The Maryland Terrapins’ baseball team looks to rebound at home this weekend following a 1-5 road trip. The Terps (10-11) take on the Stetson Hatters (18-3) in the final weekend series before conference play.. Here’s what to expect:
The Offenses:
Maryland
The Terps’ offense is the perfect example of a streaky lineup. The team has the ability to put up double-digit runs on an opponent any given day, but the bats can also disappear from time to time. That was evident during the last road trip, where Maryland only scored five runs in four games before breaking out for 11 runs against Elon on Wednesday.
For the lineup to build off the offensive outburst against the Phoenix, it needs Marty Costes’ bat to continue to heat up. Costes had two hits and three RBIs on Wednesday, including a solo homerun, only his second of the season. His batting average is now over .200 for the first time since the end of February. That number is not where Costes wants to be this season, but if the junior can continue to regain his confidence at the plate it’ll make the Maryland lineup that much more dangerous.
Stetson
The Hatters may not have the pedigree of some of Maryland’s other opponents this season, but this team can flat out rake. Stetson has eight batters hitting over .260 with three holding averages above .300. Junior Jacob Koos and seniors Brooks Wilson and Nico Torino lead a Stetson attack that is averaging almost six runs per game.
The Pitching:
Maryland
The Terps will once again roll out the weekend rotation of Taylor Bloom (2-3, 3.53 ERA), Tyler Blohm (2-2, 4.94 ERA) and Hunter Parsons (2-2, 4.20 ERA). Parsons, the junior right-hander, has been the strongest of the bunch over the past three weeks. All three took losses over the weekend, but Parsons and Bloom threw well, pitching seven and eight innings, respectively. However, the lack of run support by their offense put a blemish on the performances. Blohm struggled, allowing six runs in only four innings, and will look to rebound at home this Saturday.
Another thing to keep an eye on is the Terps’ bullpen. Head coach Rob Vaughn was forced to make the call to the pen a lot on the road trip due to blowouts, in addition to using six pitchers in the win over Elon. With Friday being Maryland’s seventh game in 11 days, arm fatigue could be a factor.
Stetson
Much like the Hatters’ offense, the Stetson pitching staff is loaded. Mitchell Senger (3-0, 1.86 ERA), Logan Gilbert (4-0, 2.67 ERA) and Jack Perkins (2-1, 3.14 ERA) will most likely be the three starters this weekend. However, Joey Gonzalez (5-1, 0.31 ERA) could also make an appearance.
To complement the starters, the Hatters also have a strong bullpen lead by two-way player Brooks Wilson who has nine saves and a 0.44 ERA.
Other things to know:
No place like home?
The Terps are 5-7 on the road, and their home record is not much better. At 3-4, Maryland has not taken full advantage of its home field in 2018.
March Madness
March is the month for underdog teams to take down the favorite, but Stetson is no Cinderella story. The Hatters’ have the bats and arms to compete with anyone, and have already taken down power five conference teams such as Purdue and Virginia Tech.
Let’s go streaking
The Terps have been streaky this year, with winning and losing streaks of five games. That five game skid ended Wednesday against Elon, so it could be time for Maryland to start a positive streak.
First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 4 p.m.
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