May 6, 2000

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland softball team (28-27, 3-5 ACC, 4-6 SASA) wraps up the 2000 season in a doubleheader road match-up with the Princeton Tigers. The event, which will be broadcast regionally on CN8 (Comcast Network), marks the second meeting between the two schools this season. Catch the Terps in a 5 p.m. tape-delay showing on Saturday, May 6, and a 12 p.m. showing on Sunday, May 7!

Terps At A Glance
A young Terrapin softball squad enters today's doubleheader with a 27-28 (.509) overall record. Maryland has compiled a 3-5 ACC record, with conference wins in a doubleheader sweep of Georgia Tech, 7-3 and 9-5 on March 21, and a 5-3 victory over Virginia on April 22. Adding a 1-0 one-hit win over then-No. 24 East Carolina on April 16, Maryland's South Atlantic Softball Alliance (SASA) mark stands at 4-6. The Terps have overcome a pair of NFCA ranked opponents this season, with a 4-0 victory over No. 18 South Carolina on March 9 and the win against No. 24 East Carolina.

The Terps face the Tigers today after dropping a pair of conference games to the 2000 ACC Tournament champion Florida State Seminoles on May 4. Last weekend, the Terps posted a 2-2 record in the ACC Tournament to bring home a third-place finish.

In The Pitcher's Circle
Solid pitching has been key for the Terrapins all season long. Sophomore Amanda Bettker (St. Petersburg, Fla.) has compiled a 14-13 record with a team-leading 1.86 ERA. The right-hander boasts 21 complete games and 118 strikeouts on the season. A pleasant surprise for the Terps has been the performance of junior Jen Shellhammer (Slatington, Pa.), a transfer from Radford University. Shellhammer owns a 9-6 record with a 3.01 ERA and is 2-1 in her last three starts. In her first start since a stress fracture in her pitching wrist that had Shellhammer sidelined for a month, the junior tossed one-hit victory over then-No. 24 East Carolina on April 16. Four days after that, the junior combined with Bettker for a no-hitter against non-conference opponent George Mason on April 20. After a shutout victory over No. 18 South Carolina at the Speedline Invitational, Shellhammer was honored ACC Pitcher of the Week on March 13. Sophomore Danielle Carpenter (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) has been strong for the Maryland pitching staff, with a 5-8 record and a 2.77 ERA.

At The Plate
The Terps are led offensively by March 27's ACC Softball Player of the Week Beth Radford (Dunkirk, Md.). Maryland's catcher currently leads the Terps in batting average (.315), hits (52), home runs (8), RBI (38), total bases (83) and slugging percentage (.503). Sophomore first baseman Kiesha Pickeral (Hughesville, Md.) is batting .269 on the season and has been heating up lately, as evidenced by her 12th inning home run to help the Terps defeat Virginia on April 22. Shortstop Jennifer Potzman (Trexlertown, Pa.) leads the Terps in runs scored for the second consecutive season with 34 to date. The junior is currently batting .264, climbing a few points after a tremendous ACC tournament performance. While batting .257, senior designated player Cortney Madea (Northampton, Pa.) leads the Terps with 12 doubles and has become Maryland's all-time career-leader in RBI, adding 26 this season to bring her total to 110.

In The Outfield
Maryland's outfielding unit has been solid, providing clutch base hits, speed on the basepaths and sparking defense. Centerfielder Michelle Burrell (Owego, N.Y.) ranks fourth on the squad with 107 putouts, while batting .252 and swiping a team-high tying four bases. Junior Annmarie Browne (Lansdale, Pa.) bats .225 and has only made one error in 70 chances. Sophomore Holly Baldwin (Olney, Md.) assumed a starting spot after an injury to freshman Samantha Sweeney (Marlton, N.J.). Baldwin has filled in nicely and even belted the first homer of her career vs. Florida State on May 4.

Putnam Earns ACC All-Tournament Accolades
Maryland senior Sarah Putnam (Chesapeake, Va.) was included on the list of ACC all-tournament honorees, announced at the conclusion of the 2000 ACC Softball Tournament on Sunday. Sarah was 4-for-12 (.333) in four games, belting a double and driving in three runs while playing solid defense at the "hot corner" all weekend. Putnam was integral in helping the Terrapins to two ACC Tournament victories, one over Georgia Tech and a one over North Carolina, keying the Terps to a third place finish. The senior adds the ACC all-tourney honor to a resume that includes an award from last season. In 1999 during the Terps NCAA tournament run, Putnam was named to the NCAA Tournament All-Region 2 team.

Highlights: Maryland in the ACC Tournament
The Terrapins put forth tough performances en route to a 2-2 record in the ACC Tournament, garnering the most wins Maryland softball has had in the tourney since winning the co-championship in 1997.

In the pitcher's circle, Jen Shellhammer was 1-0, earning a victory over Georgia Tech and earning a save vs. North Carolina. The junior allowed only one earned run in seven innings (1.00 ERA). Shellhammer fanned five in the two appearances.

Sophomore Amanda Bettker posted a 1-1 record, earning the win over UNC. The Terps' ace struck out nine in 13 innings of work.

Lefty Danielle Carpenter also posted a 1.00 ERA and earned a save in two appearances.

At the plate, the Terps were paced by junior Jennifer Potzman's 5-for-13 (.385) performance, which included a double, RBI and run scored.

Sophomore Kiesha Pickeral chipped in with a 4-for-11 (.364) effort that featured a run batted in.

ACC All-Tournament selection Sarah Putnam added three RBI and a two-bagger to her 4-for-12 (.333) mark at the plate.

Radford Ties Season RBI Mark
Sophomore Beth Radford threatens to eclipse her own single-season RBI mark of 38, set in 1999. She tied the single-season mark of 38 with a three-run bomb vs. Florida State on May 4.

	T1. 38 Beth Radford 	        1999
	T1. 38 Beth Radford 	        2000
	3.   37 Jennifer Potzman 	1999
	4.   36 Michelle Burrell 	1999
	T5.  Three tied at 33 	

Terp Pitchers Record No-Hitter
Maryland's Amanda Bettker and Jen Shellhammer performed masterfully in the Terps' Game 1 victory over George Mason on April 22. The tandem recorded the first no-hit victory of Maryland's 2000 season with the 2-0 win. Only two Patriots reached base in the contest. The Terps last no-hitter came against Georgia Tech in the 1999 ACC Tournament.

Baldwin Does Some Yardwork
Sophomore Holly Baldwin, who has earned a starting spot in right field, smacked the first homer of her career vs. Florida State on May 4.

The Injury Report
Junior outfielder Brooke Maslo (Piscataway, N.J.) has been out of action since March 26 with an injured thumb ... freshman outfielder Samantha Sweeney will not play due to a dislocated left elbow suffered in warm-ups before the Terps' game with North Carolina on April 30.

Maryland vs. Princeton: Tiger Talk
The Princeton Tigers (21-25, 6-6 Ivy League) come into today's contests after a two-game sweep of Drexel University on May 2.

Junior Lauren Poniatowski leads the way for the Tigers at the plate with a .301 batting average, a team-high 33 RBI and a Tiger-best 13 doubles. Sophomore Brie Galiciano and junior Devon Keefe bat .276 and .270 respectively, while driving in 21 runs apiece. Galiciano also paces the Tigers with an 8-9 pitching record and 1.56 ERA. Senior Sarah Peterman is 9-12 with a 2.01 earned run average.

The Terps enjoy a 4-3-1 all-time series advantage over the Tigers. The Terps have taken the past three meetings, defeating Princeton 6-5 in a thriller at the 2000 Terrapin Invitational after sweeping two games of a doubleheader, 4-3 and 3-2, in College Park last season.

2000 ACC Softball Standings
	           ACC	            Overall
Team	        W	L	W	L	T
North Carolina	8	2	47	17	0
Florida St.	4	2	46	25	0
Maryland	3	5	28	27	0
Georgia Tech	3	5	25	33	0
Virginia	3	5	27	38	0


2000 SASA Softball Standings
                   SASA    	     Overall
Team	        W	L	W	L	T
North Carolina	8	2	47	17	0
Florida St.	6	2	46	25	0
Virginia	5  	5  	27 	38  	0
Maryland	4	6	28	25	0
Georgia Tech	3	6	25	33	0
East Carolina	2	8	54	16	0