No. 13 Maryland baseball opens its season with a weekend road series against South Florida.
The Terps, fresh off a program-best 48 wins and a Big Ten regular season title, will look to recreate the magic that led them to a scorching 8-0 start last season.
Despite the high expectations, it won’t be easy. Maryland’s first three opponents last season –– Baylor, UMBC and Campbell –– ranked 80, 265 and 59 respectively in RPI at the season’s conclusion. This time around, the Terps will square off against two teams who finished top 50 in RPI within their first seven games, with West Virginia and the reigning national champions, No. 4 Ole Miss, on the schedule.
Coach Rob Vaughn didn’t plan these opponents by mistake though. He wants his team to be battle tested for the rigorous Big Ten season and NCAA Tournament in June.
“We’re gonna know real quick what we’re working with,” Vaughn said. “And that’s what you want. You want to understand, ‘Hey, this is where we need to grow, this is where we need to get better, here’s what we’re doing well.’”
Vaughn has consistently credited the experience and mental toughness of his group as a vote of confidence that even if the season starts off rocky, the end result will be worth it.
“Whether we start out of the gate like we did last year … or whether we have some ups and downs, this group is mature enough and understands the process,” Vaughn said. “I think every single one of those dudes will take less wins if it ends up in Omaha.”
The tough early schedule will also reap its rewards in terms of ensuring respect from the NCAA tournament selection committee. The level of play in the Big Ten has come into question the past few years, with only two teams making the big dance last season in Maryland and Michigan.
A team like Rutgers, who won 44 games and was the runner-up in the Big Ten tournament, did not make the NCAA tournament due to a lack of challenging games in the early portion of the season. Combine this with a bit of a weaker Big Ten compared to other conferences, and it could be an uphill battle for some of its teams to make the 64-team tournament. Thus, Vaughn made sure to keep the Terps’ strength of schedule up to par with the selection committee’s standards.
Focusing in on the depth chart, Vaughn officially named some key starters prior to the Terps’ opening weekend series.
Junior right-hander Jason Savacool will take the mound on opening night for Maryland against USF, followed by senior right-hander Nick Dean on Saturday and junior right-hander Nate Haberthier on Sunday.
Savacool, who was virtually a lock to be the Terps’ ace heading into the season, will look to continue the dominance that gave him 2022 first team All-Big Ten honors. Dean, who had an up-and-down junior season in College Park, will look to bounce back and be a stabilizing presence on Saturdays. Haberthier, a 6-foot-5 Ohio State transfer who struggled to the tune of a 6.75 ERA as a sophomore, beat out freshman left-hander Kyle McCoy for the Sunday job, according to Vaughn.
Vaughn still believes McCoy, a highly-rated recruit from New Jersey, can have an impactful presence as a long reliever out of the bullpen.
Sophomore Eddie Hacopian, a Cypress College transfer, edged out sophomore Ian Petrutz for the starting first baseman job, according to Vaughn. Petrutz will man the DH slot primarily to begin the season.
USF sported a 28-29 overall record in 2022, finishing last in the American Athletic Conference at 8-16. The Bulls reached the Super Regional in 2021 and return six players from that squad.
Outfielder Carmine Lane, the USF’s unquestioned offensive leader last season, was taken in the 19th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins. The Bulls will turn to players such as preseason All-AAC team selection and junior outfielder Drew Brutcher, redshirt junior first baseman/outfielder Daniel Cantu and sophomore outfielder Jackson Mayo to pick up the offensive load.
The first of three games in Tampa will take place Friday night. First pitch is set for 6:30. The following two games on Saturday and Sunday will have afternoon starts, at 2:00 and 1:00, respectively.
