Maryland’s biggest test in terms of opponent rankings won’t come in conference. The Terps travel to Dallas Baptist, d1baseball.com’s No. 22 ranked team in the country, for a weekend series beginning March 25. They’ll also face No. 12 East Carolina March 6, a rematch of last season’s regional tournament. In conference, they miss Nebraska from their Big Ten West slate, the conference’s only ranked team in most polls. 

The series Maryland’s players are looking forward to most, however, is Michigan at home from May 13 through May 15. 

“Playing them at home… that’s what I’m excited for most,” senior relief pitcher Sean Heine said.

D1baseball.com projected the Wolverines to finish third in the conference, behind Maryland and Nebraska. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper has Michigan at No.30 in their preseason top-50. 

Maryland took the overall season series last season, winning three of their five matchups. The first meeting came in early April with Michigan at No. 25. They split a two-game series. 

Less than two months later, in Maryland’s penultimate regular season series, the Terps took two of three from No. 24 Michigan in Ann Arbor. Maryland entered the series winners of 11 of its last 12 games, with the series win over a ranked conference foe confirming its winning streak was legitimate. 

This season, Maryland gets Michigan in College Park. Again, it will be the Terps’ second-to-last series of the regular season. 

Maryland will also see Michigan for one game in early March as part of the Keith Leclair Classic, a weekend where the Terps will also see Indiana State and East Carolina. 

“It’s going to be a bear of a schedule,” Rob Vaughn said.