Softball pitching in for a repeat

After making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 11 years last season, coach Laura Watten and a top-tier pitching staff has Terrapin softball poised to go even further in 2011.

Senior Kerry Hickey and junior Kendra Knight anchor what Watten calls a "top-10 pitching staff" nationally and will lead a team that should rely heavily on its pitching and defense after offensive struggles in 2010.

"We've continued to work on a lot of [offense]," Watten said. "We definitely know how important it is to execute offensively and really build runs behind our pitching staff. It does a lot. It helps save their arms, and it helps control the tempo of a game."

Knight knows firsthand just how important a dependable lineup can be. As a sophomore last year, Knight went 13-11 despite posting an impressive 1.60 ERA, a mark that ranked fourth in the ACC.

"We had a lot of highs and lows last year, so if we just play consistent, I think we'll get where we need to be, where we want to be," she said.

With another year of experience and growth, the pitching staff could improve on its conference-best 1.65 ERA from a season ago. The addition of Angela Tincher, a three-time ACC Player of the Year for Virginia Tech and the 2008 USA Softball Player of the Year, as pitching coach has boosted its confidence even more.

Watten also feels strongly about the infusion of fresh blood into the program. A class of six freshmen, including ESPN RISE All-American Candice Beards of Ringwood, N.J., and infielder Bree Hanafin, who transferred from Baylor, adds much-needed depth to the program while also providing for a strong future.

"There's a good chunk of them that are going to be impact players, and hopefully they'll take this year and really fight and push and continue to elevate the team all the way around," Watten said.

Replacing Alex Schultz, who graduated after last season and was the team's leader in batting average, runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs and on-base percentage, will likely be atop Watten's to-do list.

Her departure leaves senior Marisha Branson as one of the Terps' top returning offensive players. Branson, who ranked second behind Schultz in batting average, home runs and RBIs in 2010, is among six returning players who appeared in more than 50 games last season.

When the team opens its season Friday against Iowa in the University of Georgia Tournament, it will be a familiar situation for a Terp team that has struggled recently in season-opening tournaments. In 2010, the team went 2-3 at the FAU Kick-Off Classic, and in 2009, the Terps went winless at the classic, losing all five games they played.

This weekend won't be any easier. After Iowa, the Terps face No. 3 Georgia before playing three teams — Illinois State, Lipscomb and East Carolina — who received top-25 votes in the preseason NFCA poll.

"We have a tough time the first couple months of practice because we're inside, and we're at a disadvantage being inside and going outside," Watten said. "It's like a night-and-day difference going from the facilities we're working in to the bright sunshine of Georgia or Florida. It's a tough challenge. It's one of those things that's totally mental."

Watten said her focus is keeping it all in perspective.

"We just got to keep it simple, and we just got to focus on the here and now," she said. "If we just take care of us and the scoreboard, then at the end of the season we'll end up where we're supposed to."

After the team's offensive struggles last season, Hickey understands how important patience can be. Without much offensive support, she still managed a 20-11 record and 1.64 ERA. And ultimately, she helped the Terps advance to where they expect to return this season: the NCAA Tournament.

"I think we just need to take it day by day, take it an inning at a time," Hickey said. "If we produce offensively and we stay tough defensively, I think we can compete with anybody."

dgallen@umdbk.com