Maryland (28-17, 8-10) is back on the road for a Tuesday matchup with a struggling Towson squad. The Tigers enter the game on a seven-game losing streak.

The Terps enter following a series win against Illinois. The Fighting Illini suffered their first conference series loss and ranked first in the Big Ten entering the weekend. For Maryland, the win marked its first conference series win since March 24 against Michigan State.

Sam Hojnar’s two home runs in Sunday’s rubber match lifted the Terps to an 11-7 win. The senior went 3-for-5 with four RBIs – all three hits going for extra bases. Chris Hacopian added another homer for the hot Maryland offense.

Logan Berrier earned a save in each of the wins. On the weekend, Berrier pitched three innings, allowing two runs with four strikeouts. The Maryland bullpen has been inconsistent recently but Berrier has been a reliable piece.

Over the weekend, Maryland’s bullpen allowed eight earned runs over 10.1 innings.

Putting those struggles aside, Maryland turns its sights to Towson.

Towson Tigers (10-33, 3-15)

Last Season

The 2023 Towson Tigers also finished well below .500 at 19-37 including a 7-23 conference record. The Tigers opened the season by losing their first six games and could not find success with their longest win streak being three.

Towson ended the season on a high note, winning two straight including a 12-2 win on senior day. The pitching staff contributed a combined 6.90 ERA with a 1.78 WHIP. Offensively, the team batted .284 with a .825 OPS.

This Season

Most recently, the Tigers suffered a series sweep against Delaware at home. As a team, Towson ranks toward the bottom of Division I in multiple categories. It is bottom-30 in batting average (.250) and bottom-50 in ERA (7.15).

While hope is lost for a tournament bid, there is still an incentive for Towson to spoil an in-state rival’s conference tournament bid.

Hitters to Watch

Elijah Dickerson leads the team in batting average (.335), OPS (.870) and doubles (16). The senior is one of just two players that bats above .275 – infielder Taye Robinson is the other (.282).

This offense lacks power, with just 19 total home runs on the season. Bryce Frederick leads the team with eight home runs and 31 RBIs. However, Frederick is the only player on the team with more than two home runs.

Pitchers to Watch

LHP Matt Lynch started last Tuesday against Delaware and allowed just one run through 6.2 innings. Lynch also pitched one inning on Saturday, making it unclear if he’ll see action against Maryland.

Righty Brandon Jung has been a key piece of the bullpen. The sophomore has allowed nine runs in 15 appearances with a .179 batting average against. His last appearance was last Tuesday, making Jung a likely option out of the bullpen against the Terps.

Probable Starting Pitchers

Ryan Van Buren vs. TBA