Maryland Celebrates Seniors in Final B1G Series
5/3/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
vs. 
Fri. 3:00 pm || Fri. 6:00 pm || Game 3: TBA
UPDATE: Due to impending weather in College Park this weekend, Maryland and Michigan State will now play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 3:00 pm. The senior ceremony has also been moved to prior to Saturday's game. Date and time for game three of the series is TBA.
*Prior to 4:00 PM, fans are encouraged to park in the XFINITY Visitor's Lot (XVL). This lot is directly across from the Field Hockey/Lacrosse Complex. This is a pay-to-park lot, as parking is not free in surrounding lots until after 4:00 PM on weekdays.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Maryland softball team (18-33, 7-10 B1G) will honor its three graduating seniors in addition to Mikayla Werahiko this weekend for the team's final Big Ten series of the season. The Terps host Michigan State (21-24, 7-11 B1G) for three games at Maryland Stadium, with both teams attempting to gain ground in the Big Ten standings before the start of the conference tournament next week.
Despite a 0-3 weekend at Ohio State, Maryland has mathematically clinched a spot in the 2018 Big Ten Softball Tournament with three games remaining. Michigan State is also a virtual lock for tournament after sweeping Rutgers this past weekend. First pitch for game one of Friday's doubleheader is slated for 3:00 pm.
storylines
• Maryland will recognize seniors Skylynne Ellazar, Destiney Henderson and Jacqui Pascual in addition to junior Mikayla Werahiko (who is in her final season of collegiate eligibility) in a ceremony in between games Friday. This year's class was a part of 68 wins at Maryland, including one of the biggest wins in program history when the Terps defeated No. 1 Florida in 2017. The group helped Maryland get off to one of its best starts ever in conference play this year, as the Terps opened up the Big Ten schedule with a 5-1 record.
• Maryland staged its biggest comeback of the season on April 17 in game two of its doubleheader vs. Rutgers, rallying from six runs down in the bottom of the seventh to eventually pull out an 8-7 win. Down 7-1, Maryland used three home runs from Skylynne Ellazar, Anna Kufta and Amanda Brashear along with a RBI double from Mikayla Werahiko to tie the game in the sixth. Senior Jacqui Pascual then delivered her first career walk off hit with a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win.
• The win was Maryland's largest comeback victory since rallying from six down against Missouri last season on March 5, 2017 to win 9-8 in nine innings. It was also the first time Maryland delivered three home runs in the same inning since a 12-0 win over George Mason on April 12, 2006.
• Freshman Hannah Eslick has been impressive in tight spots throughout the season for the Terps, most recently hitting a game-tying three-RBI triple in the bottom of the fifth against Indiana on April 14. Eslick came through in a big moment against St. Francis (PA) on April 11, driving a two-RBI single to the outfield to give the Terps the lead in the bottom of the fifth.
• Maryland's 5-1 start in Big Ten play was its best since joining the conference in 2014-15, and was one game shy of the best start ever in conference competition in program history. Maryland's last 5-1 start in conference action came during the 1999 season, when the Terps started ACC competition 6-1 before winning the conference regular season and advancing to the NCAA Regional Finals.
• Junior Sydney Golden was outstanding during the first two weeks on conference play, holding a 0.84 ERA in 25.0 innings. Golden went 4-0 in four appearances to start Big Ten play and struck out 11 while throwing 24 shutout innings during the stretch.
• Senior Skylynne Ellazar came through in a crucial moments for the Terps in their first two Big Ten series of the season, launching a go-ahead solo shot in the top of the seventh to help the Terps clinch the series over Penn State on March 25. She went 6-for-9 from the plate while slugging 1.111 on the weekend.
• Ellazar was the hero again against Iowa on April 1, scoring the only run of the game with a solo homer in the fourth inning. It was the fourth home run of the season for the Kahului, Hawaii native, who has hit .480 in conference play with seven RBIs and five runs. Ellazar currently holds a 13-game reached base streak entering this weekend's games.
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