A look at Maryland baseball’s Big Ten tournament history under Rob Vaughn

After defeating Penn State 7-4 on Saturday, No. 20 Maryland baseball clinched its second-straight outright Big Ten regular season championship. It is just the sixth overall conference championship under the program and the second under head coach Rob Vaughn.

The Terps now shift their focus to the Big Ten tournament as the No. 1-seed with their first bout scheduled for Tuesday against No. 8-seed Michigan State. It will be the schools’ first time meeting this year.

Vaughn’s teams have seen varied success in the Big Ten Tournament in his previous five years with the program, with the hope this year to make the championship for the first time. 

With the Terps entering the Big Ten tournament, here is a look at past years for Vaughn and his squad in the tournament. 

2018

Maryland failed to make post-season play in Vaughn’s inaugural year with the Terps, finishing 24-30 with a 9-14 conference record. The Terps just missed the cut to make the tournament, exiting the season in ninth place in the conference, one spot short. 

2019

Maryland reached the Big Ten tournament for the first time in Vaughn’s second year. The Terps finished 29-29, with an even 12-12 conference record. 

As the No. 6-seed, the Terps opened to a 6-2 victory over No. 3-seed Illinois. The game was tied at one heading into the eighth inning when the Terps jumped to a 5-1 lead after a pair of two-run homers by Maxwell Costes and Justin Vought. 

That victory was the only win that postseason for Maryland, as the Terps dropped their next two games against No. 7-seed Ohio State and No. 2-seed Michigan. 

2020

The 2020 Big Ten tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaughn and the Terps jumped to a 10-5 start before the season’s cancellation, with series wins over Rhode Island and Bryant. 

2021

The Big Ten Tournament was again canceled in 2021 due to COVID-19. Big Ten schools instead competed in an all-conference schedule, competing for the regular season championship.

The Terps finished the regular season 28-16, finishing three wins short of first place behind Nebraska. 

While the Terps did not win the Big Ten title, they were still selected for the NCAA tournament, competing in the Greenville Regional. The Terps went 2-2, falling to No. 12 Eastern Carolina in the final game with a trip to the Super Regionals on the line. 

It was Matt Shaw and Luke Shliger’s freshman seasons with the Terps. Shaw finished with a .332 batting average, the highest on the team, while Shliger saw 28 starts in his first year. 

2022

The Terps finished the 2022 season with a program-record 48 wins, finishing in first place for the first time since joining the Big Ten. 

The Big Ten tournament was not as pleasant for the No. 1-seed Terps, falling to No. 5-seed Michigan in their second game and going 1-2 overall. The Terps started hot, with an 11-inning 6-5 victory over eight-seeded Indiana. The game was won in the 11th after Ian Petrutz was hit by a pitch with bases loaded, sending Matt Shaw home with the game-winning run.

The Terps could not sustain the success, losing 15-8 to the Wolverines the next day and then to the Hoosiers the next, falling in the 11th inning. 

Maryland went on to host their first NCAA regional but fell to UConn and failed to advance to the Super Regionals again. 

What Lies Ahead

First pitch for Tuesday’s game against the Spartans is set for 6 p.m. in Omaha, Nebraska. With a win, the Terps will go on to face the winner of the Nebraska-Rutgers game. With a loss, Maryland will face the loser of that game.