Terps To Open ACC Play At Virginia Tech
3/11/2010 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 11, 2010
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland travels to Blacksburg, Va., this weekend for its first Atlantic Coast Conference series of the season. The Terps have won four straight and will take on a Virginia Tech team that had won nine straight before falling to Bryant on Wednesday.
Due to impending weather, game times have been moved up on Friday and Saturday. The Terps and Hokies are now scheduled to play at 1 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Live stats can be found on the Virginia Tech website.
Leading Off...
• Maryland enters its weekend series with Virginia Tech on a four-game winning streak, including a win over Towson and a three-game sweep of Hofstra. After the Terps suffered a season-opening sweep at Florida International and lost two of three in the home opener vs. Delaware, they have come alive, led by solid starting pitching and a number of reliable offensive contributors.
Tracking the Terrapins...
• Friday starter Brett Harman struggled in his first two outings of the season, but pitched very well in his two most recent appearances. The junior didn't allow a base runner in 1.2 innings of relief in the win over Towson (3/3) and was dominant against Hofstra on March 6. Harman pitched eight innings that game, striking out nine batters, just one short of his career-high. He spread out seven hits and gave up three earned runs while walking just one to earn the win. Harman ranks seventh in the ACC with 20 strikeouts this season.
• Eric Potter also bounced back following a rough outing in his first game of the season. A lefty, Potter has allowed just four earned runs in his last two starts. He pitched 4.2 innings in a no-decision against Delaware (2/27), then earned the win over Hofstra on March 5 while allowing just a single run. Potter is currently second on the team with 16 strikeouts.
• Ian Schwalenberg has been Maryland's most effective middle-reliever. In his last three outings (5.2 innings pitched), Schwalenberg has allowed just one earned run, while striking out eight and giving up four hits.
• Brandon Padula, Matt Marquis and Jack Cleary have led Maryland offensively. Padula is batting a conference-best .568, including two home runs. Marquis, a transfer from Vanderbilt, is hitting .367 with a team-high nine runs scored, while Cleary is hitting .344.
• Although David Poutier hasn't gotten off to the hottest start with his bat, he has been reliable in reaching base as Maryland's lead-off hitter. Poutier has a .440 on-base percentage, having taken 14 walks this year, which is second in the ACC. The senior has also stolen five bases.
About the Hokies...
• Virginia Tech comes into the weekend as one of the hottest teams in the ACC. After dropping their first two games of the season to Kentucky and Coastal Carolina (ranked No. 22 and No. 8, respectively, in this weeks Baseball America top 25), the Hokies reeled off 9 straight wins before dropping a contest to Bryant, 5-3, on Wednesday.
• Over that span, Virginia Tech has swept three-game series with Charleston Southern and Long Island, while splitting a two-game midweek series with Bryant.
SERIES HISTORY: Maryland leads the all-time series with Virginia Tech, 27-16-1.
Versatile contributors...
The Terps have a number of players that have contributed in a variety of ways, but two in particular stand out.
• Adam Kolarek has been Maryland's every-day first baseman, batting .250 with five runs, three doubles and a home run. But in three appearances on the mound, the junior has been even more impressive. He leads the league with a 0.00 ERA in one start and 11.2 innings pitched overall, having surrendered just five hits all year. In addition to playing first base and pitching, Kolarek has also seen time in the outfield.
• Dan Gentzler, who is tied for fourth on Maryland's all-time saves list, has made six appearances on the mound in addition to seeing time at third base, first base and as a pinch hitter. Gentzler has two saves this season and currently has a 5.68 ERA. He is 2-for-5 at the plate, including a key hit in Maryland's 7-5 win over Hofstra on 3/7.
Power from Padula...
Outfielder/DH Brandon Padula has been on a tear at the plate all season, currently leading the ACC with a .568 batting average. The redshirt-sophomore has recorded three hits in four of the last five games and five times overall this season. He has been even better in pressure at-bats, going 9-for-14 (.643) with two outs.
• Padula leads the team with 10 RBI on the year, including a career-high four in a 7-5, come from behind victory over Hofstra on 3/7. In that game, Padula hit a two-out, three-run home run that proved to be the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Running early and often...
Head coach Erik Bakich made it no secret that he planned to be aggressive on the base paths this season, and the Terps have been just that. Maryland leads the league with 24 stolen bases on the year, including a school-record eight in a 10-3 win over Hofstra on 3/6. Shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez leads the league with seven stolen bases this year, and has yet to have been caught stealing this season. David Poutier, meanwhile, is tied for third in the league with five stolen bases entering the weekend.
Beck shines in summer league...
• Sander Beck, who was 2-0 with 43 strikeouts compared to just 14 walks as a freshman in 2009, had a productive summer pitching in the Cal Ripken, Sr., Collegiate Baseball League. Beck, now a sophomore, was named the league's co-most outstanding pitcher after tallying a 1.56 ERA with Youse's Orioles. He pitched a team-high 40 1/3 innings on his way to a 6-1 record, striking out 28 batters, while holding opponents to a .192 batting average.
• This season with the Terps Beck owns a 4.20 ERA, first on the team among regular starters.
Pitching surplus...
• Maryland will rely on its depth in pitching this season. The Terps returned 11 pitchers that accounted for 350 of 469 innings pitched in 2009. (.746 percent). Harman led the team with a 3.75 K/BB ratio in 2009 and is the No. 1 starter. Potter, a 6-foot-3 lefty from Crofton, Md., is the No. 2 starter. Beck and Kolarek have split duties as the third-weekend/midweek starter.
