April 18, 2011
Season Stats (PDF)
LIKE! Maryland Athletics on Facebook
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
After splitting four home games last week, the Maryland baseball team will play host to James Madison at 7 p.m. on Tuesday before returning to the road for a game at Penn State at 6:05 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Terps are 17-20 overall with a 14-8 mark at home and have won 12 of their past 15 non-conference games. At James Madison last Wednesday, they rallied from an eight-run deficit to take a lead in the seventh inning before the game eventually went to extras, where the Dukes won 13-12 in the bottom of the 12th.
Sander Beck (2-3, 5.75), who started against JMU last week, will again get the ball on Tuesday night. Beck struck out seven in 4 1/3, but walked five and allowed nine runs (six earned) on eight hits to the Dukes. He leads Maryland with 42 strikeouts this season.
Eric Potter (3-5, 4.78) is expected to make the start on Wednesday against Penn State. In his last start, Potter kept Delaware State scoreless over five innings, allowing just three hits while striking out four and walking five. In five starts against non-conference opponents, Potter has a 3-0 record with a 0.68 ERA, having allowed just two earned runs in 26 1/3 innings.
Offensively, the Terps have continued to see a surge in production from several key players. Five Terps, including junior shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez (.432), who made his 100th consecutive start over the weekend, are batting better than .300 over the last 10 games. Freshmen Austin Kilbourne (.469), Tim Kiene (.367) and Charlie White (.306) are also above the .300 mark, as is junior second baseman Ryan Holland (.378).
Rodriguez is also riding a seven-game hitting streak and last week alone went 9-for-20 at the plate in addition to stealing seven bases on seven tries. With 44 career stolen bases, he is tied for seventh in school history with Matt Swope (1999-02).
Since being inserted in the lineup on April 3 against Florida State, Kilbourne has been on a tear. He has multiple hits in seven of his last 10 games and leads the team with 12 RBI over that stretch. Kilbourne has also drawn a team-high eight walks and owns a .571 on-base percentage in the last 10 contests.
-- Scouting the Opponents -
Tuesday's opponent is a familiar one, as Maryland and James Madison squared off last Wednesday. The Dukes won 13-12 in 12 innings and have now won three straight for a 30-21-1 all-time advantage in the series.
James Madison is 25-12 with a 10-5 mark on the road and remains one of the more potent offensive teams in the nation. Eight of its starters bat above .300 and the Dukes rank in the top-10 nationally in home runs (first at 63), runs (first at 377) and hitting (fourth at .332).
Penn State is 21-12 overall, with a 7-5 mark at home. The Nittany Lions are hitting .279 as a team, with Jordan Steranka leading the way at .362. Sean Deegan and Joey DeBernardis are also hitting above .300. The pitching staff owns a 3.49 ERA, second-best in the Big 10, and is holding opponents to a .250 batting average.
Penn State leads the all-time series, 10-7. The teams last met on April 15, 2003, in State College, Pa., with the Terps winnings 3-2.
Probable starters for James Madison and Penn State have yet to be determined.
