The Terps are hitting the road again for three games against Western Carolina.

Maryland will face off against the Catamounts on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at E.J. Whitmire Stadium in Chullowhee, North Carolina.

The Terps enter the set at 2-1 overall, after a successful showing at last weekend’s Swig & Swine College Classic in South Carolina. Despite hanging 19 runs on Mercyhurst in the final game, head coach Matt Swope thought the pitching was Maryland’s highlight of the road trip.

“I thought the performance, just as a whole, as a staff, was the best part of the weekend,” he said. “If we can get starts like that every week, we’re gonna be in every game and be able to come back and win.”

Here’s what to expect from Western Carolina this weekend.

Western Carolina Catamounts (1-3)

Last Season

The Catamounts finished 2024 with a 28-26 record but went 0-7 against power conference opponents. Western Carolina was the fourth seed in the Southern Conference tournament but lost its two postseason matchups to Wofford and Mercer.

This Season

The Catamounts are still shaking off rust to start the 2025 campaign. Georgia Southern handed Western Carolina three consecutive losses to open the season. However, the SoCon squad secured its first win of 2025 in its midweek home opener against USC Upstate on Tuesday.

Starting pitching has been an early issue for the Catamounts. No starting pitcher has an ERA below 5.40 so far in the young season.

Hitters to Watch

Western Carolina’s offense has been top-heavy thus far. Despite hitting .275 as a team, the Catamounts have four regular starters hitting at or below the Mendoza Line.

Freshman infielder Jaylen Jones is making a strong, early impression in Chullowhee. Jones leads his squad with a .500 average and six RBIs in just three games. The twitchy infielder is also one-for-one on steals in his collegiate career. 

The Catamount lineup also includes a unique feature in the form of two-way player Mason Holton. The senior is the only member of the team with a home run so far in 2025, after totaling 20 extra-base hits in 2024.

Pitchers to Watch

The Catamount rotation is off to a rocky start in 2025, but the bullpen has some bright spots early on.

Right-hander Griffin Guinther still has a 0.00 ERA through two appearances this season. The sophomore has yet to give up a hit and has tallied two strikeouts in a brief 1.1 innings of work.

Junior Brandon Langley is the other top bullpen arm so far. The 6-foot-6 righty picked up two Ks in his lone appearance of the season.

Probable Starters

Friday, February 21: Kyle McCoy vs. Dusty Revis

Saturday, February 22: Joey McMannis vs. Mason Holton

Sunday, February 23: Evan Smith vs. Davis Wright

Other Notable Points

It’s worth monitoring the Dirty Terps’ offensive approach this weekend. There’s a chance they experiment with more small ball after an opening weekend in which six of their 26 hits were homers. The long ball also produced 13 of Maryland’s 28 runs.

“I think this team is built to hit homers, so you’re going to have to swing and miss,” Swope said. “If you hit the homers, you’re going to be fine. If you swing and miss and don’t hit homers, you’re going to be in trouble.”