Performing at an inconsistent rate this past month, the Massachusetts softball team looks to change its roller coaster of a season for the better on Tuesday, entering a doubleheader against a struggling Rhode Island team on the road.
After being swept by Fordham at home over the weekend and further dropping in the conference standings, the Minutewomen (8-19, 3-9 Atlantic 10) are facing the lowly Rams (1-27, 0-11 A-10) at an opportune time heading into the deeper part of their schedule.
Despite its poor record and shortage of quality performances, however, the URI series is not seen as an easy two wins to UMass coach Kristi Stefanoni. Instead, she said she believes her team needs to play its best in order to avoid a trap game scenario.
“I don’t think any game that we have left is an easy win for us,” she said. “The kids are very much aware of the fact that URI is (playing poorly). If you go into that game thinking that, ‘Oh, this team has a losing record and hasn’t won a conference game,’ then you’ve already set yourself up for a loss.
“We’re trying to take this game just like any other,” she added. “I see them as a team that has absolutely nothing to lose. If we decide to stay back a little and take them as cupcakes, then we’re going to be in for some trouble.”
The Rams rank last in just about every major statistic in the conference entering Tuesday’s double header. At the plate, URI has almost no presence of power in the lineup, hitting only three homeruns with a slugging percentage that is alarmingly close to its batting average (.283 compared to .228). On the mound, the Rams have a 10.48 ERA.
“They’ve got a lot of kids who go in, hack and swing just to swing,” Stefanoni said. “They kind of swing at anything. Their pitching is just okay and their fielding is just okay.”
But Stefanoni noted the importance of matching URI’s energy level.
“They usually come out with a lot of energy and they’re going to be a scrappy bunch of kids,” Stefanoni said.
While it’s important to keep an eye on the opposite side of the diamond, UMass has a few internal issues that it needs to fix, as well.
Through 27 games, the Minutewomen pitching ranks second to last in the Atlantic 10 – in front of the Rams – with a 5.27 ERA and are third to last in walks allowed at 121.
It also doesn’t help that UMass’ ace of the rotation Caroline Raymond has thrown a conference-high 18 wild pitches.
Behind the hill, the Minutewomen haven’t been superb on defense either, ranking second to last in fielding percentage and third to last in errors (43). Even with all of the improvements that need to be made in these facets of the game however, Stefanoni believes the biggest key moving forward is improving the offensive performance.
“Run production and mechanical issues (are the biggest concerns heading into the doubleheader),” she said. “We have some people in the lineup right now who just aren’t producing mechanically or aren’t producing a run when people are on base. We have to get better and we’ve got to score runs.”
As for what the second-year head coach hopes to see Tuesday, like always, she just expects her players to play like themselves.
“My expectation is that they go out and they compete and they play UMass softball,” Stefanoni said. “I don’t know anything different.”
Tom Mulherin can be reached at [email protected].
