May 4, 2001

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland softball squad concludes its regular season with a trip to the Seminole Softball Complex for a meeting with National Fastpitch Coaches Association No. 17 Florida State. Fans with Real Player can follow the final ACC doubleheader of the season live on the Internet through the official website of Maryland Athletics at www.umterps.com. Click on the link in the "Live Coverage" box on umterps.com's front page and enjoy the games.

The Terrapins (37-19, 3-5 SASA) meet the ACC and South Atlantic Softball Alliance's first-place team after a 3-3 week. Junior fireballer Amanda Bettker's (St. Petersburg, Fla.) fifth shutout in six starts earned the Terrapins a split with Towson before conference-foe North Carolina downed the Terps in a hard-fought, low scoring twinbill. Maryland bounced back 24 hours later on Senior Day, edging East Carolina for a SASA doubleheader sweep courtesy of homers by Terp junior sluggers Kiesha Pickeral (Hughesville, Md.) and Beth Radford (Dunkirk, Md.).

Florida State (50-8, 5-1 ACC, 7-1 SASA), meanwhile, was on a 11-game win streak before being upended by Troy State, a foe common to both the Terrapins and Seminoles. After nipping the Lady Trojans, 1-0, in the opening contest, FSU's red-hot pitcher Jen White-Stokes was topped, 2-1, by Troy State's bats. The Terrapins downed the Lady Trojans in two 2001 meetings, 5-4 at the Lady Seminole Invitational (3/16) and 8-1 at the Buzz Classic (3/23).

The Terps and Seminoles have already faced each other once this season. The meeting, a 5-3 decision in favor of the Seminoles, came at the Florida Atlantic-Worth Invitational on Feb. 24. Down by five, freshman Casey Leiter (Lake Stevens, Wash.) broke Seminole rookie Jessica van der Linden's 25 scoreless inning streak with her first collegiate base hit, a two-RBI double. A RBI by senior shortstop Jennifer Potzman (Trexlertown, Pa.) brought the Terps within two runs, but FSU held on by that final margin.

An anticipated second meeting in the championship bracket of the Lady Seminole Invitational was cancelled due to weather.

Terps At A Glance
The Maryland squad, with a overall 37-19 record and a .661 winning percentage, has accumulated the second-most wins and second-best percentage in school history. The Terrapins broke out of a three-game slump with the sweep of East Carolina by mixing solid pitching with an affinity for the long ball.

Down the stretch, the Terrapins have been led at the plate by a pair of its seasoned veterans. Senior centerfielder Michelle Burrell (Owego, N.Y.) has keyed the Terp offense from the leadoff spot with a .324 batting average, school-record and ACC second-rated 17 doubles, team-high 32 runs scored and perfect 6-for-6 stolen base attempts. Four-year shortstop Jennifer Potzman, who has started and played in every game of her collegiate career, is hitting at a .302 clip as a senior and is second in the conference in walks and on-base percentage.

The Terrapins' deep and versatile pitching staff checks in with an ACC third-ranked 1.32 team ERA and an impressive .197 opponent batting average. Terp ace Amanda Bettker leads the staff with a 14-5 record and ranks among conference leaders with 140 strikeouts (4th), seven shutouts (5th), a .180 opponent batting average (5th), 15 complete games (6th) and three saves (2nd). Senior Jenn Shellhammer's (Slatington, Pa.) 73 strikeouts lists 10th in the ACC, as does her .218 opposing batting average. Freshman hurler Monica Cyphert (Warren, Ohio) averages 5.6 K's per game, while Danielle Carpenter (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) and Liz Gall (Bothell, Wash.) both possess ERAs below 1.00 at 0.66 and 0.85 respectively.

Scouting the Seminoles
Florida State enters the Saturday twinbill after destroying Virginia, 8-0 and 10-2, and splitting with Troy State. Now in her 23rd season and recently over the 1,100 career wins mark, Seminole head coach Dr. Joanne Graf has guided the Seminoles to a 50-8 record.

The Seminoles boast an impressive .311 team batting average, with sophomore Brandi Stuart leading the way at .376 with 45 runs scored. Seven of FSU's batters own .300-plus averages, including surging senior Jen White-Stokes (.360) and freshman Jessica van der Linden (.320). All-American senior Serita Brooks is 41 of 41 in stolen base attempts.

In the pitcher's circle, junior Leslie Malerich has come back from injury to compile a 19-2 record and a 0.70 ERA. White-Stokes and van der Linden's averages stand at 0.71 and 0.78, respectively.

FSU holds a 15-3 series advantage over the Terrapins and have won the last five. Maryland split with the Seminoles in Tallahassee in the 1999 regular season before being downed twice in College Park and also at the ACC Tournament in 2000.

Mowing `Em Down
Maryland junior hurler Amanda Bettker dominated in the Terps' doubleheader sweep of East Carolina this past weekend. The fireballer set a career-high and tied Maryland's all-time single-game record with 15 strikeouts in a 3-2 Terp victory in the opener, and went on to pick up the save in the nightcap with three more K's in two innings. Her only mistake was a two-run homer to ECU's Keisha Shepperson in Game 1.

10*: The Race For The Record
The Terrapins' junior sluggers, first baseman Kiesha Pickeral and catcher Beth Radford, are amidst a Mantle/Maris, McGwire/Sosa-esque intrasquad home run battle. At stake -- the new Maryland single-season home run mark, which currently stands at nine thanks to Terp great Kelly Shipman in 1999.

The race has been neck-and-neck all season long. On Sunday vs. East Carolina, Pickeral tied the record with her ninth blast of the season to give the Terps an early lead. Down 2-1 later in the contest, it was Radford's turn, who belted a three-run shot to left to lock up an eventual 4-3 victory.

With both Pickeral and Radford equaling Shipman's current total, the next of the sluggers' to go deep will own the new record.

As a team, the Terrapins have hit 24 home runs on the season for the third highest total in school history. Maryland went deep 39 times in 1999 and 27 times in 2000.

Burrell Steps Up
Terp senior Michelle Burrell has done a spectacular job as the leadoff batter in the Terps' lineup, especially of late. The centerfielder owns a .463 batting average when beginning an inning, a team-high 32 runs scored and a .451 on-base percentage.

But the veteran has also come through in the clutch, and not necessarily as the spark of a Terp rally. Burrell's .350 batting average with runners in scoring position is second on the squad.

Go Ahead, Make Her Day
While the Terrapins have been successful in 22 out of 23 stolen base attempts, opponents have certainly not been so lucky. Junior Beth Radford has gunned down nearly half of opposing base stealers -- 12 out of 26 or 46%.

Battling The Injury Bug
The Terrapins have accumulated the second highest win total and second-best winning percentage in school history in 2001, despite having four key players miss time this season to injuries.

Sophomore sparkplug Jillian Callaway was most recently bitten by the injury bug. After putting together a six-game hit streak to raise her batting average to .277 (from .192) during the Terps' 13 consecutive wins, Callaway fouled a ball off against North Carolina on April 28, fracturing bones in her face. The infielder, who leads the Terrapins with a .382 average with runners in scoring position, is listed as day-to-day. Stepping back into the lineup with the injury to Callaway is freshman Jen Peel (St. Leonard, Md.). The newcomer started 34 games at second base before being slowed down by a personal illness.

First baseman Kiesha Pickeral rejoined the Terps for their twinbill at Virginia on April 22 after missing seven games with a dislocated shoulder. The solid performer suffered the injury vs. Radford at the George Mason Spring Clash, but has batted .308 since her return with two homers and three RBI.

Freshman Casey Leiter also spent time on the disabled list after an eye injury during preseason practice. The utility player did not travel on Maryland's first five-game road trip of the season, but since has played in all 51 games.

A Look At The Record Book
The 2001 season has seen career numbers from several Terrapins, some of whom have moved up in the all-time and single-season record books.

Seniors Jennifer Potzman and Michelle Burrell are now listed No. 1 and 2 in games played and games started. Potzman has played and started in every game of her collegiate career at 235, while Burrell has only missed two contests at 233.

Potzman, juniors Kiesha Pickeral, Beth Radford and Burrell now rank second through fifth in all-time batting average to Terp great Kelly Shipman, who hit at a .309 clip from 1996-99.

Listed among the top five in every category, Potzman has taken over the career lead in RBI, triples and walks and is tied for first in runs scored with Shipman at 128.

Burrell has now breached the top five in 10 categories and needs only one stolen base to tie Shipman for the all-time lead.

Radford, meanwhile, has overtaken the all-time lead in home runs with 24 and extended her top-ranked sacrifice fly total to 12.

The consummate team player, senior Annmarie Browne (Lansdale, Pa.) has laid down 32 sacrifice hits in 2001, more in a single season than any Terp has ever executed in an entire career. She totals 53, over 20 more than Tricia Hunt's second-place 30.

Terrapin Seniors Honored
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics thanked and honored the softball squad's seniors for their dedicated service to their team and to the Maryland campus community. Seniors Annmarie Browne, Michelle Burrell, Jennifer Potzman and Jenn Shellhammer were honored on April 29 as part of the last home event of the 2001 season.

The East Carolina doubleheader also marked the last event at the Terrapins' North Softball Complex. Construction on Maryland's new softball facility is scheduled to begin at the conclusion of this season.