Baseball Set To Begin Practice For The 2002 Season Friday
1/24/2002 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 24, 2002
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COLLEGE PARK, Md.-The second year of the Terry Rupp era in College Park is set to begin as the Terrapin baseball team has returned to College Park for the upcoming season. The Terrapins open practice January 25 in preparation for their season-opening matchup vs. James Madison. The Terps and Dukes will meet Friday, February 15 at the Charleston Crab House Shootout in Charleston, S.C.
* The 2002 Terrapins return 13 letterwinners, but have just three seniors on the roster. Heading the list of returners is senior outfielder Matt Swope (New Carrollton, Md.) and senior catcher Kevin McDonald (Rockaway, N.J.). Swope leads all returners with a .328 batting average and he also totaled seven homers and 34 RBI as a junior for the Terps. McDonald returns for his final year in College Park after leading Maryland with eight home runs last season.
* Even though the Terrapins have just three seniors on the roster, Maryland has a strong junior class including three redshirt juniors. Todd Ainsworth (Hershey, Pa.) Ray Gemmill (Silver Spring, Md.), and Daryl Whitmer (Waldorf, Md.) have all spent four seasons within the baseball program, but were granted a redshirt season for various reasons.
Trio Of Junior Hurlers Lead The Pitching Staff
* When Maryland head coach Terry Rupp pencils in his weekend rotation, he will have three candidates with plenty of talent and experience ready to take the ball. A trio of junior right-handers, Jared Stuart (Corning, N.Y.), Steve Schmoll (Rockville, Md.) and Todd Ainsworth are the three leading candidates for the Terps' weekend rotation.
* Stuart led Maryland with 77.0 innings pitched in 2001 and was one of the team's most consistent performers. A victim of some tough luck in a few starts last year, Stuart pitched better than his 3-7 record indicated. The 6-6 New York native racked up 48 strikeouts in 15 appearances, which included 12 starts.
* Schmoll ranked first on the team with 57 strikeouts and was second on the club with 76.1 innings pitched. Even though his record was just 2-8, Schmoll threw the team's only complete game of the year in a 9-4 upset victory over Wake Forest at Shipley Field. Schmoll allowed just one earned run in nine innings of work in the victory over the Demon Deacons and showed the potential for a strong season in 2002.
* Ainsworth returned from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2000 to become one of the Terps' weekend starters late in the 2001 season. The 6-3 righty possesses all the tools to be one of the top pitchers in the conference and now finally healthy, Ainsworth should be one to watch in 2002. The Pennsylvania native finished the 2001 campaign 3-3 and was the team's starter in the ACC Tournament vs. NC State.
* Other possible candidates to earn a spot in the starting rotation include junior Brad Lyons (Massapequa, N.Y.) and junior Derek Hoffman (Hagerstown, Md.). Lyons is the hardest thrower on the staff and has all the tools to become a solid collegiate pitcher. Hoffman, a transfer from Hagerstown CC, stands at 6-8 and will be in the mix to nail down a spot.
* Several newcomers should also bolster the Terrapin pitching staff. Freshmen Chris Clem (Berwyn, Pa.), Sean Kane (West Chester, Pa.), Josh Andrews (Monrovia, Md.) and Brooks Norris (Baltimore, Md.) are all expected to contribute and give the Terps a formidable pitching staff.
Bullpen Shaping Up To Be One Of The Team's Strengths In 2002
* After having three pitchers total over 23 appearances each last season, the Terrapins will have plenty of options to turn to in '02. Maryland had just one lefty to bring in out of the bullpen last season and just a total of six pitchers. This season, Rupp will have four southpaws to turn to and over 10 pitchers that will be ready to toe the rubber.
* Junior Mike Dallmeyer (Enola, Pa.) tied a school record with 26 appearances last season and should lead the Terrapin bullpen in 2002. Dallmeyer has the ability to pitch every game of a three-game set and is a valuable contributor for Rupp and the Terps.
* Two other right-handers that saw plenty of action last season are junior Matt Basinger (Connellsville, Pa.) and senior Ken Beck (Laurel, Md.). Basinger made 23 appearances and Beck had 25. Both should be much more effective this season with a deeper bullpen and an improved defense behind the two.
* The closer duties are still to be decided, but one player who will definitely get plenty of work is junior transfer Kyle George (Bel Air, Md.). George is the front-runner to nail down the closer spot and will also see plenty of action at third base for the Terps after transferring from Wallace State CC.
Terrapin Lineup Welcomes Back Several Familiar Faces
* Several familiar faces are back in the Terrapin lineup for the 2002 campaign led by seniors Kevin McDonald and Matt Swope. Swope is the team's leading returning hitter with a .328 batting average while McDonald led Maryland with eight home runs in 2001.
* Swope was the team's leadoff hitter last season and led Maryland with leadoff home runs. A versatile player who played all three outfield positions last season, Swope will be the team's starter in left when the season begins and could also see time at third base.
* McDonald is a two-year starter at catcher and will also see time at first base and as the team's designated hitter in 2002. After not hitting a home run in his first two seasons in College Park, McDonald cranked eight last year and also drove in 33 runs.
* Junior shortstop John McCurdy (Crofton, Md.) is another key cog that returns for Rupp and the Terrapins. After hitting .300 in his first season as a regular, McCurdy is a five-tool talent who is filled with talent and potential in 2002. McCurdy led Maryland with 12 stolen bases last season in 16 attempts.
* Redshirt junior Ray Gemmill (Silver Spring, Md.) returns to take the starting spot at first base for the Terps. The local product batted .282 last season and gave the Terps a potent bat from the first base and the designated hitter spot in the batting order.
* Two Garden State natives, sophomores Anthony Buffone (Manalapan, N.J.) and Jeremy Suarez (Lakewood, N.J.), are another two players that will see time in the infield and give the Terps excellent depth.
From The Gridiron To The Diamond
* Redshirt junior Daryl Whitmer (Waldorf, Md.) has had a busy year to say the least. Since August, Whitmer was a member of the Terrapin football team that went 10-2 and won the ACC Championship and earned an Orange Bowl berth. With about a three-week rest, Whitmer returns to competition with the Terrapin baseball team.
* An excellent defensive outfielder with great speed, Whitmer gives the Terps great depth in the outfield. Last season, Whitmer was second on the team with nine stolen bases in limited duty. Whitmer missed most of the 2001 season due to spring football.
Another Tough Schedule Awaits For The Terps In 2002
* Once again the Terrapins will face several of the nation's elite teams on the diamond this upcoming season. With three members of the ACC in various preseason top 10 polls, the Terps face seven schools that were in last season's NCAA Tournament.
* In Baseball America's preseason top 25, five ACC opponents are ranked including No. 2 Clemson and No. 6 Florida State. The other ranked ACC schools include No. 13 Georgia Tech, No. 19 North Carolina and No. 21 Wake Forest. Other than North Carolina, each of the preseason ranked ACC teams made the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
* Last season, Maryland went a combined 3-3 vs. Wake Forest and North Carolina including winning the home series over the Tar Heels for the first time since 1986.
* On the non-conference slate, the Terps open the year in South Carolina vs. James Madison and The Citadel at the Charleston Crab House Shootout. In the second weekend of the season, Maryland returns to Charleston, S.C. to face Marshall, Le Moyne and the College of Charleston at the 2002 Charleston Challenge.
* Other non-conference foes that made the tournament last season include William & Mary, Temple and UMBC.
* Several new teams appear on the schedule for the upcoming season. Pace, Vermont, Penn State, St. Joseph's, Temple, Navy and William & Mary are all new additions to the 2002 slate. All of those opponents will face the Terps in College Park while the Terps will also visit Navy and William & Mary in addition to their trips to Shipley Field.
Speed On The Base Paths
* One area in which the Terps return plenty of firepower is in the stolen base department. The team's top three players in stolen bases return from a year ago in John McCurdy, Matt Swope and Daryl Whitmer.
* McCurdy started 51 games and swiped 12 stolen bases in 16 attempts to lead the Terps in 2001.
* Swope and Whitmer trailed McCurdy with 10 and nine stolen bases, respectively. Each player was only thrown out one time attempting to steal as Swope went 10-for-11 in stolen bases while Whitmer was safe 9-of-10 times.
* All three combined to steal over half of the team's stolen bases. For the year, Maryland as a team stole 48 bases and with the trio combining to swipe 31 of those bags.
Follow The Terrapins On The Internet
* For live statistics and radio broadcasts, turn to www.umterps.com, for all of this season's action. The Terrapins will be on the radio for a scheduled 10 games this season. The Maryland student radio station, WMUC, will carry those 10 games with additional games pending.
* All 33 of Maryland's home games will have live statistics available at www.umterps.com. In addition, several road contests will have live stats available. Check back at www.umterps.com for updated information throughout the season.
Two Television Appearances In 2002
* The Maryland baseball team will make two appearances on television during the 2002 season.
* Saturday, April 6, the Terrapins host Virginia in the ACC Game of the Week. The contest will start at 1 p.m. and can be seen live on Comcast SportsNet, Fox Sports South and Sunshine Network.
* The Terrapins can also be seen on the tube Saturday, May 11 at Florida State. The 7 p.m. contest will be aired live on the Sunshine Network.
Several Former Terps Thriving In Professional Baseball
* Eric Milton (1994-96), Kevin Haverbusch (1995-97), Brandon Agamennone (1995-98) and Garry Maddox (1994-96) are the four former Terrapins that are currently active in professional baseball. Milton, the only Terrapin currently in the Major League, is a member of the Minnesota Twins. Haverbusch is with the Pittsburgh Pirates' triple-A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds while Agamennone is a member of the Harrisburg Senators and Maddox plays for the Trenton Thunder.
* Milton was selected to his first all-star game last season as he went 15-7 for the upstart Twins. In 35 games, Milton had a career-best 4.32 ERA and totaled 157 strikeouts for the Twins. For his career, Milton is 43-42 with a 4.78 ERA.
* Agamennone spent the part of the 2001 season between the Ottawa Lynx, the triple-A affiliate of the Montreal Expos, and the Harrisburg Senators, the double-A club in the Expos Organization. While at Ottawa, Agamennone went 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA. With the Senators, the former Terp was 4-0 with a 4.13 ERA including three saves.
* Haverbusch also split the season between double and triple-A in the Pirates Organization. At double-A Altoona, Haverbusch hit .261 with two home runs and 19 RBIs. After advancing a level to triple-A Nashville, he hit .333 with seven homers and 30 RBIs.
* Maddox was a member of both the double-A Trenton Thunder and the triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox in the Boston Red Sox organization. With the Thunder, Maddox hit .300 in 84 games with 11 home runs and 48 RBIs. At Pawtucket, Maddox played in just eight games and batted .111.
