ITHACA, N.Y. -- Spring break 2012 will be full of competition and little rest for the weary, as the Cornell softball team will play 10 games over the span of six days beginning on Tuesday, March 20.

Cornell will play doubleheaders at Virginia Tech, Liberty and Delaware State before playing four contests in the Epilepsy Awareness Tournament prior to returning home for its Ivy League and home opener next weekend.

After playing a twinbill against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. on Tuesday at 4 p.m., the Big Red will head to Lynchburg, Va. on Thursday for a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Liberty. It will move on to Dover, Del. on Friday for two games against Delaware State prior to two more games against the Hornets and two other contests against Bucknell on Saturday and Sunday.

Big Red head coach Dick Blood has a chance to hit a milestone, entering the week needing two victories to become the first Cornell coach in any sport to reach 550 wins.

Coming into the season, the big question was how the Big Red pitching would respond after the loss of two-time Ivy League Pitcher of the Year Elizabeth Dalrymple to graduation. The group of seniors Lauren Marx (2-1, 2.77 ERA) and Jenna Stoller (0-3, 1.94 ERA), sophomore Alyson Onyon (3-1, 1.71 ERA) and freshman Brittany Sutton (1-1, 4.88 ERA) have done a nice job in the circle, keeping the Big Red in every game. Opponents are hitting just .243 and are slugging just .299 with just 13 extra base hits in 12 contests.

Cornell's offense has gotten off to a slow start, hitting just a collective .214 with an on-base percentage of .270. Senior Erin Keene is off to an outstanding start, hitting a team-best .382 with three doubles and two home runs to go along with a team-best seven RBI. She is the only regular hitting .300, though Christina Villalon is batting .292. Jenny Edwards has two home runs and six RBI. While Cornell has struggled to hit safely, it has done a nice job putting the ball in play, striking out just 49 times in 12 contests (4.1 per game). The team is fielding at a .950 clip, but that jumped to .962 in its last two weekends after struggling some over its first four games.

After going 27-22-1 a season ago and claiming a third consecutive South Division title, Blood's squad will be looking for its 16th consecutive season with at least 25 wins. Blood is the all-time winningest coach in Cornell athletics history for a single sport and enters the week with 548 triumphs (548-249-2) and five conference crowns.

Cornell will open the week against a Virginia Tech team that has already played 30 games this season, posting an 18-12 mark. Included was a 7-0 start that included a win over nationally ranked Oklahoma State. The Hokies are hitting .242 as a team and have five position players who have opened all 30 games and two others who have opened at least 28 contests. Courtney Liddle (.312, 3 HR, 17 RBI), Lauren Gaskill (.310, 2 HR, 12 RBI) and Dani Anderson (.303, 2 HR, 13 RBI) are all hitting better than .300 on the season and the team is fielding at an exceptional .974 clip. In the circle, Jasmin Harrell (10-8, 1.98 ERA, 95 Ks in 116.2 IP) and Bailey Liddle (6-3, 2.13 ERA, 40 Ks in 56.0 IP) lead a team with a 2.63 collective ERA for 17th year head coach Scot Thomas.