COLLEGE PARK, Md.—The Maryland softball team returns to the diamond this weekend for a five-game stint at the Panther Invitational at Georgia State University. The Terps (2-3, 0-0 B1G) will continue their tough preseason slate as they take on #5 Alabama, host Georgia State, Miami (OH), and Mercer.

Maryland opens the tournament on Friday with an afternoon double-header against its second ranked opponent of the season No. 5 Alabama at 12:30 p.m. and Georgia State at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, Maryland will bout with Miami (OH) at 3:00 p.m. and Mercer at 5:30 p.m. The Terps and the No. 5 Crimson Tide will go at it for the second time in the weekend to wrap up the Panther Invitational on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. 

This Weekend On The Diamond

Maryland will travel to Hot-lanta for the first time since 2013 when the Terrapins took a trip to ACC-Rival Georgia Tech. This is Maryland's first ever trip to Georgia State. Games will be played at the Robert E Heck Softball Complex, which is located at 2401 Wildcat Road, Decatur, GA 30034. Live stats for each game are available here: Live Stats. Be sure to follow @TerpsSoftball on Twitter all weekend for live in-game updates and behind the scenes content as the Terps take on Atlanta.

Fri, Feb. 19      #5 Alabama                 12:30 p.m.       Live Stats

Fri Feb. 19       Georgia State              5:30 p.m.         Live Stats

Sat, Feb. 20     Miami (OH)                 3:00 p.m.          Live Stats

Sat, Feb. 20     Mercer                        5:30 p.m.          Live Stats

Sun, Feb. 21    #5 Alabama                10:00 am.         Live Stats

LEADING OFF

ROSTER | SCHEDULE 

• Maryland will continue its 2016 season this weekend at the Panther Invitational. The Terrapins went 2-3 at the Kajikawa Classic last weekend.
• The Terps return 15 players from last season and welcome five freshman to the fold.
• Team captains were voted upon this offseason, based on their position. They are- Juli Strange, Corey Schwartz, Sarah Calta, and Kristina Dillard.
• Senior Lindsey Schmeiser returns her bat to the lineup this season. She earned First Team All-Big Ten honors last year, hitting .369 with eleven home runs last season and a school record 21 doubles.
• Maryland is coming off of a 27-27 2015 season with a 9-14 conference record. The Terps look to improve on the .500 mark of a year ago, as they usher in a new coaching staff.
• Head coach Julie Wright enters her first season at the helm of the Maryland softball program. Wright most recently served as the head coach of Idaho State. As the leader of the Bengals, Wright won three straight Big Sky Championships.
• The 2016 season brings a challenging schedule. Maryland will play 11 games against teams in the NFCA Top 25, and another eight against teams receiving votes.The Terps faced No. 6 Oregon last weekend and this weekend will play two games against No. 5 Alabama. 

last time out

• The 2016 campaign opened at the Kajikawa Classic, where the Terps posted a 2-3 record. Maryland recorded wins over Boise State and San Diego while faltering to Boston College, Oregon, and Utah State. 
• Sophomore Surge. Skylynne Ellazar and Destiney Henderson started out their season hot, batting a combined .464 with six runs, three doubles, and three RBI's. Ellazar hit her first career home run against Boise State.
• Captains Corey Schwartz and Kristina Dillard starred at the plate as well, combining for 11 hits and seven RBI's. Schwartz led the team with a .529 on base percentage.
• Early offense. Maryland scored eight runs in the first inning against San Diego, with six two-out hits. Lindsey Schmeiser topped it off with a three-run homerun. 

ScOUTING alabama

• One of the most prolific softball programs in the country, Alabama enters 2016 with high expectations yet again, coming in at #5 in this weeks NFCA Top 25.
• Alabama has been a staple in the Women's College World Series, making the trip to Oklahoma City four out of the last five years, including the past two. The Crimson Tide won a national championship in 2012.
• Through six games, Alabama holds a 5-1 record with the lone loss coming at the hands of #16 UCF.
• The Crimson Tide posted a 48-15 record in 2015, beating Oklahoma in the Super Regional to advance to OKC.
• Head coach Patrick Murphy has been there for it all. Murphy is entering his 18th season at the helm of the Tide's softball program. His accomplishments include the 2012 National Championship, 10 Women's College World Series berths, and five SEC regular season titles, five SEC Tournament titles and 17 straight NCAA Tournament bids.
• The Crimson Tide were picked to finish fourth in the SEC in the 2016 Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The Tide holds a 9-1 all-time series record over the Terps. The two teams last met when Maryland took a trip to Tuscaloosa in 2012.

ScOUTING Georgia State

• Georgia State joined Maryland at the Kajikawa Classic last weekend, posting a 0-5 record. The Panthers also faced #6 Oregon, losing 11-0, and fell to Big Ten foe Indiana 4-1. In their home opener this Wednesday, Georgia State picked up its first win in 12 innings over cross-town rival Georgia Tech.The Broncos are coming off of a 12-42 2015 season and 4-20 conference record.
• The Panthers are coming off a 38-22 2015 season and 14-10 conference record.
• Head coach Roger Kincaid returns to Georgia State for his sixth season. Kincaid has accumulated a 178-110 (.638) record in his five years at the helm.
• Georgia State was picked to finish third in the Sun Belt in the 2016 Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• This weekend's match-up marks the fifth-ever meeting between the Terps and the Panthers. Maryland has won the last two matchups, in 2004 and 2005. 

ScOUTING Miami (OH)

• Miami (OH) opens its 2016 campaign this weekend at the Panther Invitational.
• The Red Hawks are coming off a 32-24 campaign in 2015, with a 13-7 conference record.
• Amber Logemann returns as Miami's ace pitcher. Logemann finished 2015 with a 27-11 record and 1.932 ERA.
• Clarisa Crowell enters her fourth season as the head coach of the Red Hawks. Crowell has seen improvement in each of her three seasons at the helm, culminatuing with a third place finish in the Mid-American Conference in 2015. The Virginia Tech graduate is in charge of pitchers and catchers,
• Miami has high expecations in 2016, the Red Hawks have been picked to win the Mid-American Conference in the 2016 Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Maryland lost the only meeting all-time against Miami (OH) back in 1998,

ScOUTING mercer

• Mercer is entering its second weekend of the 2016 season after going 3-2 at the Mercer Invitational last week. 
• The Bears are coming off a 37-22 campaign in 2015 with an 10-7 conference record, winning the Southern Conference regular season championship before slipping up in the conference tournament.
• James Defeo is entering his fifth season as head coach of the Bears. Defeo has a career record of 124-99; he has took the Bears to the conference championship each of the last two seasons.  
• Mercer was picked to finish fourth in the Southern Conference in the 2016 Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• This Terrapins have won all four of the all-time meetings against Mercer, but the two haven't played since 2000.

legendary lindsey

• In her senior season, Lindsey Schmeiser is one of the most decorated hitters in Maryland softball history. 
• Schmeiser has earned numerous accolades during her Terrapin career, including 2013 ACC Freshman of the Year, First-Team All ACC, First-Team Big Ten, and Big Ten Player of the Week (3/16/15)
• The Dunkirk, Md. native is climbing atop the all-time ranks in numerous categories. Schmeiser currently holds the best batting average in program history (.342), is one long ball away from tying Shannon Bustillos for the most home runs in program history, is ten runs away from breaking Jennifer Potzman's school run record, and is ten doubles away from breaking the school doubles record, held by Lindsey Klein and Shannon Bustillos.
• Last season, Schmeiser broke the single-season double record (21) and had a 23 game hitting streak. 
• Through one week, Schmeiser is batting at a .353 clip with six RBI's, five runs, two homeruns, and one double. 

road warriors

• The first 24 games of the 2016 season will take place away from College Park The Terps travel to Tempe, Az., Atlanta, Ga., Boca Raton, Fla., Washington DC, and Norman, Okla. before returning home on March 18 for the Maryland Invitational.

looking ahead

• After this weekend's Panther Invitational, the Terps head to Florida for the sole time in 2016 for the FAU Invitational. Maryland will play a total of five games against Boston, Columbia, Stony Brook, 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 Terps trip to the Peach State.

 -Maryland-