Feb. 16, 2011
WATCH LIVE on TexasSports.tv
Game Notes (PDF) 
Terps Arrive In Austin
Thursday Photo Gallery
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The University of Maryland baseball team enters the 2011 season having undergone a significant transformation since it last played a game in May of 2010.
It welcomed the first nationally-ranked recruiting class in school history to campus, with 22 newcomers arriving in College Park in what Baseball America ranked as the third-best class in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The facilities underwent major renovations. In addition to a 5,000 square foot indoor hitting and pitching facility that was built last February, Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium has seen a number of upgrades including additional concessions and a student section. A brand new, state-of-the-art turf infield was also installed, changing the aesthetic look and feel of the stadium.
In early February, the program hosted its first leadoff banquet, as more than 250 attendees came to meet the 2011 Terrapins and hear keynote speaker Tommy Lasorda speak.
And as Maryland prepares to take on No. 6 Texas in the opening series of the 2011 season, expectations have changed in College Park. The Terps have more talent on the field than in years past, giving the coaching staff more options and the ability to set their lineup based on the best matchups.
"The thing we have this year that's not been seen at Maryland in the past is interchangeable depth," said head coach Erik Bakich. "The bench is almost as good as the starters. We've got a second team that is just as good as any one we're going to run up there."
Early in the season, Bakich expects to trot out a number of lineups in order to find the right combinations before conference play starts on March 11 at Georgia Tech. With just two returning players - shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez and catcher Jack Cleary - figuring in as everyday starters, the Terps will certainly have a new look.
"With 22 new players we have to be able to see what these guys can do when we're playing another team," said Bakich. "We have a pretty good idea what they can do when everyone is comfortable in our scrimmages. Hopefully they'll be able to continue to stay comfortable against the opposition. We have an opportunity now that if one guy struggles or one guy gets hot, those are the guys we'll play."
Infield
Like most positions on the field, the Terps have options at every spot in the infield. The stalwart shortstop is Rodriguez, who started all 56 games last season and was one of the better defensive shortstops in the conference.
A junior, Rodriguez will bat leadoff and brings great speed on the base paths in addition to his defensive ability. He stole 23 bases last season, the most by a Terp since Larry Long had a school-record 33 in 1998. As a sophomore Rodriguez hit .280 and also had five home runs.
Tomo Delp, a junior that spent his first two seasons at College of Southern Nevada, is the likely starter at third base. After batting .338 last season at CSV, Delp will hit third in the lineup most days. Jake Stinnett, a freshman from Vista, Calif., will also see time at this corner spot.
After missing the 2010 season with an injury, Curtis Lazar is back for Maryland and will start at first base. Lazar, who is one of just four seniors on the roster, hit .280 over his first two seasons. Gary Schneider is Maryland's best defensive first baseman and will also see plenty of time here, in addition to seeing time in left field. The sophomore from Germantown, Md., hit .491 in 29 games last year, coming on strong as he earned 13 starts in the latter part of the season.
At second base, junior-college transfer Ryan Holland is the likely opening-day starter. Holland is experienced, having spent two seasons at Georgia College (one of them as a redshirt) before spending 2010 at Chattahoochee Valley in Alabama. He hit .360 in 176 at-bats, was an all-conference selection and helped lead Chattahoochee to a 43-8 record.
"Holland is just a good, solid player, a left-handed hitter with pop in his bat," said Bakich. "When he's going good, he's as good as anybody."
Freshman Kyle Convissar will also figure in at second.
Outfield
Maryland is likely to have an entirely new starting lineup in the outfield on opening day, with transfer Korey Wacker stepping in at center field and freshmen Michael Montville and Charlie White playing left and right field, respectively.
Wacker was a standout in fall practice and has carried that into the spring. He is Maryland's best defensive outfielder, has great speed and is a lefty that will likely bat second.
"Korey handles the bat well, he has good strike-zone discipline and he doesn't strike out much," said Bakich. "He can handle the short game. He's a good base stealer and a good table setter. He and Alfredo Rodriguez at the top are a good speed combination."
Matt Marquis, Jordan Hagel and Schneider will also see time in the corner outfield spots.
Catcher
Aaron Etchison and Jack Cleary were set to split duties at catcher, but Etchison suffered a broken hand in a scrimmage and will miss four to six weeks. Etchison is the more experienced of the two, having already spent three years in college, but Cleary started 54 games last season and hit .275. Though just a sophomore, he does have experience. Freshman Alex Ramsay moves into the backup role with Etchison's injury.
Pitching
Maryland suffered a major blow in November when Brett Harman, its Friday-night starter for the past two seasons, underwent Tommy John surgery. Harman led the team and ranked 10th in the conference with 91 strikeouts in 2010 and was the starter for all five of Maryland's ACC wins.
But with 12 new pitchers on the staff, the Terps are capable of overcoming Harman's injury. Sander Beck and Eric Potter return to the rotation after having great off-seasons, while transfers David Carroll and Michael Boyden, along with freshman Brady Kirkpatrick are in the mix for spots in the rotation.
Beck was runner-up for pitcher of the year last summer in the Northwood League after going 5-3 with a 1.41 ERA in 64 innings. Now a junior, he has a slider that pitching coach Sean Kenny says can separate him as a "Friday-night type of pitcher."
"With Sander, we've really seen him have increased command," said Kenny. "That's something that he battles and he's gotten much better at, just the overall ability to throw strikes. The stuff is there, it's just a matter of being consistent."
Coaches say Potter, a 6-foot-4 left-handed senior, is the most improved returning pitcher.
"By far Eric had an outstanding end of the fall and he's been probably our most consistent guy up until this point," said Kenny. "The velocity is better, his command is better, his delivery is better. We're really excited to see how it transfers from intra-squad to games."
Carroll is a big, 6-foot-8 right-hander that consistently throws strikes and has a four-pitch arsenal with a fastball, curve, cutter and changeup. Boyden is one of the strongest arms on the team and possesses a great curveball. Kenny thinks Boyden could be used in a starting role or in the backend of the bullpen.
Chuck Ghysels is another power arm that is well suited to fill the closer's role, but could also see some starts. Ghysels had a tremendous amount of success at Lincoln Trail College as a sophomore in 2010, garnering National Junior College Athletic Association All-America honors. He also pitched for the NJCAA USA Baseball All-Star team that competed in the Netherlands, giving him experience against some of the top young players in the world.
Wacker will also be an option to move from center field to the mound late in games, with a three-quarters delivery that makes him very difficult to hit.
"He's probably as tough to hit as anyone on our team because nothing goes straight," said Kenny. "His fastball sinks, his changeup goes down, he's got a curveball and a hard cutter which he'll come up over the top of. He's extremely difficult to hit and he's ultra competitive."
Returnees Blair Delean, Jimmy Reed and Schneider, along with newcomers Creighton Hoke and Austin Kilbourne will be looked upon for middle relief.
"I think it will take the three weeks before conference play for us to truly figure out where everybody goes," said Kenny. "Guys like Potter and Beck; we know they can handle that weekend role. We're looking to see how much they've improved and after that it's all new guys."
