Image courtesy of Norah Copenhaver/Maryland Athletics.
If you like the longball, the Terps’ Saturday afternoon game against the Buckeyes was the game to watch.
Maryland baseball (13-17, 2-9 B1G) dropped their second game – and the weekend series – against Ohio State (16-13, 6-5 B1G) in a 14-12 home run derby.
The Terps and the Buckeyes combined for 26 runs, 20 of which came exclusively from home runs. Both teams combined for 11 runs in the third inning alone.
19 mile per hour winds to the northeast carried deep balls over the center field wall throughout the game as a rainstorm – which moved the start time up two hours – approached the field.
Perfect conditions for both teams’ hitters meant it was a nightmare for the pitchers. Strong winds blew directly towards the pitcher’s mound nearly the entire game, hampering pitch velocity and complicating movement on breaking balls.
Maryland’s batters kept hitting home runs, but Ohio State starter Chris Domke was able to finish five innings, giving up five home runs in the process. He finished the game with an 18.00 ERA. The Terps’ pitchers didn’t fare much better – reliever Ryan Bailey gave up two home runs while recording just one out.
The Big Ten does not have an official record for most combined home runs in a regular season game between two member schools – however, the home run tally Saturday would have tied the Big Ten Tournament record set in 1995 by Minnesota and Purdue.
Fielding continued to be an issue for Maryland – the Terps committed four errors for the second consecutive game. Ty Kaunas was a repeat offender at shortstop, throwing wide to Ryan Costello at first base in the second inning. In their previous series against No. 12 USC, Maryland committed four errors in the entire weekend.
In a game where home runs made up most of the scoring, Ryan Costello was naturally at the center of the Terps’ offense. The LSU transfer sent an 0-2 pitch over the wall in right for a grand slam in the third inning, and drilled a solo home run on the first pitch he saw in the sixth to give Maryland a one-run lead.
The Terps and the Buckeyes will play their final game of the series Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
- Maryland baseball drops both games against Iowa in rain delay doubleheader - April 20, 2026
- Devin Russell’s walk-off grand slam secures Maryland baseball’s first Big Ten series; beats Indiana 8-6 - April 12, 2026
- Maryland baseball mercy rules Indiana, 14-4, behind Hastings’ complete game - April 11, 2026
