Edwards is one of five Towson players hitting over .300 early in the season. Olivia Baltazar, who had three hits in a win over Colgate last week, leads Towson with a .429 average. Holiday Cahill (.391), Shelby Stracher (.389) and Nicole Stockinger (.310) have also sparkled early for the Tigers.
 
"I don't think we are where we want to be as a team so far," Edwards said. "We're still learning and growing. We have to continue to make a little adjustments. As a team, we are focusing on our weaknesses so we can turn them into our strengths so by conference time we'll be ready to battle. We're looking forward to competing this weekend."
 
Edwards, who hit .444 last weekend as Towson split a pair of games at the USC Upstate/Furman Classic, has been playing softball most of her life. Her father was her first coach and her sister, Chelsea was Edwards' inspiration.
 
"I enjoyed swimming when I was younger and that was my favorite sport," Edwards said. "My sister started playing softball. She was a role model for me and I wanted to be exactly like her so I started playing softball. I wore her same jersey number growing up (#33). My dad was my coach and he always pushed me to be my best."
 
A sport management major, the affable Edwards has enjoyed her time at Towson. She has been a key contributor to a program that has enjoyed consecutive 30-win seasons and advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship game last season. Off the field, Edwards is all smiles. On the bus rides, Edwards watches Scandal, Greys Antimony and Vampire Diaries.
 
"Playing here at Towson has been a great experience and really fun," Edwards said. "My teammates are fun and these have been the best two and a half years of my life so far. I fell in love with (Towson's) campus as soon as I visited. Life is too short to be anything but happy. My teammates have had a huge impact on me. They just keep me laughing."
 
Here's a look at the other teams in this weekend's Carolina Classic:
 
A Look At North Carolina
The Tarheels (7-4 overall) have won seven of their last eight games after beating South Carolina, 7-3, on Wednesday. North Carolina won three out of four last weekend during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Tar Heels' top hitters through two weeks have been Katie Bailiff (.476 average), Leah Murray (.394), and Kendra Lynch (.333). Lynch has hit four home runs to lead UNC. Bailiff and Lynch have combined for 21 RBIs. Bailiff has five doubles and a pair of home runs. Berlynne Delamora has drawn 11 walks. North Carolina is hitting .292 as a team.
 
A Look At Hampton
Hampton picked up its first win of the 2017 season last weekend at the Runnin' Bulldog Tournament, thanks to a 3-2 win over Holy Cross on Saturday. The Lady Pirates are 1-7 on the season. The Lady Pirates were picked to finished third in the MEAC Northern Division. Hampton returns 11 letterwinners and went 20-28 last season. Cassidy Blackwell leads the Pirates with a .478 batting average, 11 hits and four doubles. Ashley Grassini (.357), Jada Fields (.333) and Kial Watts (.333) also have averages above .300.
 
A Look At Marshall
Marshall finished the Orange Blossom Invitational with a 3-1 record last weekend and improved to 6-3 overall. The Thundering Herd lost the first game to LIU Brooklyn, 5-4, and then defeated Providence in the nightcap, 5-2. Elicia D'Orazio leads the Thundering Herd with a .471 batting average on 16 hits. Morgan Zerkle has a .400 batting average. D'Orazio and Zerkle are two of four Marshall players with at least 10 hits. Taylor McCord (.345) and Shaelynn Braxton (.323) have 10 hits each for the Thundering Herd. McCord leads Marshall with three home runs and 10 RBIs.
 
A Look At Miami, Ohio
Miami is 5-4 after beating host Western Kentucky, 3-1, in the Hilltopper Classic last weekend. The Red Hawks have hit 11 home runs this season. Lauren Anderson (.350), Megan Wurts (.321) and Michaella Schlattman (.308) lead the Red Hawks offensive attack this season. Anderson has a team best eight RBIs and Johniann Wahl has four home runs to lead Miami. The defending MAC Tournament champion was selected to finish third in the MAC East division. The Red Hawks also earned a win over Notre Dame in last year's NCAA tournament.
 
Up Next
Towson competes in the University of South Florida tournament. The Tigers will play Fort Wayne and Western Michigan on Friday, March 3. They will battle Ball State and South Florida on Saturday, March 4 and conclude the weekend with a game against Penn on Sunday, March 5.