Maryland baseball heads into its weekend series against the Wagner Seahwaks on a high note. Paul Jones II walked it off for the Dirty Terps in Tuesday’s exhilarating 15-14 win over local foe Delaware.

But the season’s start overall hasn’t gone as expected.

The Terps led by five runs moving into the 9th inning, but bullpen struggles meant Maryland trailed and put the Terps into the walkoff situation. Maryland pitchers allowed two grand slams in the high-scoring matchup. Maryland was also swept by Louisiana last weekend while visiting the Ragin’ Cajuns down south. The team currently holds a 4-4 record.

But the Terps got some good news early Thursday afternoon: Evan Smith will return to the pitching staff this weekend. He’ll start for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. 

Maryland will play a weekend series at home for the first time this season. Home fans in the audience and a softer opponent should provide a good reset for the Terps and a chance to find solid footing. 

Wagner Seahawks (1-5)

Last Season

Wagner finished over .500 last year but was stifled by stronger opponents in the conference tournament. It faced one Big Ten program in 2025, falling to Rutgers 9-3 on the road.

The Seahawks held a team-wide .314 batting average and outscored opponents 407-367 over the 2025 season.

This Season

Wagner’s start has been rough—the Seahawks are 1-5 to start their 2026 campaign. They suffered three straight blowout losses to UVA, including one by over 20 runs, to begin the season. It’s series against UC-Riverside wasn’t much better, though it brought the Seahawks their lone win of the season. 

The Seahawks’ schedule has kept them entirely on the road, which likely hasn’t helped results. Conference play will likely be easier as Wagner is predicted to finish second in the Northeastern Conference.  

Hitters to Watch

Lukas Torres is on a tear to start the season. The sixth-year produced strong results last year and is averaging .500 at the plate to start 2026. He’s typically hits leadoff for Wagner.

Leo Doyle has a pair of homers for the Seahawks, both coming against Virginia. The junior is batting under .300, but when he makes contact it’s most likely going far.

Pitchers to Watch

Maryland will have to pass Colin Trizuto first, who is expected to kick off the weekend on the mound for Wagner. He returns to the Seahawks after averaging just under five earned runs last year as a junior. He’s hovering around the same mark currently.

The Terps really need to be ready to see anyone come out of the Wagner bullpen. The Seahawks used six different pitchers in their lone win of the season—all of them threw under 50 pitches. With an unpredictable rotation this early, Maryland will have to be prepared to adjust at any moment.

Probable Starting Pitchers

Lance Williams v. Colin Trizuto

Evan Smith v. Gavin Townsend

Jake Yeager v. Frankie Nardo