Terps Tangle with #23 Titans This Weekend
3/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - After meeting for the first time last season, the Maryland baseball team and No. 23 Cal State Fullerton will do battle this weekend in a three-game set from Goodwin Field.
Setting the stage
Friday, March 18 – 10:00 p.m.
RHP Mike Shawaryn (2-1, 3.33 ERA) vs. Blake Quinn (2-1, 2.35 ERA)
Saturday, March 19 – 9:00 p.m.
RHP Taylor Bloom (2-2, 2.25 ERA) vs. Connor Seabold (1-1, 1.10 ERA)
Sunday, March 20 – 4:00 p.m.
RHP Brian Shaffer (1-1, 4.12 ERA) vs. Colton Eastman (4-0, 1.38)
Location: Fullerton, Calif.Stadium: Goodwin Field
Stream: Big West TV
Radio: Maryland Baseball Network
Twitter: @TerpsBaseball
Live Stats: fullertontitans.com
POWER SURGE
• Maryland is third in the Big Ten with 14 home runs as a team. Junior Madison Nickens has five of those bombs to rank t-2 in the conference.
• The Terrapin offense exploded against Rhode Island on Feb. 28 with four home runs, including a go-ahead grand slam from junior Nick Cieri. It is the first time Maryland has hit four home runs in a game since May 22, 2014 against Virginia.
• Maryland's six-run fourth in its 9-5 victory over the Alabama was highlighted by three two-run home runs. Junior Nick Cieri, senior Anthony Papio and junior Madison Nickens all went yard.
• It's the first time Maryland has had three home runs in an inning since March 1 2008 when Chad Durakis, Gerry Spessard and Mike Murphy hit back-to-back-to-back home runs against Hofstra.
Getting iT dunn
• Freshman Nick Dunn has been a revelation for Maryland so far this season. His .410 average ranks seventh in the Big Ten and his OBP of .507 is the third best in the conference. Dunn is also slugging .589, the 15th-best mark in the conference.
• Dunn has six multi-hit games and has reached base in all 16 games. He has 12 RBIs and six doubles. He hit his first home run against George Washington.
• Dunn earned Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Week honors after slashing .642/.700/.786 with nine hits, four RBIs and four runs scored. He is Maryland's first player to ever win two Big Ten weekly honors in the same week. He is the first double player/freshman of the week since Kyle Johnson accomplished the feat for Purdue in 2013.
TERPS AMONG B1G FAVORITES
• After winning a school record 42 games and advancing to its second straight Super Regional, Maryland has been picked to win the Big Ten by D1Baseball.com.
• The Terps were selected to place second in the conference in the Big Ten preseason coaches poll. Junior RHP Mike Shawaryn, junior DH Nick Cieri and sophomore SS Kevin Smith were named Players to Watch.
#THEUNICORN LEADS THE WAY
• Junior RHP Mike Shawaryn earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors on Feb. 29 after tossing eight innings of one hit ball against Rhode Island. He struck out five batters and retired 22-of-24 Rams faced.
• Shawaryn moved his all-time Maryland wins record to 26 with a victory over Bryant on March 11. He has 229 career strikeouts and is just seven away from tying former Major Leaguer Eric Milton for fourth on the school's all-time list.
• Shawaryn's 26 career wins are the third most in the country and the most among juniors.
• He struck out eight in his opening start of the season against Alabama. Shawaryn has now struck out at least seven batters in nine of his last 12 games dating back to last season.
• Shawaryn put together one of the best seasons by a pitcher in Maryland history in 2015, racking up a program record 13 wins and 138 strikeouts. Shawaryn recorded a 1.71 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .202 average.
• Shawaryn is a preseason first-team All-American in most major outlets. He was named the preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year by Perfect Game and D1Baseball.com.
• After pitching for USA Baseball this summer, Shawaryn was named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List. Sponsored by Major League Baseball and USA Baseball, the award is presented to the top amateur baseball player in the country.
• He was named a first-team All-American by the NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Perfect Game in 2015. Shawaryn was the first Maryland player to be named a first-team All-American since 2002, when John McCurdy was a NCBWA first teamer.
• Shawaryn became the second student-athlete in Maryland baseball history to don the Stars and Stripes since 1979 when he joined the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team over the summer. Shawaryn recorded 10.1 IP for the national team.
BIONDIC FINDS A GROOVE
• Sophomore Kevin Biondic has had a breakout second campaign for the Terps and holds the 15th-best on-base percentage in the Big Ten at .459. He is second on the team in average (.353).
• Biondic has five multi-hit games and had a nine-game hitting streak from Feb. 28-March 12.
• The Oak Lawn, Ill., native also has been a standout at first base, leading the Big Ten in fielding percentage (1.000) and putouts (152).
weekend potential
• Maryland boasts a pair of talented young arms that have emerged as weekend options in sophomores Taylor Bloom and Brian Shaffer.
• A native of Crofton, Md., Bloom leads the Terps in ERA (2.25) and the Big Ten in innings pitched (28.0). He holds a 2-2 record after suffering the loss in his first career complete game against Bryant.
• Bloom ranks fifth in the Big Ten in strikeouts (24).
• Shaffer notched one of the best starts of his career against Bryant on March 13 to earn the win. The Pylesville, Md., native tied a career high with 7 IP while striking out six.
SENSATIONAL SMITH
• Sophomore Kevin Smith held a team-best hitting streak of 11 games from Feb. 26-to-March 11. Smith has five doubles and hit his first home run of the season against East Carolina on March 6.
• Smith had a spectacular debut campaign in College Park en route to being named a freshman All-American by D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game. He is the Terps' third freshman All-American in the last two season with Mike Shawaryn and Brandon Lowe earning plaudits in 2014.
• Smith was named preseason All-Big Ten by Perfect Game.
• He starred during the Terps' postseason run and was named the Big Ten All-Tournament team.
UNTOUCHABLE
• Maryland returns two of the top relief pitchers in the Big Ten; senior Robert Galligan and sophomore Ryan Selmer. Both were named to the NCWBA Stopper of the Year Watch List.
• Selmer has three saves, a total that ranks second in the Big Ten. His nine appearances is also tied for the conference lead.
• Galligan has also appeared nine times and picked up a save against Rhode Island on Feb. 28.
• Galligan had a breakout junior season, tossing 62.1 IP to the tune of a 2.74 ERA. Galligan racked up 58 strikeouts. Selmer tied the Maryland record for appearances with 31 in 2015 and recorded a 2.18 ERA
REWRITE THE RECORD BOOK
• The 2015 Terps left their mark in the school's record book. The squad won a school record 42 games, breaking the record of 40 that was set in 2014.
• The Terrapins also notched a program-best 36 regular season wins.
• The Terps advanced to consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time in 44 years (1970, 71).
• The 2015 squad produced a school record eight players selected in the MLB Draft.
• Maryland pitchers produced 549 strikeouts, which represents a school and conference record.
• Mike Shawaryn set the school record for total wins (13) and strikeouts (138) in a season.
SZEFC AT THE HELM
• John Szefc is in his fourth season at Maryland. Szefc became the fastest coach in Maryland history to reach 100 wins when the Terps defeated Purdue on April 26, 2015.
• Szefc is the only coach to win 40 games in back-to-back seasons after a 42-win campaign in 2015. The skipper is also the first Maryland coach to achieve three straight 30-win seasons.
• With another trip to the NCAA Super Regionals last season, Szefc became the first skipper in Maryland history to reach the round in back-to-back years.
• On his first attempt, Szefc led the Terps to the final of the Big Ten Tournament. It is the second straight year the Terps have advanced to a conference tournament championship game after making the ACC final in 2014.
• Szefc picked up his 300th career victory against Michigan on March 28, 2015.
• Szefc's second season saw him lead Maryland to a then program record 40 wins and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1971.
• Maryland won the Columbia Regional and advanced to the Super Regional round for the first time in school history.
• The Terrapins advanced to the ACC Tournament for the first time since 2005 and advanced to the conference title game for the first time since 1976.
• Under Szefc, Maryland has won seven NCAA Tournament games. The Terps had previously won just one NCAA Tournament game - in 1970.
• In his first season as skipper in 2013, head coach Szefc led the Terps to a 30-25 record and finished 11-19 in the ACC.
• Szefc's 30 wins were the most by a first-year Maryland coach in program history.
BEST CLASS... EVER
• Maryland baseball's 2016 recruiting class earned the program's highest ever rating from multiple publications including D1Baseball.com (17), Baseball America (22) and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (27).
• The Terrapin class includes 12 true freshman and two junior college transfers.
• Two members of the group, pitchers Hunter Parsons (40th round, Indians) and Andrew Miller (34th round, Yankees), were selected in the 2015 MLB Draft.
• Freshman Nick Dunn was named a top prospect from the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League by Perfect Game.
• Nick Browne earned Perfect Game top prospect honors in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League.
• Baseball American named outfielder Marty Costes a top prospect from the Cal Ripken League.
• Maryland's class is boasted by two outstanding JUCO transfers. Former Harford Community College star Brandon Smith clashed .420/.510/.663 to help his squad win the Maryland JUCO Championships.
• Madison Nickens helped LSU-Eunice win the NJCAA Division II National Championship with a .289 average with six home runs and 37 RBIs. Nickens also brings elite speed. His 39 stolen bases ranked fifth in the nation.
• The class also boats two-time Washington D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year AJ Lee along with 2015 Baltimore Sun Metro Player of the Year Truman Thomas.
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