Maryland will look to get back on track in the Midwest.

The Terps will square off with conference foe Northwestern this weekend from Rocky and Berenice Miller Park in Evanston, Illinois.

Maryland has been floundering lately, dropping back-to-back midweek contests after losing two out of three in its weekend series with Indiana.

The first midweek loss was the Terps’ final of three contests with Georgetown. 

Maryland won games No. 1 and 2 by a combined score of 25-9. A bullpen implosion was in store for the Terps in for game No. 3 though, as the Hoyas scored a total of nine runs in the sixth and seventh innings to power a 13-12 win.

Maryland had the opposite problem in its road matchup with UMBC. Meade Johnson’s strong start was spoiled by a quiet offense. The Terps only registered six hits in Baltimore and Retrievers’ starter Eddie Sargent was perfect through the first three innings. Ultimately, Johnson got the loss for Maryland, as UMBC’s three-run fifth inning was the key to its 4-2 win.

The Terps need to catch a break badly, and they have a good opportunity to do that against the Wildcats.

Northwestern Wildcats (10-19, 0-6 Big Ten)

Last Season

The Wildcats were the Big Ten basement dwellers in 2023, going 4-20 in the conference and 10-40 overall. They won just one weekend series, (snagging two out of three against a middle-of-the-road Illinois squad in April), and failed to qualify for the Big Ten tournament.

This Season

It’s been more of the same for Northwestern in 2024. The Wildcats have not won a series in the Big Ten this season, let alone a game. Northwestern was swept at home by a ranked Nebraska at the end of March, then lost all three on the road against Penn State to kick off April.

It’s difficult to point to any one part of the Wildcats’ team for their woes. Their offense has been top-heavy and inconsistent, while their pitching staff has given up 220 runs, (204 earned) in 241 innings.

Hitters to Watch

Bennett Markinson has started all 29 games for Northwestern, mainly serving as the catcher. The junior leads the Wildcats with a .336 average and is tied for fourth with three home runs. He’s been cold as of late, only going 2-11 in Northwestern’s weekend series with the Nittany Lions.

Right fielder Jackson Freeman is the Wildcats’ power bat. The first-year player leads Northwestern with six long balls and 23 RBIs. He comes into the series a touch below a 1.000 OPS, sitting at .999 through 29 games.

Pitchers to Watch

The Wildcats have shuffled around starters and relievers all season in hopes of finding something that sticks, but the pitching has been rough so far in 2024.

Matt McClure has been one of Northwestern’s more reliable arms in 2024. The senior righty is 2-2 with a 4.28 ERA and 17 K’s. He’s worked as both a starter and long-reliever this season, as the Wildcats need as much flexibility as possible with their pitchers.

Typical Saturday starter Kyle Potthoff is having a solid season too. The right-handed graduate student transferred to Northwestern after a few years in Missouri’s bullpen. In 10 appearances, (eight starts), Potthoff has pitched to a 2-2 record with a 5.15 ERA in his team-leading 36.2 innings.

Probable Starters

Friday, April 12: Kenny Lippman vs. Nolan Morr

Saturday, April 13: Logan Koester vs. Kyle Potthoff

Sunday, April 14: Joey McMannis vs. Luke Benneche