Softball Hosts #20/19 Minnesota to Open Conference Slate

Friday, March 22

College Park, MD

6:00 PM

Maryland

Minnesota

Softball Hosts #20/19 Minnesota to Open Conference Slate

3/22/2019 12:41:00 PM | Softball

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland will open its Big Ten season Friday night as Maryland welcomes #20/19 Minnesota for a three-game series.

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LAST TIME OUT

Maryland went 4-0 at the Maryland Invitational, its first undefeated tournament performance of four or more games since 2012 when the Terps went 5-0 also at the Maryland Invitational.
Senior infielder Bailey Boyd had a monster weekend, going 7-13 (.538) at the plate, knocking in seven runs with a double and two home runs, while also scoring six runs herself.
Redshirt sophomore Micaela Abbatine also had a career weekend, going 7-11 (.636) at the plate, driving in three runs, hitting her second homer of the season, and going 3-3 in steal attempts.
Kiana Carr had her best performances of the season in the circle, securing two wins for the Terps while pitching 11.0 innings with a 1.27 ERA, holding opponents to just four hits and two runs.

KEEPING TRACK OF THE TERPS

Senior pitcher Sydney Golden and junior outfielder Amanda Brashear reached big career milestones at the Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C. Golden notched her 200th career strikeout and Brashear got her 100th career hit, both coming in Saturday's matchup vs. old ACC rival North Carolina.
Bailey Boyd reached 50 career hits and 50 career runs at the Amy S. Harrison Classic, where she went 9-16 (.563), scoring five runs and batting in three more.
Anna Kufta notched her 75th career hit, her 50th career RBI, and her 10th career home run Feb. 8-10 at the Trojan Classic in Troy, Ala.
As a team, Maryland ranks fourth in batting average in the Big Ten (.302).
Taylor Okada leads the Big Ten in hits (40) and ranks second in the conference in batting average (.426). Okada's 40 hits also ranks 12th nationally.
Bailey Boyd ranks fourth in the Big Ten in hits (31) and 13th in batting average (.369)
Anna Kufta holds the highest mark in the conference and leads the team in RBI (31). Kufta has already surpassed her 2018 season total (23) and her freshman year total of 27. Her current mark of 31 also ranks 22nd nationally.
Freshman catcher Gracie Voulgaris has caught eight runners stealing this season, currently the top mark in the Big Ten.

YOUTH MOVEMENT

Five freshman saw game action in the first weekend of the 2019 season. Gracie Voulgaris and Taylor Okada started in all five games to start the season, Regan Kerr started in three games and played in all five, while Victoria Galvan pitched 7.1 innings through three games, Amelia Jarecke pitched two scoreless innings through two games and Caitlyn Koenig played in two games.
Sophomores JoJo McRae, Shelby Younkin, and Taylor Wilson saw significant playing time as freshmen last season, each appearing in over 30 games. Several freshmen are set to see significant playing time again in 2019.
Three starters return to the 2019 starting lineup in Amanda Brashear, Bailey Boyd, and Anna Kufta.
Wright's 2019 squad features just six upperclassmen - three juniors and three seniors.