Feb. 15, 2012

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FAU Kick-Off Classic Central

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -

FAU Kick-Off Classic Info
• Fans can find Gametracker live stats links, team rosters, schedules and statistics all at FAU Kick-Off Classic Central.

Scouting The Terps
• Maryland opens the 2012 season Friday with it's 9 a.m. game vs. Long Island. The Terrapins are coming off of a 40-19 season, in which they finished third in the ACC and played host to NCAA Regionals.

• The Terrapins have fave seniors in this year's roster in Vangie Galindo, Kendra Knight, Bree Hanafin, Kathy McLaughlin and Sloane Van Meter.

• Head Coach Laura Watten returns seven starters and 12 letterwinners from last year's NCAA Regionals squad.

• Senior Vangie Galindo returns after one of the greatest seasons at the plate in Terrapin softball history. Her season average of .422 and 78 hits last year were both school records. Her current career batting average of .333 is the best in school history.

Scouting Long Island
• Long Island is 0-5 on the year after opening its season last weekend in Tampa. The Blackbirds were picked to finish fifth in the Northeast Conference.
• Maryland is 8-2 all-time vs. Long Island. In their most recent meetings, the Blackbirds beat the Terps, 1-0, in 2009.

Scouting No. 11 Michigan
• Michigan is 4-0 after opening its season last weekend at LSU's Tiger Classic. The Wolverines went to NCAA Regionals last year.
• Maryland is 1-8 all-time vs. Michigan. The Terps' lone win over the Wolverines was 2-0 in 10 innings in 2008. Most recently, Michigan beat Maryland 9-0 in six innings in 2010.

Scouting Wright State
• Wright State is 2-2 after beating Alabama State and Appalachian State last weekend in Auburn's Tiger Invitational.
• Maryland is 0-1 vs. Wright State, after falling to the Raiders 12-0 in 1995.

Scouting Florida Atlantic
• Tournament-host Florida Atlantic is 0-5 after last weekend's NTC Elite Invitational in Clermont, Fla.
• Maryland is 3-6 all-time vs. Florida Atlantic. The Terps have gone to the FAU Kick-Off Classic in the past two years. Last season, they beat the Owls 2-1 in eight innings.

Scouting No. 22 Kentucky
• No. 22 Kentucky is 1-3 on the season after falling three times to No. 12 UCLA last weekend in the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament in Los Angeles.
• Maryland is 1-2 all-time vs. Kentucky. The Terps beat the Wildcats 13-0 in 1999. Most recently, Kentucky beat Maryland 1-0 in 2010.

Play the Best
The Terrapins will play a strong schedule against a number of the nation's top teams.
• The Terps will play seven games against teams in this week's USA Today/NFCA Division I Coaches Top 25, including two at No. 2 Alabama in March.
• The Terps will battle six teams that competed in last year's NCAA championships. They will play 11 games against those teams.

Head Coach Laura Watten
Laura Watten returns for her seventh season at the helm of the up-and-coming Terrapin softballa program. Her current career record is 526-352 (.599) and her record at Maryland is 204-145 (.587). Below is a breakdown of just a few of her career highlights:

• Collegiate Record (14 years): 526-352 (.599)
• Record at Maryland (6 years): 204-145 (.587)
• Led the Terrapins to back-to-back NCAA Regionals appearances for the first time in school history
• Earned first postseason appearance since 1999
• 11 NFCA All-Region honorees
• Coach of 2007 Easton and NFCA All-American
• 11 All-ACC selections, including five first team
• Three All-ACC Tournament Team selections
• Coached 2011 ACC Pitcher of the Year Kerry Hickey
• Three ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District team members
• 17 All-ACC Academic Team members
• Four-time MEAC Coach of the Year (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005)
• 2005 NCAA South Regional Champion (led at-large team Bethune-Cookman to Super Regionals)
• 2005 Super Regional Appearance
• 2005 NFCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year

Three Named to Preseason All-ACC Team
Watten hired three new assistants prior to the 2012 season - Amber Jackson, Charlotte Morgan, and Kelly Kretschman.
• Jackson was one of the greatest hitters in Maryland softball history. Jackson transferred to Maryland for her senior year (2007) after playing her first three years at Bethune-Cookman College under Watten. In her one year as a Terrapin, she broke school records with 24 home runs, 56 RBI, and 55 walks. Her home run record led the NCAA that year. She was Maryland's second NFCA All-American and was named to the All-ACC First Team. After her career at Maryland, she played three years in the National Pro Fastpitch league for the Washington Glory and USSSA Pride. She 2007 MVP of the NPF and I received All-NPF honors in 2009.
• Morgan, an All-American pitcher at Alabama, plays for the USSSA Pride of the National Pro Fastpitch league. She played for the Crimson Tide from 2007-2010, winning SEC Player of the Year twice (2009, 2010). Morgan was named a first-team ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American and NFCA second-team All-American. She won the Lowes Senior Class award and was a top 10 finalist for USA Softball's Player of the Year honor. She helped lead the Tide to the Women's College World Series in 2008 and 2009. She was the NPF's No. 1 draft pick in 2010.
• She won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She served as an alternate for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Kretschman was a four-time NFCA All-American at Alabama from 1998-2001. As a freshman, she led the NCAA in home runs (25) and slugging percentage. She was named First Team All-SEC three times (1999, 2000, 2001). Kretschman helped lead the Tide to the 2000 Women's College World Series and was named to the All-WCWS Team. She is currently in her seventh season with the NPF.

Terps Picked to Finish No. 5 in ACC
Maryland was picked to finish fifth in the ACC, as voted by the league's head coaches.
• The Terrapins were one vote behind Virginia for fourth-place.
• In 2011, Maryland went 12-7 in ACC play for the most conference wins in a season in school history. The Terps finished third in the league after being picked to finish fifth. They advanced to the ACC Semifinals before falling to North Carolina.

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Media Information
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• GameTracker: Follow Terps games live in 2011 on your computer with GameTracker. Links for all games that will be available can be found at www.umterps.com.