COLLEGE PARK, (M.d.) – The Maryland softball team is gearing up for its second season under head coach Lauren Karn, and the energy around the squad is higher than ever.
After finishing with an 8-15 record in Big Ten conference play last season and making it to the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, the Terps are ready to take things to the next level.
This year, Karn and her staff implemented new standards that could help push the program in a positive direction. “Paying attention to every small detail that we need to pay attention to in order to have success on the field,” Karn said. “The team has done a really nice job at just like buying into that being all in we’ve nailed that down, and so now we’re really excited to go play some games this weekend and see how it all kind of comes together.”
The players are on the same page, focusing not just on competing but on building their confidence as a team. “We’re focusing on ourselves and just working on being confident and competing to win, no matter who we’re up against,” said outfielder Mazie MacFarlane.
Maryland has always loaded up on tough competition in its pre-conference schedule. The Terps will face top-ranked teams like #1 Texas, #10 Texas Tech, and now #6 UCLA and #24 Oregon as they join the Big Ten conference this year.
“We’ve already played teams like Washington, Oregon, and UCLA, and knowing that we can compete with them and even beat them gives us a lot of confidence,” said MacFarlane. “We’re ready for the challenge and ready to show everyone what we’re capable of.”
For Coach Karn, it’s not just about wins and losses. “I think a successful season for us is going to look more like how did we compete as a team?” said Karn, “how did we overcome adversity and how did we grow together? The wins will come once you kind of get all of those pieces clicking.”
The Terps will face their first opponent of the 2025 season, as they travel to Arizona State to face the Sun Devils on Thursday, February 6th.
