Author: hollidaywoodard

Maryland bats remain hot in midweek win over Georgetown

hollidaywoodard Game Recaps

It’s the third inning and Kevin Keister is up at bat. For the third time in 24 hours, he sends a deep ball over the outfield wall for a home run. Keister had the first hit for Maryland in the final game of the season series against Georgetown, but it was not the last one.

Keister opened the door for the team as Maryland let loose four home runs in the third inning on Wednesday against the Hoyas. With his two-run bomb today, Matt Shaw is now the all-time program record holder with 44 career home runs.

The bats in the dugout continued to heat up as Matt Woods and Elijah Lambros followed their teammates’ lead with back-to-back home runs. 

It was a windy but eventful night in Washington DC. Lambros was abruptly ejected from the game due to an excessive celebration after his home run in the third inning. Lambros flipped his bat after hitting the ball, according to the home plate umpire. 

Ryan Van Buren was taken off the mound in the fifth, walking off the field after giving up five hits and striking out four players. The 6’3 sophomore held the Hoyas to only two runs in the first five innings. 

The beginning of the sixth inning looked remarkably similar to the beginning of the third. Jacob Orr, filling in for Lorusso due to a hamstring injury, hit the fifth home run of the day for the Terps. Luke Shliger put the Terps over the Hoyas by six runs, making the score 9-3. 

After the Hoyas put in Cody Bowker in an attempt to end the sixth, Keister stepped up hitting a grand slam, boosting the score to 15-3. Keister hit two home runs against UMBC yesterday, as well.

With a final score of 16-3, the Terps win two out of the three games against the Hoyas on the season.

The Terps will head to Bloomington, Indiana for a series tournament against the Hoosiers this weekend.

Midweek Preview: Georgetown Hoyas

hollidaywoodard Series Previews

Maryland is set to take on its neighboring opponent Georgetown.

The Terps beat Georgetown in March, 7-10, at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium. They later fell to the Hoyas in early April in a close game, 10-9. Maryland comes off a 7-inning 24-11 rout of UMBC on Tuesday after scoring 20 runs in the first two innings.

Here’s what to expect against Georgetown.

Last Season

It was a historic season for Georgetown baseball in 2022, finishing with a 32-24 record and a winning percentage of 0.571. They made it to the Big East Baseball Championship as the No. 4 seed and were later knocked out after a 16-8 loss to No. 3 Xavier.

A highlight of the 2022 season was the win against Penn State, according to head coach Edwin Thompson. The Hoyas finished the season with 98 home runs. 

“The 2022 season will go down in history as one of the best teams to come to Georgetown,” Thompson in a post-season interview in 2022.

This Season

The Hoyas have had some tough matchups this season including a series loss to Penn State after the first game was canceled. They also fought No.15 UConn, winning one of three games in a series.

Their overall record for the 2023 season is 23-18, which is good for a 0.561 winning percentage. They hold a one-game winning streak and beat Maryland the last time they entered The Bob.

Hitters to Watch

The Hoyas have strong hitters, with the highest three batting averages between the ranges of .304 and .350. Ubaldo Lopez is leading the team in batting average, runs scored, walks, and doubles. The graduate student plays first base and outfield, and has compiled 14 home runs to go along with 41 runs scored and 42 RBIs.

Another threat from the batter’s box is Jake Hyde, leading with 57 hits, 47 runs batted in, and 14 home runs. The 6’4 junior also plays first base and outfield.

Pitchers to Watch

The Hoyas seem to rotate their two best pitchers Jake Bloss and Andrew Williams.

Bloss’ boasts an ERA of 2.42. While allowing 41 hits, he has the most innings pitched and five wins. The 6’3 graduate student had a season-high at Hartford, Connecticut with 11 strikeouts.

Williams is just a few steps behind Bloss, with a 4.09 ERA. The 6’2 sophomore is a left-handed pitcher and hit a season-high with 12 strikeouts against Dayton.

Probable Starting Pitchers

The Hoyas have important conference series against St. Johns this upcoming weekend, so expect them to rest their best arms and get their bullpen guys in for work.