In its 32nd game of the season, the Boston University softball team is finally ready to take to the BU Softball Field for its first home game of the year – a doubleheader today against Quinnipiac University.
A frozen field caused by the recent drop in temperatures postponed the Terriers’ original home debut last week, pushing their game against the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to April 12.
“Everybody wants to sleep in their own beds and play in front of their own crowd,” said BU coach Amy Hayes. “Hopefully, they’ll have a decent crowd show up.”
The Terriers (12-19) started their season in February at the New Mexico State Kick-Off Invitational, then traveled east to Texas for the Texas A’M Tournament before going back to Arizona for the Wildcat Invitational. In early March, at a time when most BU students were relaxing during spring break, the Terriers were working hard in Florida, competing in three different tournaments.
Now, after splitting two weekend twinbills on the road with Princeton University and rival Boston College, the Terriers are ready to swing the bat on their own field with the Bobcats (4-11) in town.
The team is led offensively by junior Jamie Haas, who has a .318 batting average so far this season, and sophomore Liz Alley, who has knocked the ball into home-run territory five times this year, including her first career grand slam against Princeton on Saturday. Freshman Chiya Louie has also been making good use of the aluminum this season, leading the team in both home runs (six) and RBIs (20).
On the defensive end, the Terriers can rely on last week’s America East Rookie of the Week, pitcher Ashlee Freeman. The righthander has a 2.55 ERA with 17 strikeouts this season, to go along with her 15 complete games.
She’s not doing it alone, though. The Terrier pitching staff together has compiled an ERA of 3.55 and 112 strikeouts.
This is the first time that the Terriers have matched up against Quinnipiac, and Hayes said she is excited about the opportunity to play a new team.
“They are a very, very young Division I team and we’re excited to have them on the schedule,” Hayes said. “We just have to come out and play hard.”
Hayes said she hopes the injuries that have been nagging several BU players will not be a factor in today’s games.
“If we heal correctly, it shouldn’t be a problem,” she said.
The contest against Quinnipiac marks BU’s last game before beginning America East play against the University of Vermont this weekend.
“We’ve been a little up and down so far,” Hayes said about the season, “but we can pull it together.”
The Terriers are known for pulling it together down the stretch. Last year, after starting 3-14, the Terriers went on to win 24 of their last 31 games, including a 12-game winning streak sandwiched in. BU finished 17-3 in the America East, good enough for first place, before grabbing the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the league’s championship.
And while her team may be hovering well below .500, Hayes said she feels the Terriers are much better than their record indicates.
“I definitely think they are better than their record,” she said. “If people looked at the team, and what we expect from ourselves – and our schedule – they could tell.
“We don’t look at wins and losses,” Hayes continued. “We look at how we play on the field and how we treat each other in the locker room. That’s what’s important to us.”
Game one is set to get underway at 2 p.m.