The 2024 college baseball season has finally arrived. Opening day is set for this Friday when Maryland will head down to Statesboro to take on the Georgia Southern Eagles. While the roster and coaching staff have both been completely revamped, the Terps still hope to maintain the success they have enjoyed the past two years.
After a 2022 season where the Terps shattered nearly every program record, including hosting a regional for the first time in school history, preseason expectations were lowered a bit for 2023. However, the Terps didn’t let that affect them, as they won the Big Ten for the second consecutive season and this time left Omaha with a Big Ten Tournament trophy.
Here’s a look back at the eight best moments from Maryland’s successful 2023 campaign:
8) Elijah Lambros’ home run robbery vs. Nebraska
With the Terps trailing by a run midway through a Friday night matchup against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and looking for a spark, Elijah Lambros came through.
Nebraska’s Casey Burnham sent a fly ball to deep centerfield but Lambros snatched it from behind the wall. Maryland used this momentum swing immediately, scoring five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, ultimately leading the Terps to an 8-4 victory.
7) Terps rally late to win thriller vs. Penn State
Heading into the final series of the season, the Terps had their eyes set on a second straight regular-season Big Ten title and needed to take two of three from the Penn State Nittany Lions to do so.
Heading into the ninth inning, things seemed bleak for Maryland to win the series opener as they trailed 15-12 with just three outs remaining. However, the offense through once again, scoring five runs to take a 17-15 lead, headlined by this Nick Lorusso two-run single, which proved to be the game-winning hit.
6) Terps hit four grand slams in first five games of the season
Ever seen a team hit 44 grand slams in one season? Well, that’s what the Terps were on pace for through the first five games of the season.
After Jacob Orr, Lorusso, and Ian Petrutz each hit a grand slam in the season-opening series against South Florida, Maryland failed to hit another in its first midweek game against West Virginia. However, in the very next game, Petrutz got the team back on track, hitting this no-doubter to secure the 9-2 victory over Ole Miss.
5) Nick Lorusso reaches 100 RBI on the season in Winston-Salem Regional
It’s hard to describe just how impactful Lorusso was during his short tenure as a Terp. The Villanova transfer came to Maryland in 2022 and started every game for the Terps in his two years here. While he had a great season in 2022, hitting .322 with 15 home runs, nothing compares to his monster 2023 season.
Lorusso hit a staggering .379 to go along with 26 long balls and a record-breaking 105 RBI. With this home run in the opening game of the Winston-Salem Regional, Lorusso became the first Division I player in 20 years to eclipse the 100 RBI mark.
4) Terps turn five double plays including a Matt Shaw web gem in Big Ten Tournament
For the majority of the season, the Terps offense carried the load for a subpar pitching staff and defense, winning games where both teams scored double-digit runs. Down the stretch, the entire team stepped up, especially the defense.
In the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, the Terps defeated Michigan State, 3-2, thanks to a lights-out performance from the pitching staff, but not without some sensational defense. The Terps turned an astounding five double plays en route to victory, highlighted by this Matt Shaw play, which landed him the number one spot on Sportscenter’s Top 10.
3) Matt Shaw hits 507-foot grand slam to take the lead vs. Iowa
As anybody who watched a single Terps game over the past three years knows, fielding isn’t the only thing Shaw is exceptional at. He absolutely destroys baseballs, as evidenced by his .341/.445/1.142 slash line. He hit 24 home runs on the year but none were more impressive than this one.
Facing an 0-2 count with two outs, bases loaded, and Maryland down three runs to the Iowa Hawkeyes, Shaw came through. After a beautiful bat flip and admiration of the ball, he rounded the bases to give the Terps a 7-6 lead, on a home run that was estimated to travel an absurd 507 feet.
2) Terps clinch Big Ten Tournament title
Although the Terps finished 2022 with a slightly better regular season record than in 2023, one thing they were unable to accomplish in 2022 was a Big Ten Tournament Championship.
However, in 2023, the Terps avenged the disappointing performance they had in the tournament the previous year. They went undefeated, winning all four games on the way to the first Big Ten Tournament title in school history. To no surprise, the defense continued to play phenomenally throughout the entire tournament, sealing the championship with this 5-4-3 double play.
1) Nick Lorusso crushes extra inning walk-off home run in Big Ten Tournament
All season long, Lorusso came through in clutch situations just when it seemed like the Terps were out of gas. Every time he stepped up to the plate it was obvious he was looking to do damage. Business was all the usual in the Big Ten Tournament for Lorusso, who delivered for the Terps time after time, albeit none more important than this time.
After a 93-minute weather delay, the Terps and Cornhuskers were tied at one after nine innings in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament and headed to extra innings. When Lorusso came up to bat in the bottom of the tenth, he cracked a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall, winning the game and setting the Terps up in prime position for the remainder of the tournament.
Maryland Baseball Network 