Baseball Plays Host to No. 21 Georgia Tech this Weekend
4/18/2008 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 18, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Coming off a pair of midweek victories against UMBC and UMES, setting a new school record for consecutive non-conference victories in the process, the University of Maryland baseball team will attempt to translate its non-conference success into ACC victories this weekend when the 21st-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets come to Shipley Field for a three-game series.
The Terrapins (22-17, 5-13) have won 13 straight non-conference games, but are looking to compile some conference victories as they attempt to qualify for the ACC Tournament. Maryland is only one game out of the fourth spot in the Atlantic Division heading into this weekend's series with the Yellow Jackets (27-10, 9-9).
Game times are set for 7 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
Friday night's game will be broadcast on ACCSelect following the conclusion of the game. Sunday's game will be Maryland's first televised game of the season as CBS College Sports, formerly CSTV, will carry the game. As always, all three games can be heard live online at WMUCSports.com.
Sophomore Scott Swinson (Ellicott City, Md./George Washington University) will start Friday's game against southpaw David Duncan. Brett Jones (Dunkirk, Md./Southern) will make his first weekend start of the season Saturday against Tech's Eddie Burns. Senior Kevin Biringer (Albuquerque, N.M./Bradley University) will pitch Sunday against Zach Von Tersch.
The Terrapins are led by upperclassmen Nick Jowers (Beltsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic), Chad Durakis (Cockeysville, Md./St. Paul's) and Mike Murphy (Silver Spring, Md./Georgetown Prep).
Jowers leads the team with a .339 batting average and .449 on-base percentage. Durakis leads the Terps with 13 doubles and 33 RBIs while Murphy leads the team with nine home runs, the fifth-best total in the ACC.
The Yellow Jackets boast a powerful lineup that has combined to hit 49 home runs this season, including five grand slams. Derek Dietrich leads the Jackets and is tied for first in the conference with 11 homers. Tony Plagman has nine home runs and Brad Feltes has eight, including three of the team's five grand slams.
Georgia Tech leads the all-time series, 60-20.
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