Maryland baseball midweek preview vs. UMBC and Georgetown

Maryland baseball (25-15, 8-4 B1G) prepares for a pair of midweek games this week, starting with a matchup against instate foe UMBC (19-17, 9-6 AEC) on Tuesday.

The matchup is the second of the season between the two, as the Terps won 12-6 on March 7th.

Maryland is coming off a weekend series win over Purdue, continuing its streak of 19 consecutive Big Ten series wins, dating back to the 2021 season.

The Terps enter with one of the best offenses in the country, averaging 8.4 runs per game, the most in the Big Ten. Their bats are excellent in the power department, posting the highest slugging percentage and the most home runs in the conference. 

“The pack offense is … our identity as an offense … You lengthen and shorten the field,” coach Rob Vaughn said. “You lengthen the field by hitting doubles and homers, and you shorten the field by making those guys have to stand on the grass because you can drag, sack, push, whatever that may be.”

Nick Lorusso leads the charge for Maryland, ending the past weekend with a conference-high 15 home runs. Lorusso is batting .367 for the Terps, notching 66 RBIs, also the most in the Big Ten. The senior third baseman may be out for Tuesday however, as he suffered a tightened hamstring in the Terps’ Sunday victory over Purdue.

“He said it’s happened a couple times throughout his career. But hopefully it’s just mild,” Vaughn said. “Hopefully it’s something that doesn’t sideline him for too long.”

Junior shortstop Matt Shaw is right behind Lorusso as one of the best bats in the Maryland lineup, recording 14 home runs on the season — tied for second-most in the Big Ten — alongside a .335 batting average. Shaw has also been proficient on the base paths with 14 stolen bases on 15 attempts.

The Terps’ struggles this season have been with their pitching staff. Maryland’s collective 6.03 ERA is the second-worst in the Big Ten. Its pitching is even worse in midweek games, a full run higher at 7.04.

One reason for Maryland’s pitching struggles is the lack of a consistent starting pitcher. Junior right-hander Nate Haberthier has started the past two midweeks but has a 7.67 ERA on the season and a 10.50 ERA in those starts. Haberthier hasn’t gotten out of the fourth inning in either of those outings.

The Terps aren’t alone in their staff woes, as the Retrievers have also dealt with their share of struggles, entering Tuesday with a collective 6.37 ERA. But that mark is still the third-best among America East schools. 

Eddie Sargent has been the Tuesday starter for the Retrievers, collecting a measly 7.79 ERA. The freshman left-hander has a 2-0 record despite his ERA, starting in seven games thus far. 

On the other side of the ball, UMBC averages 7.05 runs per game.

First baseman Leewood Molessa leads the Retrievers in offensive production. The freshman has blasted a team-high 13 home runs, while adding another 47 RBIs. No other Retriever has over 5 home runs or 30 RBIs this season.

After taking on UMBC, the Terps will quickly switch their focus to Georgetown (23-18, 6-6 Big East) on Wednesday, facing the Hoyas for the third time this season. The schools split the previous two meetings.

The Hoyas average 6.9 runs per game, a full run-and-a-half worse than the Terps.

Fifth-year DH/LF Ubaldo Lopez is hitting a team high .350 on the year, with 14 of his 50 hits as home runs. Junior right fielder Jake Hyde is just as proficient, tying Lopez for the team-high 14 home runs. Hyde also leads Georgetown with 47 RBIs.

Pitching-wise, the Hoyas hold one of the best staffs the Terps have faced this season, sporting a collective 4.80 ERA. 

Freshman right-hander Kai Leckszas may get the start for the Hoyas Wednesday, having started the last Wednesday outing for Georgetown. Leckszas has a 4.38 ERA and a 2-2 record in seven appearances this season. 

Following the midweek matches, the Terps will travel to Indiana to face the Hoosiers in a critical Big Ten series.