COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The No. 14 Maryland baseball team will open up Big Ten play with a three-game series against Minnesota at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium this weekend.
Leading it off
Minnesota
Fri., March 20
4:00 p.m. RHP Mike Shawaryn vs. RHP Ben Meyer
Sat., March 21
2:00 p.m. LHP Willie Rios vs. LHP Dalton Sawyer
Sun., March 22
12:00 p.m. RHP Bobby Ruse vs. RHP Tim Shannon
Location: College Park, Md.
Stadium: Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium
Live Audio: Maryland Baseball Network
Live Stats: umterps.com
Twitter: @TerpsBaseball
• Maryland is on a seven-game winning streak after sweeping two midweek contests against Elon. In that streak, the Terps have defeated their opponents by a combined score of 74-26.
• This is Maryland's first meeting all-time with Minnesota.
• In its first year in the Big Ten, Maryland has put together an offensive performance that paces the conference. The Terrapins lead the league in batting average (.305), slugging percentage (.467), on-base percentage (.411), runs scored (153), doubles (42), home runs (16) and walks (94).
• Maryland's pitching staff as been mowing opposing batters down all season. The Terps lead the Big Ten with 170 strikeouts on the season.
• Freshmen Jamal Wade and John Mazza picked up their first career college hits against Princeton. Wade blasted a home run to left field in the seventh followed by Mazza's single.
• Shortstop Kevin Smith earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors during the second week of the season. Smith is t-3 in the Big Ten in runs scored (18). He has also driven in 13 runs.
• Third baseman Jose Cuas is second on the theam in RBIs with 20, a mark good enough for third in the conference. The junior has also swatted two home runs and stolen seven bases, another team high.
• Closer Kevin Mooney earned his first save of the season in the win over Old Dominion. Mooney is tied with Brett Cecil for the Maryland all-time mark record of 23.
LOWE SETS THE TABLE
• With the departure of
Charlie White, second baseman
Brandon Lowe has been thrust into the leadoff spot.
• He leads the country in runs per game with 1.61.
• Lowe leads the Big Ten in hits (28), slugging (.676), doubles (7), total bases (46) and is second in OBP (.538) and walks (15).
• Lowe earned freshman All-American honors from Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, the NCBWA and Perfect Game last season. He paced the Terps in average (.348), slugging (.464), on-base percentage (.464) and triples (3).
Super Shawaryn
• Sophomore
Mike Shawaryn captured Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time this season after a spectacular performance in a 15-0 win over Princeton. He struck out 11 over seven strong innings of work, gave up no runs and walked just two.
• Shawaryn previously won the award after a dominant performance in his second outing against South Alabama. The New Jersey native pitched seven scoreless innings in an ultra-efficient 72 pitche, allowing just three hits and striking out six. He did not give up a walk.
• He has eaten up the innings for the Terps so far with his 31.2 IP good enough for fourth in the Big Ten.
• Shawaryn leads the Big Ten in strikeouts with 41. His 12 against Appalachian State were the most by a Big Ten pitcher in a game this season.
MARYLAND BY THE NUMBERS
.411...Maryland's on-base percentage, good enough for 13th in the country.
1...Maryland won its first regional title in 2014
1.61...Brandon Lowe's runs per game, which is the best mark in the country.
8.5...Maryland's runs per game, good enough for third in the country.
9.6...The number for strikeouts per nine innings for the Terps so far this year, good enougb for 11th in the nation.
15...The number of strikeouts for Maryland against Richmond, the highest by a Big Ten team in a single game this season.
29...Brandon Lowe's number of runs, the most in the B1G and fifth in the nation.
41...Mike Shawaryn's season strikeout total, the most in the B1G and 15th in the country.
POWER SURGE
• Maryland is third in the country in scoring with 8.5 runs per game.
• The Terrapins are at the top of the Big Ten in slugging percentage (.467) and home runs (16).
• Anthony Papio has four dingers this season to lead the conference. Brandon Lowe and Kevin Martir both have three.
Highly rated
| Terps in the Polls |
|
D1Baseball |
Baseball America |
USA Today/ESPN |
NCBWA |
| Team |
14 |
NR |
23 |
25 |
• After a historic 2014, Maryland has received its highest preseason ranking in history from multiple polls. D1Baseball.com had the Terrapins the highest at No. 14.
• Maryland is the highest ranked Big Ten team in most major polls.
Preseason Honors
INF Jose Cuas
• Perfect Game Preseason All-Conference Team.
INF Brandon Lowe
• D1Baseball Preseason All-American (3rd Team)
• Big Ten Player to Watch
RHP Kevin Mooney
• Big Ten Player to Watch
• 2015 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List
RHP Mike Shawaryn
• D1Baseball Preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year.
• Big Ten Player to Watch
B1G Favorite
• The Terps have been picked to top the Big Ten in its inaugural season in the conference. The conference's coaches voted on the top six teams.
1. Maryland
2. Nebraska
3. Illinois
4. Indiana
5. Michigan
6. Ohio State
• Maryland is also the consensus selection to win the conference among national publications.
Super 2014
• Following a 43-year absence, Maryland advanced to the NCAA Tournament, and then swept the Columbia Regional, beating Old Dominion and South Carolina, to make their first trip to a Super Regional in team history. The squad's first victory in that regional over the Gamecocks snapped the home team's 28-game postseason winning streak. Maryland fell one game short of a trip to Omaha, falling to Virginia in the Super Regional.
• Maryland set a school record for wins in a season with 40. The Terps notched its third straight winning season, a streak not seen since 1976-78.
• The Terrapins left the ACC with a bang, notching its first winning season in the conference since 1981 and appearing in the ACC title game for the first time since 1976
• The Terps' success did not fly under the radar. Maryland finished the season with its highest ever ranking, rising to as high as No. 13 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Terps finished the season ranked 14th by Baseball American, Collegiate Baseball News and Perfect Game. The NCBWA ranked the Terps No. 16 in its final poll.
Postseason Plaudits
• The Terps had five players named to the Columbia All-Regional Team led by centerfielder Charlie White (graduated), who was named the regional's most outstanding player. Jose Cuas (third base), Kevin Martir (catcher) Mike Shawaryn (pitcher) and LaMonte Wade (first base) joined White on the squad.
• Shawaryn and Brandon Lowe earned Freshman All-American honors from Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, the NCBWA and Perfect Game. Shawaryn recorded a Maryland single-season record 11 victories while Lowe paced the Terps in average (.348), slugging (.464), on-base percentage (.464) and triples (3).
• Lowe, White and Jake Stinnett all earned All-ACC honors. Stinnett and White were named to the second team while Lowe was a third-team selection.
• Maryland had three players placed on the ACC All-Tournament Team. Martir batted .462 in the tournament and added two home runs, three runs scored and four RBIs. Wade and Blake Schmit were also named to the team.
Stellar Szefc
• Head coach John Szefc is 70-48 at Maryland entering his third year in College Park. No Maryland skipper has ever won that many games in a two-year span.
• The native of Middletown, N.Y., has coached 80 players that have been drafted or signed professional contracts since 1997.
• Szefc earned 30 victories in his first season, the most ever by a Maryland first-year head coach. He was most previously the associate head coach at Kansas State.
pro Terps
• Four Terrapins were selected in the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft, led by Jake Stinnett who was taken 45th overall by the Chicago Cubs. Left-handed pitcher Ben Brewster was chosed in the 15th round by the Chicago White Sox while Charlie White was picked in the 21st round by the Cubs. Blake Schmitt rounded out the selections, drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 26th rounds.
• The four join former Maryland players Brett Cecil (Toronto Blue Jays), Justin Maxwell (San Francisco Giants)*, Alfredo Rodriguez (Milwaukee Brewers), Adam Kolarek (New York Mets), Jimmy Reed (St. Louis Cardinals) and Jack Cleary (Milwaukee Brewers) as members of MLB organizations at the end of the 2014 season.
*ended the season as a member of the Kansas City Royals. Non-roster invite to San Francisco spring training.
