When the Terps were in need of a leader, senior Hunter Parsons emerged time and time again. The team’s ace built off a dominant junior campaign to finish his career at Maryland with force.

Parsons, who ended his final season in College Park with a 3.45 ERA, had a rubber arm on the bump. In his 15 starts Parsons climbed past triple digits in pitches thrown all but three times.

Perhaps the most impressive stat of Parsons’ senior year was the 10 wins, the third-most in a single season in Maryland history. The total also pushed him to the top of the Big Ten standings in wins.

A strong finish to his junior season propelled Parsons to a even stronger start in 2019. After a no-decision in the season opener against Campbell, Parsons led Maryland to its second of five straight victories in the first game of a weekend series with Maine.

Parsons went eight strong innings, did not concede a run and allowed only four total baserunners on 99 pitches to earn his first win of the 2019 season.

The righty followed that performance against Maine with another dominant start two weeks later, when he recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in seven innings against Stetson, breaking his record of nine K’s from the previous season, ironically against the same team. The senior matched his career-high with 10 more K’s in his next start, when he took the bump to face Creighton.

When it came to leading off the weekend for his team, Parsons showed up day in and out during his weekly Friday starts. In his 14 series-opener appearances had a record of 10-4 and three shutouts.

Parsons’ leadership on and off the mound helped lead the Terps to their first Big Ten Tournament appearance since 2017. In the first round he tossed 7 2/3 innings to take down third-seeded Illinois and advance to the winners bracket.

After his career in College Park ended in May, Parsons was awarded Third-Team All-Big Ten honors at the conclusion of the postseason.

But Parsons’ baseball career lived on as he was drafted by the New York Mets in the 19th round of the MLB Draft.

After signing with the Mets Parsons threw for the Brooklyn Cyclones, New York’s Short-A affiliate, for 18 2/3 innings in 11 appearances. He posted a 2.89 ERA and a 1-1 record in his first season as a professional ballplayer.