May 9, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The University of Maryland baseball team enters this weekend's final Atlantic Coast Conference series against No. 17 North Carolina State with three of its season goals within reach.
With a 28-24 overall record and 8-19 mark in ACC play, the Terps are still in contention for a spot in the ACC Tournament, though they need to sweep the Wolfpack and get outside help for it to happen. With two wins this weekend, the Terps will win 30 games for only the second time in program history and reach 10 ACC wins for the first time since 1972.
The series begins at 7 p.m. Friday night with Mike Sufczynski (Darnestown, Md./St. John's) taking the mound for Maryland against State's Clayton Shunick, one of the best pitchers in the country. The game will be broadcast on ACCSelect.com.
Saturday's 1 p.m. game will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net with Mike Hogewood and Dan Bonner calling the action. Senior Kevin Biringer (Albuquerque, N.M./Bradley University) will start for the Terps against Jake Buchanan.
The series wraps up at 1 p.m. Sunday with Brett Jones (Dunkirk, Md./Southern) facing Wolfpack southpaw Alex Sogard.
Sunday is Senior Day and eight Terps seniors will play in front of the home crowd for the final time. The seniors include: Sufczynski, Biringer, Chad Durakis (Cockeysville, Md./St. Pauls'), Nick Jowers (Beltsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic), Joe Palumbo (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic), Brad Taylor (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel), Steve Braun (Granada Hills, Calif./Pierce CC) and Brett Tidball (Bethesda, Md./Georgetown Prep).
Durakis enters the series four hits shy of moving into the top five in Maryland baseball history.
NC State enters the series with a 33-15 record and 15-8 record in the ACC. The Wolfpack have clinched the second-best record in the Atlantic Division.
The Wolfpack own the third-best team ERA in the country at 3.20. All three of this weekend's starters are at 2.70 or better.
Maryland won last year's series at NC State, taking two of three games. The two teams have split the last six meetings.
WMUCSports.com will provide live radio coverage of the entire series.
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