Terps Take on VCU in Midweeks
3/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – After a series at Iowa, the Maryland baseball team faces VCU in a pair of midweek contests. The Terps and Rams will play in College Park Tuesday at 4 p.m., before a return contest in Richmond at 6:30 p.m., on Wednesday.
Setting the stage
Tuesday, March 29 – 4:00 p.m.
LHP Tayler Stiles (1-2, 7.23 ERA) vs. RHP Jack Alkire (1-0, 7.11 ERA)
Wednesday, March 30 – 6:30 p.m.
RHP Hunter Parsons (0-0, 13.50 ERA) vs. TBA
Location: College Park, Md./Richmond, Va.Stadium: Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium/The Diamond
Stream: BTN Plus (Tuesday)
Live Stats: umterps.com/vcuathletics.com
Twitter: @TerpsBaseball
POWER SURGE
• Maryland is third in the Big Ten with 20 home runs as a team. The Terps also rank fifth in the conference. Junior Madison Nickens has five of those bombs to rank t-5 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. He ranks second on the team in average (.326) and OBP (.444).
• Dunn has six multi-hit games and has reached base in all 23 games. He has 15 RBIs and six doubles and ranks seventh in the conference in runs scored (20). He has also been hit by a pitch seven times, the most in the Big Ten.
• 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 Big Ten 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.Shawaryn's 26 career wins are the third most in the country and the most among juniors.
• The Carneys Point, N.J., native struck out eight against Iowa and now has 241 strikeouts, surpassing former Major Leaguer Eric Milton for fourth on the school's all-time list.
• 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 leads the Terps in average (.342), slugging (.553) and on-base percentage (.444).
• Biondic has four home runs and is tied for the team lead with seven multi-hit games. He is currently on a four-game hitting streak.
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 has thrown two complete games and leads the Big Ten in innings pitched (44.0). He is ranked seventh in the conference in ERA (1.84) and ninth in strikeouts (32).
• Bloom ranks third in the Big Ten in strikeout to walk ratio (8.00) and second walks per nine innings (0.82).
• Shaffer recorded the best start of his career against Cal State Fullerton and earned Big Ten Co-Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing a complete game, 99-pitch shutout to beat the Titans. Shaffer struck out five and did not walk a batter.
• He followed that up with a 90-pitch complete game against Iowa on March 27. Shaffer tied his career high with seven strikeouts and allowed just one run.
• The sophomore's ERA is 2.39, the 14th-best in the Big Ten and his opposing batter average is .211, the eighth-best in the league. He holds the fourth-best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the Big Ten at 5.20.
SENSATIONAL SMITH
• Sophomore Kevin Smith is one of Maryland's best offensive threats and at one point held an 18-game reached base streak.
• 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 fifth in the Big Ten. His 11 appearances is fifth in the league.
• Galligan has appeared 12 games, tied for third in the Big Ten, 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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