A disappointing season for the Maryland softball team could end this weekend against Indiana, as coach Julie Wright’s squad must win all three contests and hope Ohio State sweeps Michigan State in order to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament.
The Terps have yet to win three straight games all season, and they’re in the midst of an 11-game losing streak.
But rather than feeling the pressure to perform well this weekend, utility player Hannah Dewey said the team will play like “there’s nothing left to lose” as they look to reverse their hitting woes against the Hoosiers.
“We’re able to stay calm,” outfielder Kylie Datil said. “We have a lot of players who can get us checked in and ready to go.”
Wright has been pleased with the effort the Terps (11-38, 3-17 Big Ten) displayed in practice this week, and their hard work has given the first-year coach confidence as her squad attempts to earn its first sweep of the year.
“Pressure is what you feel when you don’t feel prepared,” Wright said. “And I think we’re prepared.”
Over the past two weekends, which ended in three losses each to No. 2 Michigan and No. 23 Minnesota, a severe lack of offense doomed the Terps. In facing the top two Big Ten squads in terms of team ERA, Wright’s bunch combined to score two runs.
The Hoosiers (26-23, 8-12) possess a solid 3.44 ERA, ranking seventh in the conference, but Wright said their pitching staff is more in line with the level of competition Maryland saw earlier in conference play.
“[The Hoosiers] don’t throw nearly as hard as Minnesota,” she said. “For us, it’s about bringing our offensive game and just stringing hits together.”
Datil emphasized that being aggressive at the plate would be crucial in mounting rallies against Indiana. She used phrases like “we have to jump on them” and “come out ready to go” when talking about the Terps’ offensive approach.
Dewey, meanwhile, said playing in front of a home crowd for the first time since April 20 will give the team a spark. There will also be added motivation to play for senior infielders Lindsey Schmeiser and Corey Schwartz, who will be playing their final series at Maryland Softball Stadium.
Schmeiser is Maryland’s all-time leader in home runs and runs scored, while Schwartz has hit 17 blasts in her College Park career. Plus, players consider the pair to be pivotal team leaders, helping the squad through a season in which it set a program record for losses.
But if the Terps can pick up three victories this weekend, their careers may just extend one more weekend.
“[Schmeiser and Schwartz] have done a lot for us over the last four years, so we’ve got to pay it back somehow” Datil said. “It’s going to be bittersweet this weekend. We’re going to do the best we can for them.”
