Terp Baseball Hosts James Madison Tuesday and Wednesday

March 15, 2005

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TERPS HOST JAMES MADISON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY

After its second conference weekend of the season, the Terps return home for non-conference contests against James Madison (2-9). Mike Sufczynski (0-0, 0.00 ERA) and Sean Kane (0-1, 15.63 ERA) are set to face JMU's David Rich (0-0, 6.14 ERA) and Bobby Lasko (0-3, 4.74 ERA) in the schools' first of four matchups this season.

Audio broadcasts are available for both games, with links available on www.umterps.com and www.wmucsports.com. Live stats will also be available by logging on to the www.umterps.com baseball site.

Information can now be submitted to join an online newsletter mailing list. Titled "The Maryland Baseball Bulletin", the newsletter is sent to you each time new information is posted to the Maryland website. This includes weekend previews, game recaps, feature stories and more.

PREVIEWING THE DUKES

Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
2005 Record: 2-9.
2004 Record: 29-27/Seventh CAA
All-Time Series: James Madison leads 24-16-1.
Last Meeting: James Madison 2, Maryland 1 - April 27, 2004.

James Madison enters the week with a 2-9 overall record, including a win in the last of a three-game series with Kent State (8-6 on Sunday). The Dukes are set to start LHP David Rich (0-0, 6.14 ERA) on Tuesday, and RHP Bobby Lasko (0-3, 4.74 ERA) on Wednesday.

Rich started on Sunday against Kent State, but left with a no-decision after giving up four runs in 1.2 innings. Relievers Travis Risser and Jacob Cook combined to give up two runs in 7.1 innings of relief to help the Dukes come away with an 8-6 win. Risser threw four scoreless in the game and is second on the team with a 5.23 ERA. Leading the team is Lasko, who has a 4.74 ERA in four appearances (three starts). The right-hander is 0-3, but has the lowest opponent batting average of any JMU pitcher (.263) and is one of two Dukes to have a BAA under .300.

Offensively, leadoff hitter Skyler Doom leads the team with a .404 average, .660 slugging percentage and 19 hits. Second baseman Michael Cowgill catcher Matt Sluder are both hitting over .350 for a JMU offense that is hitting a collective .269. The Dukes average just over 4.0 runs per game and have walked 28 times to 88 strikeouts.

CURRENT STATS AND TRENDS

Pitching
Josh Andrews has a 3.06 ERA in his last 10 non-conference appearances ... dating back to last season, left-hander Casey Baron has given up two earned runs in his last 11 appearances of less than 2.0 innings (1.59 ERA in 11.1 innings) ... In the last two seasons, left-hander Chris Bowen has a 1.64 ERA when he comes out of the bullpen ... Bowen has a 0.79 ERA and one save in four appearances this season ... Chris Clem gave up a season-high six earned runs, but got his first win of the season on Friday at NC State (3/11) ... after some unfortunate earned runs at UNC Wilmington, Justin Hulse has lowered his ERA with each appearance (five) he's made ... Ben Pfinsgraff has struck out 28 batters this season, with only three walks ... Tuesday's probable starter, Mike Sufczynski, made his first collegiate appearance last Wednesday against UMES and struck out four batters in 2.1 innings ... Brad Taylor gave up three hits and two runs in the first inning against UMES, but gave up two hits and no runs over his final 3.0 innings.

Offense
Maryland is 4-0 when Chad Durakis scores at least one run ... with a double at NC State, Will Frazier moved up on Maryland's career lists to a fourth place tie in extra-base hits (72) and a fifth place tie in doubles (45) ... Brian Jarosinski hit .478 (11-for-23) with six extra-base hits and seven RBI over a recent seven-game stretch (2/25-3/11) ... Truan Mehl has reached base safely in 14 of the team's 15 games this season ... Mehl leads the team with five HBPs this season and is tied for the team-lead with five stolen bases ... Dan Melvin is third in the ACC in doubles (0.53/g) and leads the team with eight ... Melvin has hits in nine of his last 11 games and hasn't hit more than one double in a game this season ... freshman Joe Palumbo leads the team with 10 walks and has struck out just once ... catcher Bobby Ryan recorded his first hits of the season at NC State, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run Sunday at NC State ... Elliot Singletary has reached base in all seven games as a leadoff hitter and has hits in six of his last eight games ... Jason Von Behren has raised his batting average 111 points (.248 to .259) over the last 15 days ... Von Behren leads the team in total bases and is tied for the team lead with three home runs ... first baseman Jordan Wilson rolled ranks ninth in the conference in batting (.419) and leads the team with 13 RBI and a .558 slugging percentage.

RECAPPING THE NC STATE SERIES

It was an up and down weekend for Maryland baseball, as it dropped two of three games at NC State. In the first game, the Terp offense turned a 6-4 sixth-inning deficit into a 15-6 win with a five-run seventh and six-run ninth inning. Jason Von Behren and Elliot Singletary each homered and set new career-highs with four RBI, and Brian Jarosinski continued a recent seven-game hot streak (.478, 11-for-23) with a 2-for-3, two-RBI day.

Chris Clem won his first game of the season, fighting through an early grand slam and going a season-high 7.1 innings.

The story of the second game was NC State's Gib Hobson, who threw the Wolfpack's first no-hitter since 1993. Ben Pfinsgraff matched Hobson pitch-for-pitch early, but the NC State offense touched him up for four runs in six innings and handed him his first loss this season. Pfinsgraff limited damage by allowing just one free pass, but gave up more extra-base hits in the game (four) than he had in his first four starts combined (three).

Game three was a tale of two games for both teams. Both offenses struck early and knocked the opposing starter out of the game after 3.1 innings. Through five complete innings, the game was tied at 5-5, showing signs of a Sunday slugfest.

But both bullpens responded with four scoreless innings after that point to send the game into extra innings. A season-high six Terrapin pitchers were used in the game, including freshman Brett Cecil and senior Chris Bowen, who pitched for the second time in the series.

Both left-handers worked out of tight spots and kept the Terps in the game. Cecil threw a career-high 71 pitches over and labored through 2.2 innings, before handing the ball to Bowen at the start of the seventh.

Bowen, who picked up his first career save in Friday's 15-6 win, battled for 2.2 scoreless innings. The senior left-hander didn't appear to have his best stuff coming off one day of rest, but held the Wolfpack to three hits and no runs over 2.1 innings.

NC State struck in the top of the tenth, loading the bases with two outs before pinch-hitter Aaron Cone delivered an RBI single into left field. The loss evened the Terps' conference record at 3-3 and dropped them to 9-6 on the season.

JAROSINSKI HEATS UP

Working through an early slump to start 2005, junior outfielder Brian Jarosinski heated up through the second week of conference play. "Jaws", among Maryland single season leaders with 16 home runs and 58 RBI in 2004, hit .478 (11-for-23) with six extra-base hits and seven RBI over seven games between the Charleston Challenge and NC State series.

In the middle of that seven-game hot streak, Jarosinski also made the move from the corner outfield to center field to replace an injured Justin Maxwell. The well-built outfielder showed good range and defensive prowess immediately, making up for the loss of what Baseball America called the Atlantic Coast Conference's best athlete and defensive outfielder.

PALUMBO ADDS SPARK TO MARYLAND LINEUP

Though hitless in his last five games, freshman Joe Palumbo has been a prototypical nine-hole hitter since making his first start at the Charleston Challenge. Palumbo had a hit in each of his first four starts and got off to a .357 start at the plate, with his approach at the plate helping to turn the lineup over and giving Maryland's big bats more opportunities to hit with men on base.

Palumbo has been patient and has stayed within himself at the plate, seeing pitches and hitting the ball where it's pitched. For the year, his scrappy approach has yielded a team-high 10 walks and a .457 on-base percentage.

MEHL DOES IT ALL FOR THE TERPS

In his second year at Maryland, senior right fielder Truan Mehl has blossomed into one of the team's most valuable players, both offensively and defensively. At the plate, he's currently tied for the team lead with 18 hits, 11 runs and five stolen bases, and has reached base 11 times via bases on balls and hit by pitches.

Defensively, not only has Mehl made no errors in 15 starts in right field, but he has been a lockdown defender with the most powerful arm on the team. Twice this year Mehl has made diving catches in one-run games, with the Terps winning each of those games. In Rock Hill, S.C., Mehl made a diving catch with a runner on third and two outs in the eighth inning of a 2-1 win against Western Kentucky. And last week against UMES, he made another diving grab to end an inning, laying out on a sinking line drive in the Terps' comeback win over the Hawks.

MOORER SHOWS PROMISE IN FIRST CAREER START

After two bullpen appearances, freshman right-hander Ryan Moorer made his first career start in the series finale at NC State. The 13th round draft choice (Chicago Cubs) showed improved command and development of his secondary pitches. Moorer features a low 90's fastball as well as an improving power curveball and quality change-up. NC State hitters had a difficult time catching up with Moorer's fastball, with his curveball and change-up keeping hitters off balance.

BOBBY RYAN BACK BEHIND THE DISH

Senior Bobby Ryan made his first start of the season against UMES (3/9) after working through some personal issues at the start of the year. Ryan is a big, strong player who can take control of a game behind the plate. He is also one of the top catch-and-throw guys in the conference and a player who threw out over 30 per cent of would-be base stealers in 2004.

Ryan has quick feet behind the plate and can throw with a free and easy release from multiple arm angles. Since returning to the Maryland lineup, his reputation alone has slowed down opponents' running games, and his chemistry with veteran starters Chris Clem and Ben Pfinsgraff could pay huge dividends through conference play. Offensively, Ryan has shown an improved stroke and an ability to hit from both sides of the plate. In the series finale at NC State, Ryan recorded his first two hits of the season, including a hard double and run scored in the fourth inning.

SINGLETARY SETTLING IN AT LEADOFF SPOT

Since senior Elliot Singletary returned to action against Virginia Tech (3/4), he has been a starter at designated hitter or first base in eight straight games. In the last seven, Singletary has hit lead-off and has been just the type of hitter the Maryland lineup has needed. He has hits in five of those seven games, as well as three multi-hit games and two multi-RBI games. He had four extra-base hits at NC State over the weekend, including a leadoff home run in the first game of the series, a 15-6 Maryland win.

On top of the offensive production, Singletary has also shown a knack for getting on base and the toughness of a good leadoff hitter. In his last five games, he has three walks, a hit-by-pitch and three sacrifice bunts, and has stolen two bases from the top of the Maryland batting order.

INJURY REPORT

Junior OF Justin Maxwell has still yet to see a specialist for his broken left hand ... an initial timetable for a return was in the range of 4-to-8 weeks ... sophomore LHP Casey Baron tweaked his throwing elbow on Friday and is day-to-day with the injury ... junior infielder Jordan Wilson rolled his left ankle in Friday's win over NC State and is listed as day-to-day ... he did not play in the final two games of the series, but was available to pinch-hit in Sunday's final game ... senior infielder Elliot Singletary has been limited to first base and DH duties since opening weekend due to a right shoulder injury ... junior LHP Michael Meagher is nursing a left shoulder injury, but should be available soon.

Terp Baseball Hosts James Madison Tuesday and Wednesday

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