Terps Set To Open Season At Kickin' Chicken Classic
2/5/2015 3:45:00 PM | Softball
COLLEGE PARK, Md.—The Maryland softball team kicks off its 2015 campaign this weekend at the Costal Carolina Kickin' Chicken Classic. The Terps will look to start strong, facing Virginia Tech, Lafayette and Coastal Carolina for a total of five games this weekend.
Due to weather conditions, the schedule has been revised as the following, the classic opens on Friday beginning with a Noon meeting with Virginia Tech. Maryland then faces Lafayette at 10 a.m. and Virginia Tech at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The classic rounds up with a double-header on Sunday starting with an 11:45 a.m. meeting with Costal Carolina. The second game of the double header will start at 2:15 p.m.
This Weekend on the Diamond
Maryland takes on Virginia Tech, Lafayette and Costal Carolina in the Kickin' Chicken Classic. All games will be played at the Costal Carolina University (CCU) Softball Stadium. For more information on the tournament, visit the Kickin' Chicken Classic tournament site.
Fri, Feb. 06 Virginia Tech 12:00 p.m. Live Stats
Sat, Feb. 07 Lafayette 10:00 a.m. Live Stats
Sat, Feb. 07 Virginia Tech 12:30 p.m. Live Stats
Sun, Feb. 08 Costal Carolina 11:45 a.m. Live Stats
Sun, Feb. 08 Costal Carolina 2:15 p.m. Live Stats
A Look at Maryland
- Maryland opens its 2015 campaign this weekend at the Kickin' Chicken Classic
- The Terps return 18 players from last season and welcome five freshman to the fold.
- The Terrapins boast a roster of depth, experience and talent, with seven seniors, five juniors, six sophomores and five freshmen on the roster.
- Senior Shannon Bustillos returns her bat to the lineup this season. She hit .336 with five home runs last season. Kaitlyn Schmeiser also returns for the Terps as the ace of the pitching staff.
- Maryland is coming off of an 11-35 2014 season with a 7-16 conference record. The Terps look to user in a new era, with the hire of a new coaching staff.
- Head coach Courtney Scott Deifel enters her first season at the helm of the Maryland softball program. Scott Deifel most recently served as an assistant coach for Louisville. She also served as an assistant coach for Maryland during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
- The 2015 season marks Maryland's inaugural season in the Big Ten Conference. In 2014, five Big Ten teams made the NCAA Regionals, with three teams advancing to the Super Regionals.
Scouting Virginia Tech
- Virginia Tech opens its 2015 campaign this weekend at the Kickin' Chicken Classic.
- Coming off an appearance in the NCAA tournament, the Hokies return 13 players from last season, including seven starters.
- Head coach Scot Thomas enters his 20th season with Virginia Tech. He enters the season with a 689-453 record.
- The Hokies were picked to finish fourth in the ACC in the 2015 Preseason Coaches' Poll.
- The Terps hold a 20-19 all-time series record over the Hokies. The two teams played three times last season, with Virginia Tech holding a 2-1 advantage.
Scouting Lafayette
- Lafayette opens its 2015 campaign this weekend at the Kickin' Chicken Classic.
- The Leopards are coming off of a 10-32 2014 season and 4-14 conference record.
- Head coach Jexx Varner returns to Lafayette for his second season.
- This weekend's match-up marks the first-ever meeting between the Terps and the Leopards.
Scouting Costal Carolina
- Costal Carolina opens its 2015 campaign this weekend at the Kickin' Chicken Classic.
- Last season the Chanticleers posted a 41-15 record while earning a second-straight Big South Conference regular-season championship.
- An experience group, Costal Carolina boasts a roster with six seniors, five juniors, one sophomore, and five freshmen.
- The Chanticleers are led by sixth year head coach Kelley Green. Green graduated from Northwestern in 1996.
- This weekend's match-up marks the first-ever meeting between the Terps and Chanticleers.
Road Warriors
The first 26 games of the 2015 season are road match-ups. The Terps travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C., Boca Raton, Fla., Palm Springs, Calif., Orlando, Fla., and Harrisonburg, Va. before returning home on March 14 to face Lafayette.
Looking Ahead
After this weekend's classic, the Terps head south to Florida for the FAU 'Strike-Out Cancer' Tournament. Maryland will play a total of five games against Providence, Drexel, Tulsa and host Florida Atlantic. The team's full schedule can be found here.
Event Multimedia
Live stats for all games can be found here. Also follow @TerpsSoftball all weekend for live updates and behind-the-scenes content of the first road trip of the season.
