Maryland will cap off a busy week with a series at home against Purdue this weekend. 

The Terps are coming off two-midweek wins against George Washington and James Madison. The offense was hot in the 15-8 win on Tuesday against George Washington and continued it into Wednesday with a 19-12 win. This lifts Maryland to a 23-14 record and fourth in the Big Ten.

Purdue hosted Maryland last year for just two games, with Maryland taking both. The Maryland offense was electric that series, winning game one 14-7 and game two 18-7. The Terps lead the all-time series versus Purdue 12-4 and will look to grow that lead.

Here’s what to expect from the Boilermakers.

Purdue Boilermakers (18-18)

Last Season

The 2022 Purdue Boilermakers took a major leap and finished with a 29-21 record, their first winning record since 2018. They got off to a fast start, winning their first 15 games. However, the cracks started to show in April once Big Ten play began. Purdue would finish the month with a 6-11 record.

Despite this, the Boilermakers still made it to the Big Ten tournament. However, they were unable to find the success from their hot start to the season and would be eliminated after losses to Iowa and Rutgers.

This Season

Despite their .500 record, Purdue still sits at sixth in the Big Ten due to their strong 7-5 conference record. The Boilermakers also played two-midweek games this past week. They were able to pick up a pair of wins at home against Ball State (3-2) and Butler (16-9). Purdue will come to College Park riding a four-game win streak.

Hitters to Watch

The leadoff hitter Mike Bolton Jr. is the perfect combo of contact and speed. Bolton has a season average of .311 and an OBP of .455. He is dangerous on the base paths and has collected 21 stolen bases so far this year. Look for Bolton to test the arm of Luke Shliger this weekend.

Also, look out for the power bats of Jake Jarvis and Paul Toetz. Jarvis and Toetz are tied for the team lead in home runs with 8. Along with the home runs, they also get on base, as each of them has an OBP over .400.

Pitchers to Watch

Kyle Iwinski delivered a great outing last week vs. Penn State. Iwinski only allowed one earned run and six hits through eight innings, the longest outing by a Purdue pitcher this year. Another starting pitcher to look out for is sophomore RHP Khal Stephen. In his second year, Stephen has a 4-2 record with a 4.60 ERA and 40 strikeouts. Expect to see both Iwinski and Stephen make a start this weekend.

Probable Starting Pitchers

Friday, April 21st: Jason Savacool and Khal Stephen

Saturday, April 22nd: Nick Dean and Jonathan Blackwell

Sunday, April 23rd: Kyle McCoy and Kyle Iwinski