SS Lindsey Schmeiser.
After taking Monday off, the Terrapins softball team resumed practice Tuesday in the Comcast Pavilion gym. Even with snowy conditions keeping the Terps off the field after a rough start to the season, the team seemed relaxed; gossiping and laughing while warming up.
Coach Laura Watten hopes the Terps’ calm demeanor transitions from practice to the batter’s box this weekend at the Cathedral City Classic in Palm Springs, Calif.
The Terps struggled on offense this past weekend at the Florida Atlantic Tournament, scoring 12 runs in five games. Watten believes her players tried too hard to deliver clutch hits and instead wants them to loosen up at the plate.
“I tell them all the time to relax,” Watten said. “But right now, it’s more about them slowing down, breathing and not trying to force things.”
With the tournament set to begin today, the Terps boarded a plane to California yesterday morning, meaning Tuesday was their only practice this week in College Park. Infielder said the team focused mostly on hitting, and she has personally emphasized a simple routine when batting.
“Let the process work because you’ve obviously put the time in at practice and it should just happen in a game,” Schmeiser said. “You shouldn’t be thinking about it.”
It’ll be a tough task for the Terps to improve their performance this weekend, considering three of their five opponents are ranked in the top 15 of the country. The Terps open tournament play against No. 3 Washington and have contests against No. 8 UCLA and No. 13 Stanford later in the weekend. Though the three Pac-12 teams have a combined record of 32-0, Schmeiser isn’t caught up in her opponents’ accolades.
“You should always being going out with the goal to win, and you should always come out with a strategy,” Schmeiser said.
The Terps hope their pitching, which Watten said was strong this past weekend, will contain the three high-powered offenses. Washington and Stanford both average more than eight runs per game, while UCLA averages 6.8 runs per game.
“I think we have to try and hit our spots, put a lot of spin on the ball and just concentrate on the small things,” said pitcher Brenna Nation, who made four appearances last weekend.
Regardless of whom they play, the Terps hope to improve their 1-9 record this weekend. And they’ll aim to do that by taking a more relaxed approach.
“People just need to play, remember the game is fun and not press,” Schmeiser said. “There’s that pressure to win, and people get caught up in it versus having fun with the game we grew up with.”
