Maryland baseball vs. Ohio State preview

Maryland baseball (19-13, 4-2 B1G) travels to Columbus to face Ohio State (17-15, 2-7 B1G) this weekend for its second road Big Ten series of the season.

The Terps are coming off a weekend series win over Rutgers, but also two-straight losses with a Sunday defeat to Rutgers and a Tuesday midweek loss to Georgetown. 

“We just haven’t been consistent enough,” coach Rob Vaughn said. “Whether that’s our approach at the plate, whether that’s ‘Hey when we score they don’t,’ whatever that looks like we just have to be better all around.”

The Terps are 2-4 over the past six games as a whole, with the season’s theme of pitching struggles glowing. 

The Terps have averaged a 7.50 ERA over the six-game stretch, allowing ten runs in three of the games.

Pitching struggles have long tormented Maryland, as eight of its 13 losses have come when the offense scores at least six runs. The Terps’ pitching staff has given up six or more runs in 11 of their losses.

The Terps’ 5.67 ERA on the season is the third-worst in the Big Ten, posting a 5.67 ERA on the year.

“We have to do a better job of getting ahead of guys and finishing and not letting them claw back in,” Vaughn said. 

It will get even harder this weekend against the Buckeyes, as budding freshman left-hander Kyle McCoy will miss his start on Sunday after being struck in the face during Maryland’s 14-8 loss against Rutgers. After beginning the season in relief, McCoy was moved into a starting role for the past five Sundays, including an eight-inning, nine-strikeout shutout against Iowa. 

“We’ll look up on Sunday and kind of see what the best option is,” Vaughn said. “We’ll probably be TBA and we probably will make that decision Saturday after the game.”

Nonetheless, junior ace Jason Savacool will look to lead the pitching staff in his Friday night start. The right-hander is throwing a 3.33 ERA, the best on the team, earning himself a 3-3 record in eight starts. 

Ohio State lacks high-power pitching prowess as well, as its 5.49 ERA is sixth-worst in the Big Ten. 

The Buckeyes’ issue lies in their starting pitching. Isaiah Coupet has been the Friday night starter for the group, but the junior left-hander has struggled with inconsistency. Coupet has seen multiple outings where allows two runs or less, but also other games where his outing-ERA is over 10. 

Sophomores Gavin Bruni and George Eisenhardt are the other weekend starters and have also struggled with consistency, posting ERAs above 4.5. 

While both pitching staffs have struggled this season, Maryland holds a clear advantage over Ohio State on offense. 

The Terps average 8.1 runs per game, over a run more than the Buckeyes’ average. The Terps also are one of the best power-hitting teams in the country, smashing the most home runs alongside a conference-leading .531 slugging percentage. 

Maryland’s offense is led by senior third baseman Nick Lorusso. The former Villanova WIldcat leads the conference with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs. But Lorusso isn’t just a big power threat at the plate, as his .367 batting average leads the Terps.

Junior shortstop Matt Shaw also shines at the plate. The projected top MLB prospect has 43 hits, second most on Maryland, good for a .336 batting average. Shaw’s 11 home runs are tied for second-most in the Big Ten. 

On the other side, freshman catcher Matthew Graveline has emerged as a bright spot and budding star for the Buckeyes this season. Graveline leads Ohio State with a .358 batting average, while also chipping in four home runs and 23 RBIs. His .556 slugging percentage is the most of any Buckeye.

The Maryland pitching staff will look to slow down Graveline and the rest of the Buckeyes offense to secure its third-straight series win to open conference play, starting on Friday at 5 p.m.