Throughout the ups and downs of this early season, Maryland’s bats have been the team’s one constant. Fueled by their high-powered offense, the Terps entered Friday’s game against Princeton averaging just shy of 13 runs per game. They eclipsed that total once more.  

Maryland terrorized Tigers pitchers — particularly in a 10-run second inning. Headlined by that double-digit scoring frame, the electric Terps lineup put on another power display by launching four home runs in a 17-1 win over Princeton (0-5).

The Dirty Terps (4-4) have now scored 97 runs over their past six games.

After a quiet first frame, Maryland’s bats completely broke the game open in the second.

Redshirt sophomore Hollis Porter led off the inning with a tone-setting solo shot, and the Terps continued mashing after that. 

Maryland’s next seven batters reached base, leading to seven runs before Princeton starter James Beasley could record an out in the inning. A Chris Hacopian RBI single — which plated his brother, Eddie — accounted for the final hit during that stretch, ultimately knocking Beasley out of the game. But Maryland’s rally wasn’t over.  

Junior right fielder Aden Hill launched his second home run of the inning and his third in as many at-bats dating back to Tuesday’s midweek against Delaware. Hill’s homer added three more runs to Maryland’s lead and capped off a 10-run frame that virtually sealed Friday’s result after two innings.

Hill was also the first Terp to hit two home runs in the same inning since Will Watson did it against Rutgers in 2018.

After giving up a leadoff home run to Jake Koonin, it appeared starting pitcher Kyle McCoy would be in for a rough afternoon. But McCoy’s Friday proved to be the opposite.

He quickly settled in, retiring 13 consecutive batters following the leadoff long ball. The redshirt sophomore cruised through seven innings, where he tied a career-high by striking out nine batters in seven innings of work. It was also the Terps’ deepest start since Omar Melendez delivered a seven-inning complete game near the tail end of last season.  

With Friday’s win, McCoy has now only given up two earned runs through three starts. The left-hander’s dazzling performances thus far have been good for a 1.06 ERA in his return to the mound after missing the entire 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Senior catcher Alex Calarco was the only Terps starter who hadn’t reached base heading into the sixth inning. The reigning Golden Spikes Player of the Week changed that in typical fashion when he launched Maryland’s last home run of the afternoon to pad the lead at 11-1.

Calarco’s home run was also his seventh of the season, making him the NCAA Division 1 leader in that department.

The Terps simply piled on over the next two frames.

In place of Chris Hacopian — who was pulled from the lineup after the second inning for an unknown reason — freshman Colin Gibbs recorded his first two RBIs of his collegiate career. Gibbs got his first on an RBI groundout in Maryland’s three-run seventh inning.

The freshman infielder then put a cap on Maryland’s 17-run output when he knocked an RBI single as part of a three-run eighth inning.

Fellow freshman Cristofer Cespedes got Maryland’s final six outs of the day, striking out three batters as he displayed improved command over his pitches.   

Maryland will be back in action for two games tomorrow. The Terps will again face a Princeton team still in search of its first win of the season at 11:30 a.m. Maryland will then play this weekend’s host team, No. 12 Wake Forest, in the afternoon.

Nate Schwartz will be on the headset for both games for MBN.