AQUAFINA INVITATIONAL
Feb. 23-25, 2018 || Katie Seashore Pressly Stadium
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland will continue non-conference tournament action February 23-25 with five games at the Aquafina Invitational hosted by No. 2/1 Florida.
This will be the second consecutive season the Terps play at the tournament, after defeating No. 1 ranked Florida last year on February 18 for the program's first-ever win over a top-ranked team. In addition to two games against host-Florida (10-1), Maryland will matchup with Iowa State (6-4), Georgia Southern (7-2) and Illinois State (4-6). Maryland's games vs. Flroida will be available via radio broadcast.
storylines
• Maryland's upset over No. 1 Florida last season on February 18, 2017 was one of the top stories in college softball in the first month of the season, as the Terps defeated the Gators 4-2 in Gainesville.
• The Terps (1-8) entered the game winless on the season, but erased a two-run deficit in the first inning with four unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth to knock off the previously unbeaten Gators (8-1). Florida would go on to advance to the College World Series that year.
• Freshman Ryan Denhart has made an immediate impact for the Terrapins in her first collegiate season, holding a team-best 1.67 ERA in 29.1 innings pitched. Denhart threw two complete games at the Tiger Invite, including s three-hit effort in 7.0 innings to help the Terps clinch a 4-1 win over Delaware on February 17. The Los Alamitos, Calif. native starred for Los Alamitos High School her senior season, as she was named the 2017 Sunset League Pitcher of the Year & Press Telegram Player of the Year while garnering All-American honors.
• Senior Skylynne Ellazar wasted no time getting her 2018 season underway on February 9, launching a home run in her first at bat of the year against Cal Poly. It was Ellazar's first homer since her sophomore year, setting the table for an eight-hit weekend where she finished with .615 batting average and .737 OBP.
• Ellazar notched her second career four-hit game the following day against Cal Poly, hitting four singles to tie her career single-game high. The Kahului, Hawaii native raked another homer the following weekend at the Tiger Invite, smashing a two-run bomb against Delaware for her second homer in five games.
• Freshman Hannah Eslick made her first career hit count, driving in the game-winning RBI against Middle Tennessee on February 11. It was just the second career at bat for the Glen Burnie, Md. native, who may see some time at third base and in pinch hit opportunities this season.
• For an in depth look at this year's team, umterps.com and head coach Julie Wright previewed the upcoming 2018 campaign on February 7.
