Softball Visits Maryland for Four Game Series

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison softball team (7-14) concludes its spring break trip with four games at the Maryland Tournament. The Bison will play Rider and Maryland on Saturday and North Dakota and Texas Tech on Sunday. Bucknell's last game was an 8-0 defeat to #8 Florida.

The Starting Lineup
What: Maryland Tournament
Where: Maryland Softball Stadium (College Park, Md.)
When: March 18-19

Bucknell Schedule (All Times EST)

Saturday, March 18
9:00 a.m. | vs. Rider | Live Stats
2:00 p.m. | at Maryland | Live Stats

Sunday, March 19
9:00 a.m. | vs. North Dakota | Live Stats
11:00 a.m. | vs. Texas Tech | Live Stats

Coach Caffrey's Call

"This is our last weekend before conference play starts. We are looking to compete and get better each game so we can hit Patriot League play running. This spring break trip has been a chance for us to begin final preparations for league games."

The Inside "Herd" on the Bison

Bucknell lost 8-0 to #8 Florida in six innings. The Gators scored two runs in four different innings to defeat the Bison.
Chase Knapp obtained the sole Bison hit and made a sharp double play.

Overview of the Opposition

Rider- The Broncs are 4-10 on the season. They went 1-3 last weekend at the Marshall Thundering Herd March Madness. Jessie Niegocki leads the team with a .349 batting average. The pitching staff consists of three main options, all with ERAs under four.
Maryland- The Terrapins are 19-4 on the season and have defeated two ranked opponents: #22 Oregon and #3 Oklahoma State. Jaeda McFarland leads the team in hitting with a .417 average. Amelia Lech is the power threat with eight home runs and 25 RBIs. Maryland relies on two primary pitchers in Trinity Schlotterbeck and Courtney Wyche who have combined for 17 wins.
North Dakota- The Fighting Hawks are 2-24 on the season. Isabella Haslett leads the team in batting average with a .323 batting average. Two players have three home runs. North Dakota has a team ERA of 7.26. Makaela Carr is the ace having won the two games.
Texas Tech- The Red Raiders are 22-7 and rank #1 in doubles, #2 in home runs, and #3 in runs scored. Texas Tech's star hitter is Kailey Wyckoff with a .474 average and five home runs. The Red Raiders have five sluggers with five or more home runs and nine players with double-digit RBI totals. Pitcher Sage Hoover is 11-0 with a 2.15 ERA.

History Against the Foes

Rider- Bucknell trails the all-time series 27-9 against the Broncs. The first game occurred in 1982 and was a 7-6 Rider win. The last matchup in 2016 was an 8-1 Bucknell win.
Maryland- The Terrapins lead the series 2-1. Maryland won the first matchup in 1997. Bucknell's sole win also occurred in 1997. The last game, a Maryland victory, happened in 1998.
North Dakota- The Bison are 2-0 all-time against the Fighting Hawks and won both the games that took place in 2010.
Texas Tech- This is the first meeting between the two teams.

Up Next

The Bison open up Patriot League with three games against Colgate.