COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland hosted its annual Spring Sports Media Day Monday afternoon, featuring baseball head coach John Szefc and junior shortstop Kevin Smith.
Maryland is ranked in four preseason polls entering the 2017 season; D1Baseball (22), Baseball America (24), Perfect Game (23) and the NCBWA (25). The Terps were named the favorites to win the Big Ten by Perfect Game and D1Baseball.
Szefc has led Maryland to 30-plus wins in each of his four seasons, and guided the Terps to consecutive NCAA Super Regional appearances in 2014 and 2015. He is eight wins away from becoming the fastest Maryland coach to reach 150 wins.
Smith was named the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year by Perfect Game and D1Baseball.com. Perfect Game and Baseball America named Smith a preseason first-team All-American, while D1Baseball tabbed Smith a preseason third-team All-American.
Maryland opens its season at the Clearwater Tournament in Clearwater, Fla. The Terps will take on Ball State in its opener on Friday, February 17 at 7 p.m. at Spectrum Field.
John Szefc, Head Coach
On the team's experience:
“This year is different than previous years because we have a lot of experienced players back. We had 14 freshmen on last year's roster, it was a really young team. A lot of that youth played a lot. That was a fair reason for a lot of the ups and downs that we had. At the end of the day, we finished up strong; in the top-four of the Big Ten postseason tournament so it built a good foundation for this year. If you look at our probable starters, not all of the guys were starters all year last year, but a lot of them have been in the program for one year or more than that. That's experience that you can't buy in the store. They are used to the culture and the expectations and they are involved in the day-to-day training. If you are going to have a successful year, you have to like what you have on paper before you play the games. I can't tell you how we are going to finish up once we get out here, but it is one of the better teams we've had since I've been here on paper, just because of the amount of experience we have back… A lot of guys that are used to having success.”
On the pitching staff:
“It's one of the deeper pitching staffs we've had. That's kind of a weird thing to day having lost [Mike] Shawaryn, who is the most successful pitcher in program history but being able to bring back two pitchers that had more starts that walks last year [Taylor Bloom, Brian Shaffer] is a rare thing in college baseball. Hunter Parsons was the pitcher of the year in the Cal Ripken League this summer and the freshman lefthander we have Tyler Blohm, he's progressed at a faster rate than almost any other guy I've been around.”
On Kevin Smith:
“If you're going to be a good baseball team you have to be solid at a few different positions. Shorstop and catcher are the first two that stick their head at. We've been running him out there for two straight years. He has a lot of experience under his belt. Him being the Cape Cod League playoffs MVP, that's a prestigious thing. They don't hand that out to anybody. You really have to earn that. He really improved dramatically in every respect. He's no different as a person, he's just more advanced as a player physically, how he prepares and how he makes guys around him better.”
On Mike Rescigno:
“He came here as a position player and we converted him after a year. I'll give him credit he's had a lot of ups and downs in his college career and he kind of came on last year. That was really his first year just pitching. He had a great summer. He chose to come back to school. He's a smart guy and saw that he needed to log more innings before he became a professional. He basically delayed his pro career for nine months and I think it will pay dividends for him. When he signs this June he'll be much further along physically and mentally, and much more of a prospect at that point. He's worked hard.”
On Zach Jancarski:
“He went out in the summer and was an all-star in the New England Collegiate League and had a really good summer and brought that into the fall. He's arguably been one of our best position players at a position that's really important to solidify, that centerfield position. He gives very tough at bats, he can run, he can bunt. He can do a lot of things before you get to some of the guys we have in the middle.”
On AJ Lee:
“He went up and played in the Alaska League. He didn't have great numbers, but he played part time last year and then flew up to Alaska for the summer. Not many guys do that. He learned a lot. You are talking about an 18-year old going to Alaska for three months. There's not a lot of comfort zone there. He came back a way more mature player from that whole experience. He's one of our best defenders and his offensive is catching up to his defense.”
Kevin Smith, Junior Shortstop
On his experience in the Cape Cod League:
“It was a cool experience just to get to know some guys that I would have never known from throughout the country. It was really humbling just to see the amount of talent that's out there and what you're competing against. When you go to the Cape and you are playing guys of that caliber, you either have to step up or you go home. There isn't really another option. Playing against the best in the country day in and day out was something that tells you that this is how good you have to be.”
On stepping into a leadership role:
“I think the good thing about this team is that we have multiple guys that can do that. We have guys on the pitching side that can do it, we have catchers that handle it. We have guys like myself in the infield and outfielder. We have a lot of experienced guys. I think it is a lot more decentralized, where we have a lot of guys that can be leaders when they want to and police ourselves that way. It's a different dynamic and I think guys appreciate having a little more responsibility. Everybody does what they have to do.”
On who he patterns himself after:
“I study a lot of players. Derek Jeter has always been my role model. I kind of looked to him for professionalism, his brand and how he handles himself off the field. On the field, I look at everyone. [Francisco] Lindor is my favorite shortstop right now. I liked him probably a year and a half ago when he wasn't as big of a name and now he's kind of an all-star so I'll have to pick someone new to follow. I love those guys who are under the radar because that's what I've been like and guys that have been on my teams have been like. We are from a northern area, or bloom late or didn't get the recognition that we deserved for how we worked. Those are the guys I like to study.”
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