Maryland (3-4) heads back down to North Carolina this weekend, this time to Winston-Salem. The Dirty Terps will play two games against Princeton (0-4) and two against No. 12 Wake Forest (8-1), with all four contests hosted at David F. Couch Ballpark.

The Terps have hit a slight rough patch, going 1-3 in their last four games after starting the season with a winning record at the Swig & Swine College Classic. Despite scoring 61 runs over this stretch, Maryland’s pitching woes have proved tough to overcome. The staff has allowed at least 8 runs over these last four games.

In its most recent game against Delaware on Tuesday, Maryland found itself in a seven-run deficit heading into the eighth inning. In shades of the “Cardiac Terps” of years past, Maryland put together a six-run rally in the frame to pull within one, but it was not enough. Maryland disappointingly fell to the Blue Hens, 13-10.

Maryland now looks to get back on track during this four-game weekend. Here’s what to know about the Princeton Tigers and Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Princeton Tigers (0-4)

Last Season

Princeton finished last season at 18-26 overall and with a 12-9 record in Ivy League play, good enough for a second-place finish behind Columbia. However, it was a different story in the Ivy League tournament.

After a 9-7 loss to Cornell, the Tigers got the better of Columbia in a 16-6 win to knock the top-seeded Lions out of the competition. But Princeton’s tournament run ended shortly after with a 9-4 loss against Penn.

This Season

The Tigers are still looking for their first win of the season after being swept by Miami in a four-game series this past weekend. It was a rough series all-around for the Tigers, as they were outscored 36-4.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-1)

Last Season

Wake Forest finished last season with a 38-22, although it posted a 15-15 record in ACC conference play — a disappointing finish after the Demon Deacons were regular season conference champs in 2023. In the ACC tournament, Wake Forest went 2-0 in pool play to advance to the semifinals, where it lost to Florida State, 9-6.

The Demon Deacons were a quick out in the NCAA tournament as losses to VCU and East Carolina sent them home after just two games in the Greenville Regional.

This Season

The 12th-ranked Demon Deacons have started this season on a hot streak, with their only loss coming on the road against UNC Greensboro. Wake Forest is an undefeated 8-0 at home thus far, outscoring its opponents 99-24 in a span that includes three shutouts.

Hitters to Watch

Princeton: Junior second baseman Jake Koonin set a program hit streak record in Princeton’s season opener against Miami last Friday when he knocked a single that pushed his stretch to 21 games, spanning back to last season. He extended that streak to 22 in game one of last Saturday’s doubleheader, but Miami held him hitless in game two. The junior was named to second-team All-Ivy last year.

Wake Forest: Junior shortstop Marek Houston is hitting .459 with 17 knocks and 20 RBIs on the young season. Houston got off to a scorching hot start in Wake Forest’s opening weekend. He went 10-for-14 with 13 RBIs across four games against LIU and Marist, which earned him ACC Player of the Week honors.

Pitchers to Watch

Princeton: Sophomore Sean Episcope was Princeton’s only starting pitcher who held Miami’s high-powered offense at bay last weekend. Episcope’s six-strikeout performance limited the Hurricanes to two runs through five innings during his start on Friday. Episcope had a strong freshman campaign in 2024, where he struck out 44 batters in the same number of innings pitched.

Wake Forest: Junior Logan Lunceford hasn’t given up a single run and has only allowed two hits through two starts to begin his 2025 campaign. In his most recent appearance against St. John’s, the Missouri transfer struck out 13 and only gave up one hit through 5.1 innings of work, earning him ACC Pitcher of the Week honors for his performance. 

The Terps will likely miss Lunceford — the Demon Deacons’ Friday night starter — this weekend, but with Wake Forest also playing four games across the three days, it’s unknown how the hosts plan to stack their pitching staff.

Probable Starters

Friday, February 28 vs. Princeton: LHP Kyle McCoy vs. RHP Sean Episcope

Saturday, March 1 vs. Princeton (Game 1 of Doubleheader): LHP Omar Melendez vs. TBD

Saturday, March 1 vs. Wake Forest (Game 2 of Doubleheader): RHP Joey McMannis vs. TBD

Sunday, March 2 vs. Wake Forest: TBD vs. TBD