 victory in the first game but fell to the Pride in the nightcap, 5-1.

During Wednesday's first contest, Blackie registered the first multi-home run game of the season by a Maryland player, blasting a solo shot to right field in the first inning and connecting on two-run homer to center in the fifth. In between the long balls, she added an infield single in the third inning.

The second half of the twin bill saw Blackie go deep yet again during the first inning, this time to left center, enabling her to double her career home run total entering Wednesday's action to six. She tallied singles to left field in her final two at bats and also stole a base.

Whereas Blackie bolstered the team offensively, Sarah Dooley (10-6) contributed another strong performance on the mound during Wednesday's first game to claim her 10th victory of the season. The veteran right-hander scattered five hits in six innings of work, allowing just two earned runs. Sophomore Kerry Hickey relieved Dooley and struck out the side in the ninth inning for her conference-leading third save of the season.

In addition to Blackie's display of power, the Terps were able to manufacture a run during Wednesday's first game thanks to some aggressive baserunning. When senior Devon Williams notched an infield single with two outs in the second inning, junior Alex Schultz hustled all the way from first to third. The ensuing play saw Williams steal second base and Schultz get caught in a rundown, avoiding a tag long enough to induce an error and cross home plate, stretching the lead to 2-0.

Blackie's second home run of the game, a two-run blast that easily cleared the center field fence, proved important when Hofstra tallied two runs of its own in the top of the sixth. But Hickey closed the door on Hofstra (17-13) in the seventh inning, enabling Maryland to extend its win streak to a season-long six games by beating the Pride's ace pitcher, senior Kayleigh Lotti (11-5).

During the second half of the doubleheader, Blackie's third home run of the day proved not to be enough, as Hofstra generated three runs in the second and added a run apiece in both the fourth and fifth innings. Hickey (9-5) took the loss after surrendering four earned runs in four innings on the mound.

Scouting the Competition
• No. 21 Florida State is coming off a tough 4-3 loss Wednesday to No. 1 Florida, but still has won five of its last seven games. The Seminoles stand 18-4 at home this season.
• The Seminoles rank second in the ACC in pitching (1.41 ERA), second in strikeouts (377), second in opponents' batting average (.195), tied for second in hits (302), third in doubles (41), fourth in runs (191).
• Senior Kaleigh Rafter leads Florida State in batting (.354), doubles (nine), home runs (eight) and total bases (80). Junior Carly Wynn is batting .319 with 17 extra-base hits and a team-best 29 RBIs. She also has succeeded in all 14 of her stolen base attempts.
• Junior Terese Gober and sophomore Sarah Hamilton both have been strong on the mound for the Seminoles this season. Gober stands 18-8 with a 1.33 ERA while Hamilton is 11-5 with an ERA of 1.12. That duo has combined for 19 complete games and 11 shutouts.

Series History
Although Florida State has commanded the all-time series between the teams, Maryland took two of three games from the Seminoles last season in Taylor Stadium thanks to a pair of late-inning rallies. Kerry Hickey batted .375 (3-for-8) with two runs during the series, and Sarah Dooley pitched seven innings of one-run ball to earn the victory in the series finale. Each of the last four games between the Terps and Seminoles has been decided by three runs or less.

ACC Rankings
The Terps currently stand first in the ACC in saves (six), second in fewest hits allowed (186), tied for second in triples (nine), third in batters struck out (258), third in opponent's batting average (.203), fourth in batting (.276), fourth in fielding percentage (.968), fourth in hits (267), fourth in doubles (32) and fourth in slugging percentage (.389). Additionally, several Maryland softball players rank among the best in the ACC in their respective top statistical categories.

Junior Nadine Blackie:
• Ranks seventh in the ACC in on-base percentage (.458), tied for seventh in triples (two), eighth in batting (.356), eighth in slugging percentage (.622), tied for ninth in home runs (six) and tied for 13th in stolen bases (nine).
Senior Sarah Dooley:
• Ranks tied for second in the ACC in saves (two), seventh in hits allowed (73), tied for eighth in wins (10), tied for ninth in appearances (22), 10th in opponents' batting average (.221) and tied for 11th in games started (14).
Sophomore Kerry Hickey:
• Ranks first in the ACC in saves (three), first in relief appearances (17), first in games finished pitching (16), tied for third in appearances (28), sixth in strikeouts (112), seventh in opponent's batting average (.196), 10th in ERA (2.34), 10th in innings pitched (104.2) and tied for 10th in wins (nine). Offensively, Hickey stands fourth in at bats (125), tied for eighth in hits (39) and tied for 10th in doubles (six).
Freshman Kendra Knight:
• Ranks second in the ACC in fewest hits allowed (39), sixth in opponents' batting average (.188) and 11th in strikeouts (81).
Freshman Kathy McLaughlin:
• Ranks fourth in the ACC in triples (four).
Senior Breanna Shaw:
• Ranks tied for fifth in the ACC in doubles (seven) and 11th in batting (.342).
Junior Alex Schultz
• Ranks tied for third in the ACC hits by pitch (seven).
Freshman Michelle Takeda:
• Ranks tied for ninth in the ACC in home runs (six).
Senior Devon Williams:
• Ranks first in the ACC in sacrifice bunts (eight).

Did You Know
Junior Nadine Blackie's performance during Wednesday's doubleheader with Hofstra drew comparisons to former Terrapin Amber Jackson, arguably the most prolific offensive player in team history. Blackie's three home runs during Wednesday's twin bill are the most by a Maryland player in a doubleheader since Jackson also went deep three times during a pair of wins over Georgetown on April 11, 2007. Blackie's 15 total bases during the doubleheader are the most since former Maryland player Lindsay Ubrun also had that many during a split with Boston College on April 22, 2006. Blackie is now one of four Terps to record a multi-home run game during the Laura Watten era, joining Jackson (5), Ubrun (2) and Sarde Stewart (2).

Up Next
Following its three-game series at Florida State, the Terrapins return home to commence a seven-game homestand. Maryland opens that streak by playing host to a doubleheader with George Washington on Wednesday, April 15, starting at 5 p.m. in Taylor Stadium.