The Boston University softball team has been home this past week in preparation for its five-game homestand that was supposed to start on Wednesday against Quinnipiac University.
After the last home opener against the University of Massachusetts at Amherst was postponed due to poor field conditions, the Terriers (12-19) were eager to show off their white uniforms in front of their home crowd on Wednesday.
Unfortunately the weather defeated the Terriers once again, and has moved their home opener back to Saturday against the University of Vermont.
The Terriers are supposed to play the Catamounts (3-14) three times this weekend – a doubleheader on Saturday with a third battle on Sunday – but BU coach Amy Hayes is a little skeptical about her team’s chances of getting on the field.
“There is a lot of water on the field,” Hayes said. “I really don’t think we’ll get to play – it doesn’t look good right now.”
Hayes and the rest of the Terriers are getting quite irritated with the weather. When asked what she would say to Mother Nature if given the chance, Hayes had one quick answer.
“Back off!”
With Vermont in town, BU is also set to kick off the America East portion of its schedule. The Terriers have taken the regular-season title in each of the last three years, and the Catamounts may be just the best opponent to kick off the second half of the season. In 2003, BU shut out the Burlington, Vt. bombers in all four of their matchups, winning 9-0 on two separate occasions.
And to add a bit more optimism into what looks like will be another soggy weekend, the Terriers are healing, as Hayes said that everyone is playable to a certain extent. However, BU will be without sophomore outfielder Emily Varga, who tore the MCL in her elbow diving for a ball in practice.
“This is unfortunate,” Hayes said. “She was doing a good job in the outfield for us.”
On the other side, the Catamounts come into this game on a huge slide, dropping seven out of their last eight games, only tying Iona University 4-4 last Saturday. The Catamounts did not score more than two runs in any of the seven losses.
Vermont is led by third baseman Kate Ramsey, who has the sole home run for the Catamounts, as well as nine RBIs, good for tops on the team.
“[The Catamounts] may have a down year,” Hayes said. “Their pitching is down a little, but they have that Ramsey kid who has been hitting the ball well. We just can’t let people in front of her get on.”
The Catamounts’ lack of offense most likely won’t do a 180 against BU, as freshman Ashlee Freeman (7-10, 2.61 ERA) is set to start in the first game and will most likely get the nod on Sunday. Junior DeKenya Williams will start the nightcap.
“[Williams] is throwing well,” Hayes said. “We’ve been getting very good play out of her, and I think she’s really found her niche.”
Freshman Brittany Detwiler will pitch this weekend as well, as Hayes feels that she really needs her reps in the circle.
The Terriers are coming off two splits last weekend against Princeton University and Boston College, and Hayes said there were many positives to take from the weekend.
“Beating BC is always a positive,” Hayes said. “We’ve gotten very good play out of [Williams], as it seems like she is getting back to her game plan. Freeman has been consistent for us, and [Jamie] Haas has found her way back at the plate – it’s helpful to have the [conference] Player of the Year [from last season] back.”
While the Catamounts may not scare anyone, Hayes said that the team cannot overlook them as anything less than strong competition.
“Anyone can beat us on a given day,” Hayes said. “So we can’t take anything for granted. We need to focus on what we can do to win the game instead of worrying about what Vermont does.”
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