May 9, 2011
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The University of Maryland baseball team will play its final non-conference game of the 2011 season when it travels to face Delaware at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Terps will look to improve upon a 15-10 non-conference record in what will be their second game of the season against the Blue Hens. Maryland defeated Delaware, 8-0, on March 8 in College Park.
In that game, Chuck Ghysels, Jimmy Reed, Michael Boyden, Brady Kirkpatrick and Korey Wacker combined for a complete-game shutout, the second of the season at that time. Maryland now has four shutouts on the year, the most since it had five in 2007. The win over Delaware also capped an eight-game homestand that saw the Terps go 7-1.
Recently, however, Maryland (20-32) has endured a tough stretch. After holding a 4-3 lead over No. 18 North Carolina in the ninth inning on Saturday, the Terps surrendered the game-tying run and fell in extras, 5-4. On Sunday, Maryland took a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning on freshman Michael Montville's two-run home run, but Carolina scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning on the way to an 8-4 win.
Despite the struggles, several young Terps have continued to play well. Freshman first baseman Tim Kiene extended his hitting streak to eight games with a 2-for-4, two-RBI effort on Sunday. Over the course of his hitting streak, Kiene is 14-for-30 (.467) at the plate.
Freshman outfielder Charlie White leads the team in hitting (.300) and is second with 17 stolen bases on 18 attempts. White's 10-game hitting streak, which matches shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez for the longest on the team this year, was snapped on Sunday.
Montville, who started at designated hitter on Saturday and in left field on Sunday, went 5-for-8 in the two games combined. The Portsmouth, N.H., native hit a three-run homer on Saturday and a two-run shot on Sunday, and he's now second on the team with four home runs this year. Freshman third baseman Jake Stinnett has a team-high five.
In fact, Maryland has been hitting the long ball more often as of late. After hitting 13 home runs through the first 44 games this year, the Terps have hit seven in the last eight games. In addition to Montville's two during that stretch, Kiene has two, Stinnett has one, and junior second baseman Ryan Holland has two.
After playing Delaware, Maryland takes a break for finals before playing host to Wake Forest in the final home series of the year, May 19-21.
-- Scouting the Blue Hens -
After being swept by Old Dominion in a three-game home series over the weekend, Delaware is 26-22 and 15-12 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
With four starters hitting above .300, the Blue Hens are hitting .280 as a team. Utility man Pat Dameron (.364 avg., 42 RBI, 5 HR), first baseman Steve Ulaky (.346 avg., 45 RBI, 13 HR), outfielder Nick Ferdinand (.320 avg., 30 RBI, 9 HR) and infielder D.J. Long (.305 avg., 23 RBI, 3 HR) are the offensive leaders.
Delaware owns a 4.59 team ERA, which is fourth-best in the CAA. The Blue Hens have 322 strikeouts to 180 walks, though opponents are hitting .288 against them. Among those with at least 10 innings pitched, junior RHP Corey Crispell leads the team with a 3.02 ERA, including a 5-3 record in 16 appearances spanning 47 2/3 innings.
Maryland leads the all-time series, 13-9-1.
