No Spring Break for the Dirty Terps.

Maryland is back at the Bob for its fourth game in five days. The squad took care of business this past weekend, taking their series against Albany, 2-1. On Tuesday, they’ll welcome local opponent George Washington to campus. Maryland holds the all-time record against the Colonials, 48-29-4, but this will be the first time the two programs have faced off since 2016. 

The focus for the Terps coming into Tuesday’s game will be finding a balance between a potent offensive attack and a talented but inconsistent defense. In the Albany series, occasionally one was playing well at the expense of the other. In game one, we saw what that balance looked like, as the Terps’ offense exploded for 18 runs, with only three runs given up, all in the ninth inning. However, in game two, both offense and defense struggled in a 6-3 loss. In the finale, the offense struggled on a bitter day while the pitching and defense stifled the Great Danes in a 4-0 victory.

The Terps will hope to find that balance in Tuesday’s match. They currently sit at 11-8, sixth in the Big Ten. They’ll be looking to get as high as possible with conference play starting in just 10 days.

Here’s what you need to know about the visiting Colonials.

George Washington Colonials (5-16)

Last Season

George Washington finished last season with a 22-30 record, with a 10-14 record in conference. They finished ninth out of 12 teams, only followed by Fordham, UMass, and St. Bonaventure. The Colonials finished last season with two wins in a series victory over UMass. 

This Season

This season, the Colonials find themselves in a similar place. They currently sit at 5-16, which ranks tenth, with Dayton and St. Bonaventure behind them. So far, they have yet to win a series, getting swept by East Carolina and McNeese State and losing three series two games to one to Fairfield, Binghamton, and most recently, Niagara. Their two other victories came in midweek games against the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore on Feb. 22 and against Delaware on Mar 7. 

After today’s game, they will head back home to take on the Manhattan Jaspers in a three-game series this upcoming weekend and then will play James Madison next Tuesday. Then, it will be onto conference play against Dayton. 

Hitters to Watch 

George Washington has a collection of players who have had a strong start to the year offensively, most notably three starters who have yet to miss a game. 

Junior Eddie Micheletti Jr. highlights the group. He comes into Tuesday’s match with a .391 batting average, 1.028 OPS, and a .563 slugging percentage. He has tallied 34 hits, 19 RBIs, 11 runs scored, 10 walks, and 10 strikeouts. His 34 hits is currently the leader in the A-10 conference.

Senior Steve DiTomaso is the next best for the Colonials. He currently holds a .315 batting average, an .816 OPS, and a .446 slugging percentage. He has recorded 29 hits, 12 RBIs, 12 runs scored, 7 walks, and 13 strikeouts.

Finally, there is graduate student Michael Kohn. Kohn has notched a .312 batting average, a .976 OPS, and a .558 slugging percentage. He has 24 hits, 15 RBIs, 17 runs scored, 12 walks, and 20 strikeouts.

Pitchers to Watch

The Colonials only have two pitchers – junior Christopher Kahler and redshirt junior Logan Koester – who have averaged an inning pitched per game. 

Kahler has started this season on fire, recording a 2.87 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a .219 batting average allowed. He has allowed 25 hits and 10 runs while notching an impressive 31 strikeouts to 12 walks in 31.1 innings pitched.

Koester, on the other hand, has struggled to begin the 2023 campaign. He has recorded a 4.75 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and a .267 batting average allowed. He has allowed 32 hits and 16 runs while notching 17 strikeouts to 12 walks in 30.1 innings pitched.

Projected Starting Pitchers

Projected starting pitchers are currently unknown.