Off to its second-best start in program history, Maryland (19-6, 2-1) seeks its seventh win in eight tries as it travels to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan (9-16, 2-1) for a three-game set.

The Terps are coming off a four-home run, 11-4 win over Georgetown on Tuesday. Elijah Lambros’ grand slam headlined Maryland’s strong day at the plate and Eddie Hacopian matched his career high with four hits. Sam Hojnar added a pair of extra base hits. Ryan Van Buren turned in another strong start, as the right-hander went 4 2/3 innings to improve to 4-0 on the season.

The Terps’ quest for their 18th consecutive series win kicks off at 4 p.m. on Friday.

Michigan Wolverines (9-16, 2-1 Big Ten)

Last Season

The Wolverines ushered in a new era of baseball with an entirely new coaching staff. After racing out to a 5-0 start in conference play, head coach Tracy Smith led Michigan to a 28-28 finish, culminating with a loss in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinal.

Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Connor O’Halloran led the pitching staff with a 4.11 ERA and 110 strikeouts over 103 innings. The Toronto Blue Jays selected the Ontario, Canada native in the 5th round of last year’s MLB Draft.

Two-way star Mitch Voit was named a Freshman All-American after leading the team in ERA and finishing second in home runs. Former second baseman Ted Burton and freshman phenom Jonathan Kim earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors.

This Season

After playing a tough non-conference schedule that included losses to No. 2 Arkansas, No. 7 Oregon State and No. 18 Coastal Carolina, Michigan began Big Ten play with a series win at Penn State. The team utilizes its bench often, with 35 of its 38 players seeing game action this season.

The Wolverines are led by strong defense, leading the nation with just over one double play per game. The pitching has struggled, though, with Michigan ranking second-to-last with a 7.23 ERA. They have walked more hitters than any other Big Ten team and have the second-lowest strikeout total in the conference. Opponents are hitting nearly .300 off Wolverine pitching this season.

The hitting has not fared well either, as the team sits bottom three in the nation with a .243 average. Wolverine hitters also lead the conference in strikeouts, just ahead of second-place Maryland.

Hitters to Watch

After a solid freshman season at the plate, Voit has elevated his game this season, pacing Michigan with a .330 average, 31 points clear of second place. He’s third on the team with 16 RBIs and second among qualified players with a .547 slugging percentage. The two-way player’s plate discipline has room to improve as he leads the team in strikeouts.

Stephen Hrustich is one of the hottest players in the Big Ten, slashing .421/.551/.868 with four homers and 10 RBIs over his last 10 games. He leads the conference with eight home runs. The Third Team All-Big Ten transfer from Northwestern also has a strong eye at the plate, sitting fourth in the Big Ten in walks this season.

Pitchers to Watch

Weekend starter Kurt Barr has been arguably the Wolverines’ strongest and most consistent arm this season. After sporting a 4.18 ERA over 12 appearances (six starts) as a freshman, he has a 4.02 ERA across nine appearances (three starts) this season. Opponents are hitting just .198 off of Barr in 2024.

One of four two-ways on Michigan, the overall numbers don’t look great for Voit (6.27 ERA over six starts) but he has turned in some strong starts. In March alone, he pitched a complete game at UCLA, threw eight innings against San Diego and allowed just two earned runs over 7 1/3 innings at Penn State on Sunday.

Sitting fifth all-time in appearances and 11th in career strikeouts for the Wolverines, fifth-year senior Jacob Denner has been excellent over his past four outings, allowing only three hits and no runs over the past 10 1/3 innings.

Michigan has had issues finding consistency among starters this season, leading to seven pitchers making at least one start for the team this season. They haven’t had a consistent Friday, Saturday or Sunday starter.

Probable Starting Pitchers

Friday, March 29: Kenny Lippman vs TBD
Saturday, March 30: Logan Koester vs TBD
Sunday, March 31: Joey McMannis vs TBD