Previewing the Terrapins
The 2020 season is finally here and the Terrapins are ready to get things underway this weekend in South Carolina.
After finishing last year with an even record of 29-29, Maryland is looking to get back to its winning ways and reach the NCAA Regionals for the first time since 2018. The team closed out the regular season with four consecutive wins, going on to play three games in the conference tournament, winning one against Illinois.
The new-look Terrapins have 13 freshmen entering the clubhouse, along with two transfers. Maryland’s Class of ’23 ranks as the highest in team history, setting up shop at No. 7 according to D1Baseball.com.
Alongside the young players are five returning starters from last season to round out the Terrapins’ defense. The outfield will again consist of Chris Alleyne in center and newly No. 3 Randy Bednar in right. Sophomore Ben Cowles is making the move to shortstop to replace A.J. Lee, and will be joined by first baseman Maxwell Costes and catcher Justin Vought, one of the team’s 2020 captains.
“We have a very young team this year,” Costes said. “Having a presence like Randy [Bednar] or [Justin] Vought or [Sean] Fisher really brings something kind of invaluable.”
Coach Vaughn talked about rounding out the team’s defense, and how some of the new guys can jump in and contribute right away. The depth on the team is unlike what Vaughn had last season, with a lineup that can “stretch to 12 or 13 deep.” The weekend’s lineups will likely be based on pitching matchups and will include multiple pinch-hitters.
“It’s gonna come down to how we play, that’s the only thing we can control,” Vaughn said. “Everyone’s gonna be super amped up…it’s all about getting some of those nerves kicked off and go play a good brand of baseball.”
On the mound for Maryland will also feature some new faces. After the loss of ace Hunter Parsons, the team’s Friday starter in his senior campaign, Vaughn named 2019 bullpen arm Sean Fisher to toss the Terrapins’ first game of the year.
“We have a lot of youth on the pitching staff, a lot of inexperience,” Vaughn said. “We wanted to put the ball in the hands of our toughest dude.”
“I was pretty excited to [get the start],” Fisher said. “I feel like I put in a lot to earn that, but I’m just really looking forward to going out there and competing with my guys.”
The rest of the weekend will involve a bullpen-heavy performance as Vaughn looks to work guys in to start the season with a deep roster. Freshman Nick Dean will get the start on Saturday, followed by redshirt freshman Sean Burke on Sunday.
The Weekend Slate
Though the Terps are familiar with facing three separate teams during opening weekend, it’s often in the form of a tournament. This season, though not explicitly a tournament, Maryland starts with a Friday game against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers, before facing Iona on Saturday and the College of Charleston on Sunday.
Friday – Charleston Southern Buccaneers
Last season
With a record of 23-36 in 2019, the Buccaneers continued to slide in the wrong direction. The team last finished with a record above .500 in 2014, and have compiled a 7-24 record against Power Five conference schools in that span.
This season
Charleston Southern has just two of its top five hitters returning for the 2020 season, including the loss of sophomore outfielder Max Ryerson who posted .322 average with 43 RBI in his freshman campaign. Ryerson transferred in the off-season. The team ranked seventh in the Big South Preseason Poll to start the season.
Hitters to watch
Aside from Ryerson, the Buccaneers also have their power-bat back in the lineup for this season. Senior first baseman Ryan Stoudemire hit 14 long balls last season for a team high. He also led the Buccaneers in doubles, slugging and was second in average behind Ryerson.
Pitchers to watch
One of Charleston Southern’s most impressive arms is sophomore R.J. Petit. The righty ended his stellar freshman season with All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball and was named First Team All-Big South. Petit was named as the Preseason Big South Pitcher of the Year prior to the 2020 season.
The most experienced arm out of the bullpen for the Buccaneers is senior Seth Owens. In 31 appearances, he posted a 4.06 ERA and 41 strikeouts.
Probably Starting Pitching Matchup
Friday, 6 p.m. ET
Sr. LHP Jaret Bennett vs. Jr. LHP Sean Fisher
vs.
One of two weekend starters returning for the Buccaneers, Bennett finished last season with the second-most innings pitched on the team (71 1/3), including a complete game shutout over USC Upstate. With a 5.30 ERA over 14 starts, including 44 strikeouts last year, the southpaw is looking to continue his success in his senior campaign.
For the Terps, Fisher maintained a bullpen role last season, finishing the year with a 6.90 ERA in 25 relief appearances over 30 innings. Over the summer on Cape Cod, Fisher took on more of a starters role, a spot Vaughn decided to try the southpaw in to start Maryland’s 2020 campaign.
Saturday – Iona Gaels
Last season
The team finished with 14 wins in 2019, a low since 2016. The Gaels haven’t earned a winning record in the 21st century, with four of their last 19 seasons ending with single-digit win totals.
This season
The Gaels are projected to finish 10th in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference this season after last year’s disappointing end. The team has an abundance of returning arms that can hopefully help in the long-run of the season.
Hitters to watch
Junior catcher Sam Punzi was the team’s best hitter from a season ago, leading the Gaels in average, home runs and RBI, and will be returning for his third season with the team. Sophomore infielder Jake Field led the Gaels in at-bats in his first year, and will look to improve on his .214 average from a season ago.
Pitchers to watch
Most of the big arms are returning for the Gaels this season, including senior righty Stephen Hansen, who tossed with a 3.23 ERA last year. Other heavy throwers coming back are senior southpaw Chris Dodrill and sophomore right-hander Hunter Sibley. Out of the bullpen is righty Antonio Velardi, who had a sub-three ERA with six saves in 2019.
Probably Starting Pitching Matchup
Saturday, 11:30 a.m. ET
Sr. LHP Mario Ferraioli vs. Fr. RHP Nick Dean
vs.
Ferraioli missed his junior season with the Gaels due to injury; as a sophomore in 2018, however, the southpaw made five starts over 15 total appearances, earning MAAC Pitcher of the Week once and finishing with a team-best 1.29 ERAA over 42 innings.
One of the Terps’ young arms, Dean missed his senior season of high school recovering from injury, but led the team to a district championship his junior season with 60 strikeouts and a 1.16 ERA over 48 1/3 innings.
Sunday – Charleston Cougars
Last season
The Cougars went 4-1 against ranked opponents in 2019 and finished 15 games over .500. Charleston’s year earned the team a spot in the Colonial Athletic Association Conference tournament, where the Cougars dropped both games.
This season
After losing a core chunk of their roster last spring, the Cougars will have trouble finding their third consecutive 35+ win season. Baseball America still projects them to finish in third place in the CAA standings.
Hitters to watch
Three players hit for a plus-.300 average last year, none of which are returning for the start of the 2020 season. Senior outfielder Chris Graham finished his junior campaign with a .291 average and 15 RBI in 47 games played, the most for returning players on Charleston’s roster.
Pitchers to watch
Charleston lost its go-to closer, Nathan Ocker, and strong righty Griffin McLarty after last season, who both threw a good amount of innings for the Cougars last season. Key returners include senior Tradd James, who had a 2.77 ERA in 2019, and junior lefty Zach Williams.
Probably Starting Pitching Matchup
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Fr. RHP C.J. Czerwinski vs. R-Fr. RHP Sean Burke
vs.
Like the Terps, the Cougars have injected some youth into their starting rotation heading into the first weekend of the season. Czerwinski comes to Charleston out of Pennsylvania, where he was named his county’s Player and Pitcher of the Year as a senior, after he went 3-3 with 77 strikeouts and a 0.79 ERA in 53 innings.
Burke, who was recovering from injury during the Terps’ 2019 season, has what Vaughn calls “electric stuff” on the mound. As a senior in high school the righty went 5-0 with a 0.44 ERA. The hope is that Burke will bring the same power to the mound for Maryland as he did two years ago.
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