April 8, 2010

Game Notes (PDF)

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The University of Maryland baseball team will play a three-game set with Boston College that begins Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Live stats for all three games can be found on umterps.com.

Probable Pitching Matchups: Friday (2:30): LHP Eric Potter (2-4, 7.20) vs. RHP Mike Dennhardt (1-5, 9.51)
Saturday (1:30): RHP Sander Beck (0-5, 8.35) vs. RHP Taylor Lasko (1-0, 3.97)
Sunday (1:00): TBA vs. RHP John Leonard (1-0, 0.00)

Leading Off...
• Maryland enters its pivotal three-game series with Boston College at 3-9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. The Terps defeated No. 22 North Carolina last Friday on Adam Kolarek's walk-off home run in the 10th inning, but were unable to sustain the momentum, falling to the Tar Heels on Saturday and Sunday. The Eagles, an Atlantic Division foe, enter the weekend a game ahead of the Terps at 4-8 in conference play.

Tracking the Terrapins...
• The Terps have fallen on hard times since the win over UNC, having lost four straight games. Maryland's pitching staff and offense were unable to get on the same page in two mid-week games; the pitching staff held a George Mason team that ranked 13th in the nation in scoring offense to just three runs on Wednesday, but the offense managed just one run on two hits. On Wednesday, the offense put up nine runs on 10 hits.
• Brett Harman has clearly established himself as the staff ace. Normally the Friday starter, Harman had his start pushed back to Saturday last week and could possibly be sidelined this weekend.
• Eric Potter, who has been impressive in his last two starts, is scheduled to get the start on Friday. Against Navy on March 31, Potter didn't allow a hit in five innings, struck out four and walked two to get his second win of the season. The junior followed that up by pitching 4.1 innings and allowing just one earned run vs. North Carolina on April 4.
• Maryland has been creative all season in finding ways to manufacture runs. The Terps have used squeeze-plays, double-steals, and most of all, sacrifice bunts. As a team, Maryland has 37 sacrifice bunts heading into the weekend, which leads the ACC and ranked third in the nation entering the week. Alfredo Rodriguez and Jack Cleary are tied for the lead league with nine sacrifice bunts each, which is tied for third in Maryland single-season history.
• Senior John Dischert has been Maryland's most effective reliever, posting a 2.18 ERA in 11 appearances this season. In 20.2 innings, he has allowed just 12 hits and five runs, while striking out 27 and walking only three. Dischert has allowed either one or no hits in nine of his 11 appearances and is holding opposing batters to a measly .169 batting average. The senior earned the first save of his career by striking out two in the ninth inning in the win over Navy on March 31.

About the Eagles...
• The Eagles, 13-15 overall and 4-1 at home, have four players batting over .300 and have a team batting average of .285, but ranks last in the ACC with a 6.85 team ERA.
• Boston College has a dangerous leadoff man in Robbie Anston. The senior leads the team with a .348 batting average, and ranks third in the conference in doubles (13), fourth in triples (4) and 10th in steals (9).

SERIES HISTORY: Maryland trails the all-time series with Boston College, 4-10.

Versatile veteran...
Senior Dan Gentzler already ranked in the top-6 on Maryland's career saves list entering 2010, but this season he has made contributions on the mound and at the plate.
• Gentzler, who is now third on Maryland's all-time saves list with 14, has made a team-high 16 appearances on the mound and is second on the team with a 3.79 ERA.
• He ranks second in the ACC with six saves this season and earned his first win of the year by not allowing a base runner in the ninth and tenth innings in the win over North Carolina (4/2).
• Before this season, Gentzler did not have a career at-bat. In 2010, he has made 16 starts at first base and is hitting .224.
• Against Georgia Tech on March 19, Gentzler belted two home runs off 2009 ACC pitcher of the year Deck McGuire, totaling four RBI and leading Maryland to a 5-2 win. Showing his versatility, Gentzler moved from first base to pitcher and threw a perfect ninth inning to preserve the win and earn a save.
• For his performance against the Yellow Jackets, Gentzler was given the Primetime Performer Award by CollegeBaseball360.com.

Immediate contributor...
Brandon Padula, who is in his first season with Maryland after transferring from West Virginia, has been the team's most reliable offensive contributor. The redshirt-sophomore has recorded three hits in a game six times this season, and has 15 multi-hit games.
• Padula leads the team with 21 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.
• Padula came through with his second game-winning hit of the season against Old Dominion (3/16), breaking a 2-2 tie with an RBI double in the eighth inning.
• In addition to leading the team in batting average and RBI, he also paces the Terps in doubles (9), slugging percentage (.550) and on-base percentage (.485).
• Padula has hit safely in 24 of 30 games this season.

Blazing a path...
• Just over halfway through the season, Alfredo Rodriguez is near the top 10 on Maryland's single-season steals list. The sophomore leads the ACC with 19 steals in 21 tries, and is just one away from tying for seventh on the school's single-season list. Always a threat to run and sporting a .291 batting average, Rodriguez has taken over in the leadoff spot for the Terps.
• As a team, Maryland also leads the conference with 70 stolen bases.

Winning in style...
• Adam Kolarek gave the Terps their most dramatic win of the season last Friday against North Carolina. After Maryland rallied to tie the game and send it to extras, Kolarek hit a two-out, walk-off home run in the tenth inning to give the Terps a 6-5 win. It was Maryland's first walk off home run in over four years. Nick Jowers, who hit a walk-off vs. George Washington on March 1, 2006, was the last Terp to accomplish the feat before Kolarek.