Feb. 10, 2012
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With Maryland opening its 2012 season at No. 14 UCLA on Friday, Feb. 17, we'll preview this year's squad over three installments. In the second installment, we look at the infielders. To see the first installment, which previewed the pitchers and catchers, click here.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A primary goal when head coach Erik Bakich took over at Maryland two years ago was to recruit the type of top-notch talent that is capable of succeeding in a conference that consistently possesses the nation's best teams.
Bakich's record as a recruiter and developer is well documented, but it's worth noting that he has coached 73 players who have been selected in the MLB Draft over the last 10 years.
For the 2012 Terrapins, that strategy of recruiting and developing talent is perhaps most evident in the infield, where three starters have already been selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft.
It's likely a chief reason Bakich feels this year's squad is capable of playing defense on par with the Atlantic Coast Conference's elite.
At the center of it is shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez, who was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 32nd round last year, but chose to return for his senior season. Rodriguez has started 121 games in a row at shortstop and brings the type of veteran leadership that is paramount to a team's success.
"It's uncommon in college baseball to have a four-year starter," said Bakich. "That's what ARod has become, an uncommon player as a leader and in his overall ability. He's a guy that everyone else looks to as what to do and how to do it."
In addition to his defense and leadership, Rodriguez brings an element of speed to the Maryland offense that keeps opponents on their toes, having stolen 23 bases as a sophomore and 20 as a junior. He enters this season seventh on Maryland's career stolen bases list with 46, well within reach of the school record 62 set by Larry Long (1997-00).
That's helped aggressive base running become a staple for Maryland under Bakich - the Terps shattered the school record for stolen bases in 2010 when they swiped 123, and they followed it up by taking 92 last season.
A return to his offensive form of 2010, when he hit .280 with 40 runs, 30 RBIs and five homers, could have Rodriguez primed for a special senior season.
While Rodriguez will be the lynchpin defensively, sophomore first baseman Tim Kiene could emerge as the offensive centerpiece. Kiene had an impressive debut season in 2011, when he finished third on the team with a .279 batting average.
More impressive were Kiene's numbers against conference opponents - he hit .352 in league games, which ranked sixth in the ACC overall and third among freshmen.
A 30th-round selection by the Washington Nationals coming out of high school (2010), Kiene hit .371 over the last 30 games of his freshman season and carried that momentum into the summer. The South Windsor, Conn., native was named a summer collegiate All-American by Perfect Game USA after hitting .326 with 10 home runs for the Newport Gulls of the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
Across the diamond from Kiene will be third baseman K.J. Hockaday, another player selected in the draft coming out of high school. The Baltimore Orioles took the Joppa, Md., native in the 14th round last year.
Bakich and the rest of the coaching staff knew they were getting a special player when Hockaday chose Maryland over going pro, but he arrived more polished offensively and defensively than even they expected. That, along with a solid fall season, has earned him the nod to start the season at third.
At second base, senior Ryan Holland and sophomore Kyle Convissar are battling for the starting position.
Holland led the team in hitting for much of his junior year before finishing second behind outfielder Charlie White with a .282 batting average. He'll be in the lineup most days, whether it be at second or as the designated hitter, as he has a proven ability at the plate. While at Chattahoochee Valley Community College in 2010, Holland hit .360 with a .625 slugging percentage, including 62 RBIs, 12 doubles and 11 home runs.
Convissar, meanwhile, filled in at several spots for the Terps as a freshman, playing second base, shortstop, third base and left field. In 38 games he hit .259, and as the top-ranked player in the state of Maryland coming out of high school, will see an expanded role in 2012.
Senior Tomo Delp and freshman Andrew Amaro will also be two important pieces of the infield. Delp can play either corner spot and Amaro, a 47th-round selection of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011, can play both middle spots. Sophomore Jake Stinnett will also be in the mix at third base, though the 6-foot-4 right hander is expected to be used primarily on the mound this year.
Combined, Maryland's talent, depth and experience will make its infield a major strength in 2012.
