Author: Eden Binder

Midweek Preview: Delaware Blue Hens

Eden Binder Series Previews

As Maryland plays its first midweek road game of the season, they face a familiar foe in the Delaware Blue Hens. Though, instead of losers of three of their last four, this time the Terps ride a four-game win streak that was highlighted by their first sweep of the season against the Maine Black Bears.

Maryland kicked off last weekend with a dominant 25-10 victory where Jason Savacool was in prime form after allowing only one run on two hits after six innings pitched. The Terps also hit six homers on the night with Matt Shaw, Nick Lorusso, and Elijah Lambros getting two a piece.

Saturday proved to be a bit more suspenseful, but the Terps squeaked by with a 5-4 victory after a solo shot by Ian Petrutz in the bottom of the eighth gave Maryland a permanent one-run lead. Nigel Belgrave closed out the ninth.

Nate Haberthier, Kyle McCoy, and David Falco Jr. all combined for a one-run day to clinch the sweep for Maryland with a 9-1 victory on Sunday, which also saw home runs from Matt Woods and Bobby Zmarzlak. The Terps’ efforts got them over the .500 plateau as they climbed to 8-7 on the year.

Delaware Blue Hens (6-9)

Last Season

Delaware had an underwhelming season last year as they only managed a 25-26 record and went a miserable 8-15 in conference play in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Blue Hens finished second-to-last in the conference and went into the conference tournament as the No. 8 seed. Their season ended with two straight losses to the No. 6 Northeastern in the tournament. 

Delaware’s offense was far from miserable last year, however, as they finished the year with a .277/.356/.439 slash line, with the batting average being good enough to place them at the top of their conference. The Blue Hens also had three hitters bat over .300 on the year in second team All-CAA Joseph Carpenter, two-way player Bryce Greenly, and Jake Dunion. Two out of three of these players remain on the roster. It was the Blue Hens’ pitching that gave them issues, as their above-five ERA and 1.54 WHIP was only good enough for seventh in the conference.

This Season

Delaware has continued its losing ways, as after 15 games they once again find themselves underwater at 6-9. The Blue Hens offense has remained at a high level with an even higher slash line of .287/.402/.473, but their pitching has fallen off a cliff with an overall ERA of 8.54 and a horrendous WHIP that sits at 2.01. However, the team comes into Tuesday relatively hot after they took two of three during a weekend series at home in which they outscored Hofstra 40-22.

Hitters to Watch

Delaware lost one of its best hitters from last year in Joseph Carpenter, but the Hens have had multiple players fill the gap. Like last year, Bryce Greenly continues to lead the team with a .368 batting average, with his 21 hits on the year being good enough for second-best on the team. 2022 First team All-CAA Joey Loynd continues to build on last year’s campaign, with a slash line of .344/.419/.656 as he leads the team with 22 RBIs and four home runs. 2022 Honorable mention All-CAA member JJ Freeman, Jake Dunion, and Brett Lesher are also all batting over .300 for the Blue Hens.

Pitchers to Watch

Although Delaware’s pitching has been unquestionably horrendous to start the year, there have been those who have been far from disappointing. One such name is Joey Silan who in four appearances and 16.1 IP has maintained a 4.41 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. Dan Frake has also made four appearances and has maintained a 3.48 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP after 10.1 IP. And Bryce Greenly is once again earning his two way player title as he has started four games in four appearances so far, although he does have an 0-2 record with a 6.00 ERA. 

Probable Starting Pitching Matchup

TBD

One cannot predict for certain who will start this game for the Terps, though it remains a strong possibility that Logan Ott will get the nod. This is after the midweek starter in the last two games in Kyle McCoy pitched three innings in the Sunday win against Maine. Ott has formed the second part of a one-two punch with McCoy for midweek games with a 4.85 ERA in 13 IP and a 2-0 record on the year. Ott did not pitch this weekend, so there is a strong chance he at least makes an appearance against the Blue Hens.

In Delaware’s three midweek games on the year, there have been three different starters, although Wyatt Nelson, who started the midweek game against the Terps two weeks ago, has been utilized heavily in every midweek game so far. Nelson also did not pitch in any of the Hofstra games in the weekend series for the Blue Hens, so he may earn the start for Wednesday’s game in Newark.

Maryland takes crosstown slugfest with much needed win over UMBC

Eden Binder Game Recaps

After a disappointing weekend which saw Maryland go 0-3 at the US Bank Stadium Cambria College Classic, Maryland sought to bounce back on Tuesday against the crosstown UMBC Retrievers, and bounce back they did as a six run eighth inning propelled the Terps to the 12-6 victory over UMBC.

Maryland’s Kyle McCoy earned the start and he would start off the game with a quick and dominant 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first as the New Jersey Freshman rebounded nicely from his heartbreaking missed save attempt against Vanderbilt on Saturday. With both teams scoreless after one, McCoy would yet again display the confidence that he showed in the first inning with his second 1-2-3 inning on the day. Although Maryland also failed to score in the second inning.

Maryland coach Rob Vaughn talked about how after the Vanderbilt game he is aiming to put McCoy in spots where he is best set up to succeed.

“We’re still trying to get Kyle in the right spot. Whether that’s extended out of the bullpen, whether that’s starting, we’re trying to kind of find that right spot for him.” Vaughn said.

McCoy would get himself into trouble in the third inning and UMBC would capitalize as Christian Eassley would get a one run RBI single to get the Retriever’s on the board first with a score of 1-0. McCoy was not able to limit the damage to one run and the Retrievers would score again before the end of the inning after McCoy attempted to pick the runner off at second but failed, allowing the Retrievers to go up up 2-0 heading into the bottom of the third.

The Terps would then start the inning off right with an Elijah Lambros single and Luke Shliger hit by pitch which then gave the Terps runners on second and third with no outs after a wild pitch. The Terps would get the bases loaded for their arguably best player Matt Shaw with no outs, but Shaw would hit a screaming liner that would allow UMBC to double off Shliger at second.

“That happens, that’s baseball.” Maryland shortstop Matt Shaw said when asked about the at bat, but Shaw also mentioned that he did not see the at bat as anything to worry about. “We had more opportunities, got more at bats, got more hits so it ended up being just fine.”

A Kevin Keister two run single followed up by Matt Woods and Eddie Hacopian one run RBI singles would soon make it 4-2 Maryland. UMBC’s pitcher Evan Selmer would then balk to get in yet another run for the Terps as they scored five runs with two outs on the inning with the entire order coming up to bat.

Kyle McCoy was back out to start the fourth and he would continue his dominant ways with yet another scoreless inning. UMBC would make their fourth pitching change in four innings, but this wouldn’t matter after an RBI double by Matt Shaw made it 6-2 to end the inning. Logan Ott came in to relieve Kyle McCoy in the fifth who had a huge confidence building day with four great innings with only two runs allowed.

Ott would pitch another 1-2-3 inning that was highlighted by a great Matt Woods catch in left field, but the Terps would fail to score for the first time in two innings. Ott got two quick outs in the sixth inning, but a subsequent single and blast by freshman slugger Leewood Molessa would cut the Maryland lead down to 6-4. Maryland’s offense went 1-2-3 in response to the Molessa home run, but Ott proceeded to throw yet another scoreless inning.

Logan Ott found himself in trouble in the top of the eigth as Leewood Molessa came up with runners on first and third with two outs, and Molessa made Ott pay with a two run double to tie the game up at six. Maryland sought to regain the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, and they accomplished this goal after a Nick Lorusso RBI double and a Kevin Keister bases loaded walk that put the Terps up 8-6

It would be a Matt Woods three run RBI triple that would break the game open in dominant fashion to make it 11-6 Maryland. Eddie Hacopian would hit an RBI single to make it 12-6 as Logan Ott successfully gave Maryland the 12-6 win.

“It absolutely felt good.” Said graduate transfer Matt Woods, who finally had his “welcome to Maryland” moment. “We preach process, sticking to that process, sticking to that plan and it fell today where it hasn’t in the past and that’s how baseball is, there’s ebbs and flows and today happened to be an ebb.”

The Terps moved to 5-7 with the win as they head into their first home weekend series on the year against Maine.

Midweek Preview: UMBC Retrievers

Eden Binder Series Previews

After an action packed Cambria College classic series this past weekend, the Terps head back home Tuesday for their midweek game. Maryland will take on a familiar foe in the crosstown UMBC Retrievers on Tuesday for their third straight midweek game at The Bob.

The Terps will be desperate for a rebound in what has been a disappointing start to the season so far, which only continued with the Terps dropping all three of its games this past weekend. Maryland started off against a familiar foe on Friday as they yet again faced the No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels to start off the weekend. Jason Savacool was on the mound, and he would allow only three runs in five innings, but the Terps would only score one run on the night as they fell 5-1 to begin the weeknd.

Initially, Saturday didn’t look much better for Maryland, as against the No. 7 Vanderbilt Commodores, the Terps would initially go down 5-1 after two innings. Although, after a monster five run fifth inning that was headlined by a three run Kevin Keister homer, the Terps would go up 6-5. Vanderbilt would tie it up in the bottom of the inning, but a Nick Lorusso homer would give Maryland a one run lead which they took into the ninth inning. But both Nigel Belgrave and Kyle McCoy would fail to close out the game in the ninth, and Vanderbilt scored two runs for a heartbreaking walk off 8-7 victory. 

In the final game of the series, the exhausted Maryland squad faced the Hawaii Warriors. Nate Haberthier would allow five runs in 5 ⅓ innings and be charged with the loss with the Terps falling to the Warriors by a score of 9-3. Maryland failed to win a game at the Cambria College Classic and fell to 4-7 on the year in what proved to be an immensely disappointing weekend for a team that had high expectations coming into the season.

UMBC Retrievers (4-3)

Last Season

The 2022 season did not prove to be kind to the Retrievers, as the team was bombarded by multiple and lengthy losing streaks. UMBC went 23-31 on the year and finished a miserable 11-19 in conference play, which placed them last in the America East Conference B Division. UMBC’s season would end on a 2-1 loss in the America East Tournament to the New Jersey Institute of Technology. A strong point for UMBC was its hitting, which overall had a slash line of .289/.392/.404 that was good enough for third in America East. The Retrievers offense was led by America East Second Team member Ian Diaz, who started in all 55 of the team’s games. UMBC’s pitching was the main weak point for the team as they had a subpar 5.97 ERA and a paltry 1.67 WHIP.

This Year

UMBC has so far had a solid start to the year where they have had an above .500 record after their first seven games. Although UMBC started the year off by losing to Delaware in an 11-22 game, the Retrievers have since stabilized themselves by salvaging their first and so far only weekend series of the year at the College of Charleston, where they took one of three games. Since their 1-3 start, UMBC has managed to go on a three game winning streak. The streak includes two doubleheader wins on Sunday in Delaware against Delaware State University and St Peter’s University, where they outscored their opponents 15-7 on the day.

Hitters to Watch

The main hitter for the Retrievers to watch last year would have undoubtedly have been Ian Diaz, and this remains the same going into Tuesday. The graduate student is off to a torrid start so far, slashing .478/.657/.826 in seven games with seven RBI and a homerun. However, it’s not only Diaz you need to watch out for, as the entire UMBC team has started off the year slashing .298/.406/.438 from behind the plate. Other headliners for the team include sophomore Matt Ryan, who has built on a strong freshman campaign with a .357 batting average and six RBI in seven games. Freshman Molessa Leewood has also had a scalding start to his college career, with a whopping nine RBI and a home run along with a .355 batting average in seven games.

Pitchers to Watch

UMBC’s hitting has remained and even surpassed last year’s level this year, but its pitching has so far taken a step back, with a 7.50 ERA and abysmal 1.80 WHIP to start the year. Sophomore southpaw Jordan Shertel has stood out despite the team struggles, as he pitched 5 ⅓ innings against Delaware State, while allowing only one run on the day. Freshman Joshua Rivera has also started his college career off right with a 3.37 ERA after three relief appearances. Junior Sam Daniels and senior Connor Kelly are other relief pitchers who have had good starts as both have not allowed a run on the year in three and two appearances respectively.

Probable Starting Pitching Matchup

TBD

In Maryland’s two midweek games on the year, Ryan Van Buren and Kyle McCoy started the game, though both pitched this past weekend, so Coach Rob Vaughn will likely look elsewhere for starters against UMBC. This is very likely to be junior lefty Logan Ott, who has a 3.37 ERA on the year. Ott not only did not pitch in the weekend series, but was magnificent against Delaware last Tuesday with 4 ⅔  innings pitched where he only allowed two runs.

The Retrievers are coming off of a doubleheader this past Sunday, which means their main starters and bullpen pieces may be out of commission for Tuesday’s game. The names mentioned above in Jordan Shertel, as well as reliever Sam Daniels if the Retrievers make it a bullpen game, would be strong starting candidates as they both didn’t pitch Sunday.

Offensive barrage continues, Ott and bullpen comes up big, as Maryland gets much needed win against Delaware

Eden Binder Game Recaps

After a series in Oxford where Maryland dropped 2 of 3 to 2022 College Baseball champions Ole Miss, the Terps were back at The Bob for their midweek showdown against The Delaware Blue Hens. No. 18 Maryland was looking to regain their mojo after a subpar 3-4 start to the year that included a home opener loss to West Virginia and a game which they got mercy ruled to end the Ole Miss series. And with an 8-3 victory against Delaware, the Terps got themselves back on track in a game where they got a much needed win, as well as momentum going into the Cambria College Classic for their weekend slate.

Maryland got off to a good start as Kyle McCoy impressed on the mound in the first with two strikeouts, which helped Maryland avoid the disastrous top of the 1st inning that they suffered against West Virginia, where they dug themselves into a permanent hole after allowing five runs to score.

The Terps offense continued to build on the hot streak that they’ve been riding all year, as Nick Lorusso ensured that the Terps would strike first with his RBI groundout to make it a 1-0 game. With two outs in the inning and nobody on base, that didn’t matter for Ian Petrutz who hit a monster home run for his fifth of the year in just eight games to make it a 2-0 game for the Terps after an inning. Logan Ott relieved Kyle McCoy and pitched a scoreless second inning with two strikeouts. Maryland was able to draw two walks in the second, and with two outs captain Luke Shliger came up clutch with a double which allowed Maryland to score two runs as they continued their strong offensive attack and found themselves up 4-0 after two innings.

Ott got himself into a bit of a jam in the second inning, with a man on first and second base with one out and a 3-0 count on heavy hitter Dan Covino. Though Ott kept his composure and proceeded to throw 3 straight strikes and draw a groundout to end the inning and keep Delaware scoreless. The Terps offense would stall in the third as they went down 1-2-3 for the first time of the day. Ott got himself into a jam once again in the top of the fourth, with two outs and a man on second and third, but he was yet again able to escape unscathed, drawing a line out to shortstop Matt Shaw to bring the Terps up to bat in the bottom of the inning.

“We had a bunch of pitches working for each pitcher on the mound, which kept hitters off balance all night.” Catcher Luke Shliger said. “[We] got a lot of advantage counts, and when you do that you’re gonna have success.”

The Terps would have a man on third with two outs as Elijah Lambros came to the plate, and Lambros would come up clutch with a two run homer for his third of the year to make it 6-0 Maryland as the team scored their fourth run with two outs in the game on the day. Maryland was able to force Delaware’s starting pitcher Wyatt Nelson out after he allowed a single to Luke Shliger and walk to Matt Shaw, Nelson was relieved by Dan Frank after he pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and six runs. Frank was able to get out of the inning and limit the damage for Delaware after a Nick Lorusso warning track fly out. Logan Ott would have no struggles in the fifth inning as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning and continued his torrid day with four scoreless innings.

When asked if Logan Ott would get the chance to start in future midweek games, Coach Rob Vaughn was enthusiastic about the prospect.

“He’s done it a lot in his career here. What you need is a strike thrower that connects pitches [and] that breaking ball’s been way better than it’s been in the past so we kind of play weekend by weekend but he’s just the guy I trust with the ball.”

Maryland’s offensive attack staled in the sixth, and The Blue Hens would take advantage in the bottom of the sixth as they tacked on two runs after a Jake Dunion single and Owen Petrich double marked their first two runs of the game to pull them within four of the Terps. Logan Ott was taken out of the game at this point and replaced by Andrew Johnson after a day which saw him allow only two runs in 4 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts on the day. Andrew Johnson would draw the fly out to allow Maryland a chance to reignite their offense, and with a runner on second and third with two outs, Nick Lorusso would take advantage with an RBI single that saw Maryland go up 8-2 to begin the inning as the Terps offense once again scored runs with two out. Lorusso got his RBI total up to three on the day and 14 on the year with the hit.

Andrew Johnson’s control issues from previous outings would continue as he would walk Delaware’s first two batters giving the Blue Hens a runner on first and second to begin the inning. Johnson would make his best effort to get out of the inning, with a strikeout and fly out brining him one out away. Though, he was unsuccessful, as JJ Freeman hit a rocket up the middle that turned into an RBI single making it an 8-3 game as Johnson was pulled for David Falco, who was able to take down Delaware and allow Maryland to come back up to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning. Maryland was able to capitalize on two errors from Blue Hen JJ Freeman at shortstop, giving them men on first and second with no outs, but the Terps were still unable to score. David Falco would continue his outing in the eighth and he would dominate, sending the Blue Hens down in order and setting up the Terps for the chance to end the game after they failed to tack on anymore runs in the eighth inning.

Vaughn was very satisfied with Falco’s performance after he had a bit of a rough patch this passed weekend against Ole Miss and stated that he believes that Falco will be at a high level consistently going forward.

“Dave’s a veteran, he’s thrown a ton and when he’s stuff and he’s ahead of hitters he’s really good. He was just behind in the count his first two outings [and he] did a much better job at getting ahead of hitters today. He’s a huge piece of our bullpen so [it]s good to have him have a good bounce back day.”

Nigel Belgrave relieved David Falco in the ninth, and although it wasn’t a 1-2-3 inning for Belgrave, he still managed to close out the game with three straight strikeouts, giving Maryland the 8-3 victory over the Blue Hens.

With the victory, Maryland moved to 4-4 on the year and Delaware dropped to 3-5. Maryland will face Delaware for another midweek game in two weeks in Newark. The Terps move on to the Cambria College Classic this weekend which will see the team face Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, and Hawaii.

Midweek Preview: Delaware

Eden Binder Series Previews

Following their Oxford weekend series against the defending college baseball champions in the No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels, No. 18 Maryland heads back to The Bob to take on the Delaware Blue Hens in a one game homestand.

The Terps road series against the defending champs started out in a very promising manner with a 9-2 win against Ole Miss on Friday, where ace Jason Savacool recovered from a rough opening game against USF. Even an unfamiliar glove was unable to hinder Savacool after his luggage was lost by Southwest, as he pitched seven innings, allowing only five hits and two runs, while leading the Terps to victory. 

Along with Savacool’s gem, Ian Petrutz would hit his 2nd grand slam of the year, which marked Maryland’s fourth game of the season where a grand slam was hit. 

However, things went downhill from Friday night for Maryland. The Terps were up 6-4 against the Rebels going into the bottom of the seventh on Saturday afternoon. Though, Ole Miss would score eight unanswered runs to end the game. Usually reliable bullpen arm David Falco Jr would allow a five run inning in the eighth, as the Terps dropped the second game of the series by a score of 12-6. 

With the series on the line on Sunday, Maryland went into the bottom of the seventh down 11-8, however, the bullpen once again disappointed. Tommy Kane, Eliakim Stowe, and Andrew Johnson could not manage to get an out in the seventh as Ole Miss scored seven runs and the game ended in a bitter mercy rule for Maryland with a final score of 18-8, which dropped the Terps to 3-4 on the year.

Delaware Blue Hens (3-4)

Last Season

Delaware’s 2022 season was one that could be described as mediocre at best and underwhelming at worst. The Blue Hens had a 25-26 record to end the year while finishing a miserable 8th in the CAA and 8-15 in conference play. Delaware’s season ended in the CAA tournament after two straight losses to the six seed Northeastern. The Blue Hens pitching was significantly lacking as they had a 5.06 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP overall. Delaware’s offense was substantially better than its pitching as their slash line was .277/.356/.439 as a team. The Blue Hens were led by 2022 first team All-CAA Joey Loynd, who had a batting average of .298 with 45 RBI and eight home runs, and second team All-CAA Joseph Carpenter, who had a batting average of .310 with 41 RBI and eight home runs.

This Season

Delaware is so far just under water to start the year as they go into Tuesday’s game with a 3-4 record and looking to get back to .500. Delaware’s pitching has been nothing short of horrendous, as the team has combined for a 10.83 ERA, this was thanks to a tough season opening series against Ole Miss, where the Blue Hens dropped all three games by a combined score of 35-6. Unlike the pitching, the offense for Delaware has been much better as they have so far slashed .267/.388/.412 to start the year with Bryce Greeley, Dan Covino, and Joey Loynd leading the way.

Hitters to Watch

With Joseph Carpenter having signed with the Lancaster Barnstormers in the Independent Atlantic League, the Blue Hens’ hitters have had somewhat of a hole to fill. Familiar faces who have stepped so far up include Joey Loynd who is hitting .323 with a whopping 14 RBI and one home run after just seven games played. Bryce Greeley leads the team in batting average as he hits .360 from behind the plate along with five RBI and two home runs. The Blue Hens also have new blood come up big for them this year so far as Central Connecticut State transfer Dan Covino, who was first team All-ECAC back in 2022, has hit .333 so far along with four RBI. Redshirt sophomore Brett Lesher has also started the year off nicely with five hits and a .263 batting average.

Pitchers to Watch

Delaware’s team weakness has been its pitching this year, but there are still those on the roster who have stood out in the Blue Hen’s first seven games. Luke Pizzico earned the win last year when the Blue Hen’s faced off against the Terps after pitching 2 scoreless innings. Pizzico has a 4.50 ERA in 3 appearances, with all of the appearances coming from the bullpen, making him very likely to see action against the Terps. Joey Silan is another name to watch, as he has made 2 appearances out of the bullpen and compiled a 3.24 ERA, including 4.1 scoreless innings with only one hit allowed against Ole Miss.

Probable Starting Pitching Matchup

TBD

This very likely will end up being a bullpen game for the Terps as the Terps’ main three starters in Jason Savacool, Nick Dean, and Nate Haberthier all started this past weekend in Oxford.

In Maryland’s only midweek game of the year, Ryan Van Buren earned the start, however he allowed 4 runs after only 2/3 of an inning, so it’s possible that Coach Rob Vaughn will seek to give another one of his guys a chance to start. Kenny Lippman, who has compiled a 1.80 ERA in three appearances and Logan Ott, who has a 2.70 ERA in 3 ⅓ innings, could be candidates for the start.

Delaware’s only midweek game so far was a bullpen game, with Bryce Greenly pitching a scoreless first inning, and Dan Frake pitching three innings, allowing two hits and one run as the Blue Hens beat UMBC by a score of 22-11. Both could possibly start in Tuesday’s game.

Maryland pitching falters early and attempted comeback falls short, dropping home opener to West Virginia

Eden Binder Game Recaps

Maryland’s 13 hits highlighted by back-to-back homers by Elijah Lambros and Luke Shliger were not enough after West Virginia put up seven runs in the first three innings.

Sophomore Ryan Van Buren got the midweek start for the Terps against the Mountaineers, but faltered in the first inning as he walked Leonard Dayne to load the bases and then cleanup hitter Caleb McNeeley hit a two-run double to give the Mountaineers an early two-run lead, Logan Suave followed this up with a two-run single up the middle to make it 4-0 West Virginia. Van Buren then had a golden opportunity to get out of the inning after a flyout when he had a ball hit right at him and he was able to catch the runner at first off guard, but Van Buren botched the toss and was then taken out after a whopping four runs in ⅔ of an inning. Sophomore lefty Andrew Johnson was left to do damage control. 

“A combination of not enough strikes and in the first he let some emotion creep in there on what could’ve been an inning-ending double play and that kind of took over,” head coach Rob Vaughn said when discussing the flaws of Van Buren’s down performance.

Johnson, however, could not get the job done with a runner on third as he walked the three batters he faced and West Virginia scored another run after a Braden Barry bases-loaded walk made the score 5-0 before the Terps even got up to bat. The Terps’ bats started out slow in the first, going down in order and failing to gain any ground. Although Ott looked more composed than Van Buren and Johnson, a Bobby Zmarzlak left field error in the second inning allowed West Virginia to tack on another run to make it 6-0 on a Logan Suave run-scoring groundout.

West Virginia’s Sam White further added to the damage with his solo shot off of Ott, in the top of the third, making it a 7-0 game. The Terps finally got on the board after third baseman Nick Lorusso hit a two-run double. Ott also pitched a scoreless inning to end his day after 2 1/3 innings and one earned run allowed.

Maryland was held scoreless in the fourth as freshman right-handed pitcher and highly touted recruit Eli Stowe made his debut in the top of the fifth. Stowe got two quick outs but left with the bases loaded and David Falco Jr. became the fifth pitcher for Maryland in five innings. He was able to get out of the bases-loaded jam.

Ian Petrutz had a man on first and second with two outs and a chance to do some damage in the bottom of the fifth but was unable to get a hit and the Terps left two more stranded and in need of some offensive firepower as they came up to bat in the bottom of the sixth. Though it would not be the Terps whose offense would reawaken after three straight scoreless innings by both teams, the Mountaineers after a Tevin Tucker solo homer off junior lefty Tommy Kane, who replaced Falco, made it an 8-2 game.

Bobby Zmarzlak would start things off with a leadoff single, and this cleared the way for Elijah Lambros to hit his first career homer as a Terp to make it an 8-4 game. Then Luke Shliger would make it back-to-back homers for Maryland as the Terps began to show some fight as they made it an 8-5 game and forced West Virginia to take out their starter Aidan Major after 6 innings. However, West Virginia’s David Hagman was able to retire Petrutz, Hacopian, and Keister for three straight outs to end the inning.

“It felt pretty good,” Lambros said regarding his first homer as a Terp. “I’m surprised it got out, I didn’t think I got it.”

The top of the eighth began with righty Nigel Belgrave coming in for Kane. Belgrave was flawless, giving the Terps their first 1-2-3 inning of the game. The Terps started the eighth inning off with two quick outs, but a Zmarzlak single and Lambros walk sent Shliger to the plate as the tying run. Shliger hit a deep fly ball to center, but it was caught on the warning track and Maryland remained down by three as Belgrave remained in the game to pitch the ninth.

Belgrave held the Mountaineers scoreless again in the ninth and Maryland went into the bottom of the inning down three but had the meat of the order in Lorusso, Petrutz, and Hacopian up to bat. With a Lorusso lineout and a Petrutz strikeout, Hacopian was Maryland’s last hope and he doubled, which allowed Kevin Keister to hit a single that brought the Terps within two. After a Zach Martin groundout, the Terps dropped to (2-2) and West Virginia picked up their second win of the season. Ryan Van Buren was charged with the loss.

Maryland will travel to Ole Miss for a premier matchup this weekend as they seek to build on their late-game offensive performance.

And even after the brutal end to the home opener, Shliger was still confident in this team’s ability to perform at a high level against Ole Miss and other top-quality teams.

“We’re gonna go down, have a good series, take two take three from them, and come back and win a midweek,” Shliger said. “I don’t think this game hinders anyone’s confidence at all. And we’re going into this series to win three games in Ole Miss.”

Midweek Preview: West Virginia 

Eden Binder Series Previews

Following a 2-1 start against USF in the season opener, the No.13 ranked Maryland is about to take on West Virginia, as the Terps and the Mountaineers will go head to head in the Maryland home opener. Maryland comes in hot, after beating a USF squad by a combined score of 17-6 in the last two games of the series, after narrowly dropping the first game. 

The Terps were powered by grand slams in three straight games by Jacob Orr, Nick Lorusso, and Ian Petrutz. Nick Dean and Nate Haberthier led a solid starting pitching attack for UMD, with both combining to allow only two runs in the last two games of the series. 

Along with the deafening grand slam blasts and efficient starting pitching displays, Matt Shaw would end the series on a perfect 5-for-5 day at the plate with three RBI, a double, and a home run. New faces in the rotation in Kyle McCoy and Kenny Lippman would also earn their first saves of the year during the opening series.

West Virginia Mountaineers (1-2)

Last Season

West Virginia was a somewhat solid team in 2022. The Mountaineers finished the year with a 33-22 overall record, going 14-10 in conference play. Good enough for a 6th place finish in the Big 12 Conference.

The Mountaineers started off with 3 straight wins against Central Michigan and Kent State, starting off 7-3 on the year. West Virginia was able to preserve some of this momentum with over .500 play for the rest of the year, but the Mountaineers season ended on a 5-8 loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 Baseball Championship tournament.

This Season

West Virginia had a rocky start to their season after dropping their first two games to Georgia Southern. The Mountaineers were up 3-1 headed into the 7th inning of the first game on Friday, but Georgia Southern was able to score three straight runs in the 7th to go up 4-3, and a West Virginia comeback was not in the cards as Georgia Southern took the first game by the same score. 

Saturday started out with a 1-0 West Virginia lead after two innings of play, but Georgia Southern’s offense would prove to be too overpowering after scoring six unanswered runs, which propelled them to a 6-2 win. 

On Sunday, the Mountaineers would salvage the series with a show of offensive firepower in a 13-4 victory.

Hitters to Watch

The Mountaineers come into the game being led by 2022 All Big-12 Honorable Mention, sophomore infielder JJ Weatherholt, redshirt senior transfer infielder Caleb McNeely, and junior transfer outfielder Landon Wallace.

Weatherholt went 5-for-13 in the Statesboro opening series with three runs scored. McNeely went 4-for-12 with a home run and four RBI, while Wallace went 3-for-11 with a home run and four RBI.

Probable Starting Pitcher Matchup

TBD

During Coach Vaughn’s media day interview, when asked about other pitchers who could step into the starting rotation, those who Vaughn named that didn’t start this past weekend were Freshman LHP Kyle McCoy, fifth year senior RHP Kenny Lippman, and sophomore RHP Ryan Van Buren. junior LHP Logan Ott has also fulfilled the role of midweek starter for the Terps in the past. 

Vaughn has said that he believes that the depth of this year’s pitching staff is “even better than we had last year.”

Preseason Countdown No. 5: Starters Preview

Eden Binder 2023 Preseason Countdown

After a season of magnificent starting pitching for the Terps, Rob Vaughn’s 2023 squad has lofty expectations to fulfill. However, the departure of 2022 First Team All-Big Ten pitcher Ryan Ramsey to the 2022 MLB Draft leaves a major hole to fill.

But with Ramsey’s departure, the other parts of last year’s dominant big three starting rotation in Jason Savacool and Nick Dean remain, and with a roster oozing with new and seasoned talent, there are others who could jump into the rotation. So with five days left till the team’s season opener, let’s look at those who could make up Maryland’s starting rotation in 2023.

Junior RHP Jason Savacool

2022 was the year that Jason Savacool made the leap to stardom with a 2.93 ERA in 107.2 IP. Savacool, a 2022 First Team All-Big Ten and 2022 D1Baseball Second Team All-American, will come into the year with the No. 1 spot in the starting rotation and has been named a D1 Baseball 2023 preseason All American.

Savacool was also invited to try out for the 2022 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, which is a highly selective list of the 48-50 top college draft prospects in the country. Being part of this prospect list means that Savacool could have a high spot in the 2023 MLB draft up for grabs this year.

Senior RHP Nick Dean

Going into the season, the No. 2 spot in the starting rotation is reserved for Nick Dean. Although his ERA took a slight regression from 2021, Nick Dean still had a 4.57 ERA last year while pitching just over 29 more innings than the year prior at 82.2.

The 6’3 180 lbs 2022 Third Team All-Big Ten member and senior is likely going to be pitching for a chance to hear his name in the 2023 MLB draft. According to Prospects Live, Dean was 457 out of 500 on their ranked prospect list after the College Park Region, and writer Jared Perkins described Dean’s changeup as “incredibly filthy” but added that his “lack of velocity” may have made Dean a lower pick in 2022. 

Fifth Year RHP Kenny Lippman

Vaughn described Lippman’s potential in the starting rotation as one as a “swingman” for the Terps. The 6’4 Lippman is unique as not only is he a fifth year transfer, he is a transfer from Denison, a D3 school.

During his senior year at Denison, Lippman made 16 appearances and 8 starts, compiling a 1.56 ERA in 63.1 IP. The 2022 D3 baseball.com First Team All-American was named the NCAC Tournament MVP after breaking the Denison single-game strikeout record with 14 strikeouts in the championship game. 

Junior RHP Nate Haberthier

The Ohio State transfer was described by Vaughn as having made “really good adjustments” and “in the mix” for a potential spot in the starting rotation.

As a sophomore as a Buckeye, the 6’5, 245-pound Haberthier had a 6.75 ERA in 70.2 IP while starting 13 games. Although the ERA wasn’t perfect and Haberthier had an 0-6 record, he pitched in a competitive Big Ten and his previous starting experience along with Vaughn’s endorsement may help his chances.

Junior LHP Logan Ott

Although he may not be the biggest pitcher on Maryland’s roster, Ott has proven that he can start for a high-level team in Maryland. In 2022, Ott compiled a 5.68 ERA after 50.2 IP and 14 appearances while also starting in 8 of those appearances.

Ott proved himself to be a valuable asset to the team on many occasions last year, and if he can slightly up his game this year, he could have a strong chance at becoming the third piece of the weekend rotation.

Sophomore RHP Ryan Van Buren

When asked about who would be in the mix this year for a starting role, Vaughn says that Van Buren has “taken a massive step forward from last year.” At first glance at Van Buren’s numbers from last year, a 9.97 ERA in 21.2 IP, one could definitely see why that “massive step” may have been much needed. 

However, Van Buren could very well put himself in the running as a midweek starter, as a big second-year jump wouldn’t be unheard of, especially if Vaughn sees promise in him.

Freshman LHP Kyle McCoy

Described by Vaughn as “tough” and a kid who “competes” and has “a chance to be pretty special,” the New Jersey southpaw had a 0.98 ERA in 35.2 IP with 63 strikeouts for Hunterdon Central High School.

McCoy’s team finished with a 25-5 record and he finished last season as a Skyland Conference all-star while leading his team to the Group 4 sectional finals. Perfect Game ranks McCoy as the 17th best pitcher in the nation and the fifth best player in New Jersey while describing his off-speed arsenal as “show[ing] depth and the deception.”

Freshman RHP Eliakim Stowe

The Poughkeepsie righty was a key component of his high school team that made their first playoff appearance in team history and had an 11-5 record after going 4-8 the year prior. The 6’3 Stowe also has a fastball that can go up to 95 mph along with a slider and changeup in his arsenal.

Stowe is also ranked fourth among New York pitchers and 8th overall in the state according to Perfect Game

Freshman RHP Wagner Morrisette

The 2022 All-State South Carolina pitcher led The Burlington School to a 22-6 record and a ​​NCISAA Class 2-A state title with a 6-1 record and 0.95 ERA in 37 IP while also hitting .385 behind the plate. Morrisette has a fastball that tops out at 95 mph. 

In late April Morrissette became a target of MLB scouts for the 2022 MLB Draft after striking out a top rated UNC commit 3 times in one game.