Terps Earn Program Record Six All-Big Ten Honors
5/21/2019 11:08:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. — Six members of the Maryland baseball team were honored as All-Big Ten selections, the conference announced Tuesday afternoon. The six all-conference selections are the most in any season in program history.
Freshman first baseman Maxwell Costes (first team, all-freshman team,), sophomore outfielder Randy Bednar (second team), senior shortstop AJ Lee (third team), senior third baseman Taylor Wright (third team), senior right-handed pitcher Hunter Parsons (third team) and redshirt freshman DH Michael Pineiro (third team, all-freshman team) were all selected.
Costes is Maryland's second Big Ten Freshman of the Year in the last three seasons (Tyler Blohm, 2017). He led Big Ten freshman in home runs (12), doubles (14), slugging (.500), RBIs (44) and total bases (101). He hit eight homers in Big Ten play.
The Baltimore native is the first freshman in Maryland history to receive first-team All-Big Ten honors. Maxwell's brother Marty was a first-team selection in 2017 and the two become the second brother duo in Big Ten history to both be selected to the first team. Both brothers were also selected to the all-freshman team.
Bednar had a breakout sophomore campaign, emerging as one of the best all-around offensive players in the conference after struggling during his freshman season. The Bethesda, Md., native has racked up 52 RBIs, the most by a Terp since 2015, along with 69 hits, the second most in the Big Ten. His .644 slugging percentage in league games was the best in the conference.
Lee was sensational down the stretch for the Terps in their push for Big Ten Tournament qualification and becomes a two-time All-Big Ten pick after also earning third-team honors in 2017. Lee is sixth in the conference in on-base percentage (.432) and raked in league play, slashing .316/.435/.484.
The Millersville, Md., native is also the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week.
Wright capped off his Maryland career in style with a huge offensive season. The Vancouver, B.C., native led the entire conference in doubles with 20, a mark that ranks t-4th in Maryland history. Tied for the team lead in steals with 12, Wright put together a .294/.382/.440 slash line with four homers and 64 total hits.
Parsons established himself as one of the winningest pitchers in Maryland history in 2019, leading the Big Ten with nine victories, a number that ranks third all-time in program history. Parsons joins former first-team All-Big Ten pick Mike Shawaryn as the only two pitchers at Maryland to ever win nine or more games in a season.
The Fruitland, Md., native also led the conference with 97 innings pitched, notching a 3.62 ERA with 74 Ks and a .238 batting average against.
Pineiro takes home Big Ten honors after not playing his entire freshman season. The California native came on in Big Ten play hitting .317 with a .476 slugging percentage and 14 RBIs.
Maryland, the No. 6 seed, opens the Big Ten Tournament Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. ET against third-seeded Illinois. BTN will have live coverage and fans can also listen to the action on the Maryland Baseball Network.
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