The University of Kentucky softball team returns to action this weekend, Feb. 23-25, as they travel to Davis, Calif., for the UC-Davis Invitational. This will be the first game action for the Wildcats since they went 3-2 at Baylor?s Getterman Classic, Feb. 9-11, after their home opener with Maine was canceled last weekend due to weather.
?We are excited to get back on the field. We were really disappointed that the weather did not hold for the Maine series but we did get some scrimmage time in with them on Saturday and we did some good things,? said third-year head coach Eileen Schmidt.
The Wildcats open play this weekend on Friday afternoon against host UC-Davis at 2 pm ET. UCD opened its season last weekend and is currently 3-1 on the year. This is the first meeting between UK and UCD. Kentucky will face St. Mary?s for the first time in school history at 4 pm ET to wrap up play on Friday. St. Mary?s comes into the weekend with a 2-2 record.
Play continues on Saturday when the Cats face Sacramento State in a noon start. Sacramento State is 3-7 and has dropped four straight games. The Wildcats then take on UC-Riverside at 2 pm. UCR is currently 5-4 on the season and has lost its last two contests. This is the first time Kentucky has faced either school.
UK will play at noon on Sunday when it takes on UC-Davis in its final game of the three-day tournament.
?This will be a tough tournament for us, but a tournament where I feel like we can really make some progress. Of course, we are going to need good leadership from our seniors,? said Schmidt. ?If we just make the routine plays and be blue-collar at the plate that is all I can ask this early in the season. On the mound, we really need to focus on taking it from practice and warm-up to the circle in the game. We have a tendency to tighten up and try to over throw. We need to get away from trying to do too much at this point so early in the season and learn to manage the game better. If we can do a good job of getting ahead and getting ground balls the circle will be good to us.?
Senior Katie Campbell tied the UK career record for home runs with her 19th in the season opening win over Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 19 in Waco, Texas. Campbell is batting .500 (7-for-14) with a team-high three doubles. Senior Brooke Marnitz made NCAA history as the Kentucky softball team defeated Southern Mississippi, Feb. 11, at the Getterman Classic in Waco, Texas. Marnitz set a new NCAA mark for hits in consecutive at-bats with 12 straight hits. She is hitting a team-high .643 (9-for-14) with two doubles, two homeruns and nine RBI.
