Weekend Preview

UMass: The Minutewomen have an absolutely brutal stretch of games this weekend, including #7 Washington, #11 Texas, #14 California, #19 Oklahoma State, and Fresno State who is receiving votes in the latest poll. This game is going to show the country what this UMass squad is made of. If the Minutewomen can go 2-3 or better the rest of the A10 better watch out. Sara Plourde got a good taste of top competition last weekend against Michigan, I have a feeling she is going to be even better this weekend. UMass has some interesting storylines with its opponents this weekend, maybe the most intriguing a UMass-Washington rematch.

Fordham: The Rams slate of games this weekend is not to shabby either, as they will also see #7 Washington, #11 Texas, in addition to matchups against #20 LSU, Cal State Fullerton, and Nevada. The ranked opponents will test the Rams, but Cal State Fullerton and Nevada are two teams that are struggling a bit. I believe Fordham should beat both the Titans and Wolfpack, especially if the bats can get going. Once again I am very interested to see how Coach Orchard distributes the innings between Jen Mineau and Chelsea Plimpton. I wonder if she will be conscious of the fact that Coach Sortino will be there scouting.

St. Joseph's: The Hawks will head to Chapel Hill, NC this weekend for the Carolina Classic. St. Joe's will be matched up against UNC, NC State, Georgetown, and one other game which has yet to be determined. Georgetown is a very winnable game and the two Carolina schools are very young, but it they will be tough games for the Hawks. If Erin Gallagher is sharp in the circle, St. Joe's can hang with these teams, but if the Hawks play like they did last weekend, it could be a long trip.

Kristen Marris

Temple: The Owls start their season off down in Tampa, FL at USF's brand new softball stadium. Temple will see a good mix of teams this weekend including #16 Missouri and Illinois State who is receiving votes. USF and Western Michigan should also prove to be tough opponents for this young Temple squad. Temple does have a winnable matchup against Central Connecticut State. This is going to be a big year for Temple and it is important that the Owls get off to a good start. I think a 2-3 start would be a good one for the Owls this weekend.

Rhode Island: The Rams will head down to Coastal Carolina this weekend for some games vs. the host Coastal Carolina, from A10 rival Virginia Tech, and fellow northeast squad Boston College. The Rams need to improve on quite a few things from their first weekend of play. The pitchers need to cut down on the walks and HR and hopefully they will be able to start stronger this weekend. The Rams defense can use some work as well, I am hopeful that the Rams can pick up a win, but I'm not incredibly optimistic.

St. Louis: The Billikens may be in store for their toughest weekend of the season as well with two matchups against NCAA Regional teams from last year: Lipscomb and Radford. It that wasn't enough St. Louis will also face a Stephen F. Austin squad that is hungry for some wins. St. Louis is going to need to be sharp this weekend and that is something we just haven't seen out of them this year. The Billikens are going to be tested in all aspects of the game and I am curious to see how they react.

Dayton: This is a weekend that the Flyers need wins from. Dayton will be matched up against three of the weaker teams in North Carolina: UNC Wilmington, Appalachian State, and Gardner-Webb. Dayton needs to perform this weekend, especially since they will be going against Top 25 team Texas Tech next weekend. The Flyers aren't going to be facing great pitching this week so the offense needs to put some runs up on the board.

Charlotte: The 49ers have had an up and down season so far, up when Katy Hackett pitches and down when she doesn't. The level of competition has been raised this week, as the 49ers are bringing in the best group of teams they have seen so far this season with James Madison, Seton Hall, and Robert Morris. I am hopeful Charlotte can go at least 3-2, but I am just not sure that it can happen.

La Salle: The Explorers will open up their 2011 season at one of the lone remaining undefeated teams in division 1: USC Upstate. USC Upstate is going to be a big challenge for the Explorers, but fortunately La Salle also has some easier games. Much like George Washington, La Salle has not gotten off to great starts recently, so a solid opening weekend could do wonders for this squad.

George Washington: The Colonials will open up this weekend at Norfolk State with a good mix of challenging and winnable games. George Washington will have a big test against Iona, but it will be a good challenge for this squad. For the Colonials to have a good year, it needs to start this weekend with more than 1 win. This team was one of the worst teams statistically speaking in all of softball last year so a good start could right the ship right away.

St. Bonaventure: The Bonnies are the lone A10 team not to be in action this weekend. Maybe the extra practice time will help or maybe it will put them at a competitive disadvantage. Either way in the future I would like to see them start a little earlier.