Preview: Maryland baseball gets set for midweek matchup against Georgetown

Maryland baseball (14-9) returns to College Park on Tuesday for a weekday matchup against Georgetown (14-9), both coming off weekend series wins.

The Terps were in Orlando battling against UCF over the weekend, where they took the final two games after dropping Friday night’s bout. Their offense especially found a groove, as they averaged 12 runs a game following a two-spot in the series-opener.

“Anytime you can go on the road against a good team…and take two or three especially after losing the Friday night game, it’s big,” coach Rob Vaughn said.

Maryland’s offense is one of the best in college baseball, averaging 8.5 runs a game. The offense features MLB draft prospects Matt Shaw and Luke Shliger, both in their junior campaigns.

Shaw excelled in the series against the Knights, clubbing three home runs to go along with seven RBIs. The shortstop is batting .319 with eight home runs and 20 RBIs on the year with an OPS of 1.117. Shliger slugged a homer in the series as well, bringing his total to four on the season. The catcher has also added 19 RBIs to go along with his team-leading 10 doubles.

Senior third baseman Nick Lorusso leads the Terps in home runs, smashing nine on the year alongside a team-high 36 RBIs. He enters Tuesday riding a 22-game hit streak.

Lorusso isn’t the only Terp entering with a hit streak, as fifth-year right fielder Matt Woods enters with a 12-game one of his own. The Bryant University transfer started the year slow with a lingering back injury but has since caught fire, batting .416 with five home runs and 19 RBIs.

The pitching side is where Maryland has struggled at times this season, sporting a 5.13 ERA. 

Juniors Logan Ott and Nate Haberthier should see time on Tuesday. 

Ott is a regular on weekdays but has struggled in that one, posting a 5.40 ERA. The left-hander enters with a 2-0 in five appearances, but has allowed four runs in each of his last three. Haberthier did not see time in the weekend against UCF, opening his availability to appear on Tuesday. The right-hander is sporting a 5.31 ERA on the season with a 2-2 record in five weekend appearances

Whoever Vaughn throws on the mound will have to face a Hoyas offense averaging 6.3 runs a game. Left fielder Ubaldo Lopez highlights the squad with a .338 batting average, a .480 on-base percentage, a .668 slugging percentage and a 1.168 OPS. Lopez also enters with 23 RBIs and seven home runs.

The graduate student leads Georgetown in all of those categories.

Junior right fielder Jake Hyde also contributes to the offense with a .308 batting average, five home runs and 20 RBIs on the season. 

While the Georgetown offense isn’t as electric as the Terps, its pitching staff is a step above with a collective 4.24 ERA.

Right-hander Kai Leckszas is likely to be the Tuesday starter after starting the previous three weekday games for the Hoyas. The freshman is 1-1 in three starts this season with an excellent 1.42 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP.

The matchup will be the 83rd in the series between the two programs, with Maryland leading 60-22. The two met up three times last season, with the Terps taking all three by a margin of 34-11. 

“If this team just will go play one game at a time and try to play the best brand of baseball, they can,” Vaughn said. 

First pitch at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium is scheduled for 4 p.m.