Baseball Opens Home Slate vs. Rhode Island

Friday, February 21

Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium

3:00 PM

Maryland

Rhode Island

2/20/2020 1:05:00 PM | Baseball

Watch - Game One Watch - Game Two Watch - Game Three Maryland Baseball Network Tickets

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Maryland baseball team opens up its 2020 home slate this weekend with a three-game series vs. Rhode Island at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium in College Park, Maryland. Maryland starts off with a 3:00 first pitch on Friday afternoon (originally scheduled for 4:00) and follows it up with a 2:00 matchup on Saturday before closing out the weekend at 1 p.m. on Sunday. All three games will be streamed on BTN Plus and broadcast on the Maryland Baseball Network.

PRESEASON HONORS

Randy Bednar, Maxwell Costes, and Sean Fisher all landed selections on the Big Ten Preseason "Players to Watch" list.
Maryland sophomore infielder Maxwell Costes was selected as a preseason third-team Diamond Sports All-American, Collegiate Baseball newspaper announced. Costes became the first freshman in Maryland history to receive first-team All-Big Ten honors and was also named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year following the 2019 campaign.
Maryland junior outfielder Randy Bednar was named a third-team preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). Bednar received second-team All-Big Ten honors following his sophomore campaign in which he notched a team-high 70 hits, 48 runs scored, and 55 RBIs.
The University of Maryland baseball team's recruiting class received the highest ranking in school history when D1Baseball.com rated it seventh in its 2019 recruiting class rankings. The Terps' recruiting class boasts 14 true freshmen and two junior college transfers, three of which were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft (Tucker Flint, Bobby Zmarzlak, and Ryan Ramsey).

FRESHMAN IMPACT

Eight freshmen made their collegiate debuts during opening weekend, three position players and five pitchers.
Freshman OF Tucker Flint brought as much production as anyone on the field, going 6-for-11 during opening weekend while scoring a team-high six runs.
Two of Maryland's starting pitchers were freshmen (Nick Dean, Sean Burke). Dean and Burke combined for 14 strikeouts, while Sam Bello, Ryan Ramsey, and Connor Staine were all effective out of the bullpen.

2020 SCHEDULE BRINGS THE HEAT

Maryland's 2020 schedule consists of 14 games against top-60 RPI finishers and 23 games against top-100 RPI finishers from the 2019 season.
The Terps will also play four series against 2019 NCAA Tournament Teams (Coastal Carolina, TCU, Nebraska, and Ohio State) and a midweek game at 2019 NCAA Regional host West Virginia
Maryland will clash with four Big Ten foes that finished in the upper half of the conference in Nebraska, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Iowa.

MARYLAND TEAMS UP WITH LEAGUE OF DREAMS

The Maryland baseball team joined with League of Dreams to host a baseball clinic for children with special needs and autism who attend Children's Guild schools in Chillum, Md. and Washington, D.C. in College Park at Cole Field House.
The event was organized by League of Dreams, which provides baseball experiences for children unable to compete in traditional leagues. In addition to Maryland head coach Rob Vaughn and the Terps' staff and players, League of Dreams president Frank Kolarek, former Terps and current Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Adam Kolarek, and Orioles Hall of Famer Mike Bordick attended the clinic.

TERPS PICKED NINTH BY D1BASEBALL.COM

After a 2019 season in which the Terps finished 29-29 (12-12 Big Ten), D1Baseball.com projected Maryland to finish ninth in the conference in 2020.
D1Baseball.com ranked Randy Bednar the 15th-best 2020 MLB Draft prospect, while Tyler Blohm (44) and Justin Vought (49) were also listed among the best 2020 MLB Draft prospects.
Maxwell Costes was ranked the No. 12 prospect in the 2021 MLB Draft
Nine of Maryland's freshmen are ranked within the Top-50 Impact Freshmen in the conference, headlined by Sean Burke (3), Nick Dean (8), and Tucker Flint (10).

#PROTERPS

Hunter Parsons (2016-19) and AJ Lee (2016-19) were both selected in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft following their senior seasons at Maryland.
The New York Mets selected Parsons in the 19th round (568th overall) while Lee went to the Houston Astros in the 34th round (1,036th overall). Maryland has now had multiple players selected in nine consecutive drafts.
Mike Shawaryn, Brandon Lowe, LaMonte Wade, and Adam Kolarek all played in the major league during the 2019 season. Lowe (Rays), Wade (Twins), and Kolarek (Dodgers) all helped lead their teams to the MLB Postseason, one of 15 schools with at least three players represented on playoff teams.
Lowe, who became the first Maryland position player selected to the MLB All-Star game since 1947, was named a finalist for the American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year award. In his breakout rookie campaign, Lowe hit .270/.336/.514 with 17 home runs and 51 RBI in 82 games, but missed most of the second half of the season due to injury.

BEST OF THE DECADE

Mike Shawaryn (2014-16), Brian Shaffer (2015-17) and Brandon Lowe (2013-15) were named to D1Baseball.com's Big Ten All-Decade Team. Maryland's three selections was second only to Indiana (5), despite Maryland only competing in the Big Ten for five seasons - as it competed in the ACC for the first five years of the decade.

SWOPE RAISES CANCER AWARENESS

Assistant Coach Matt Swope has been named one of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation's inaugural Baseball Vs. Cancer Ambassadors. Comprised of current and former coaches, players and members of the press, Baseball Vs. Cancer Ambassadors represent the athletic community's shared resolve to raise awareness and funds for a world without childhood brain tumors.

SIX TERPS RECEIVE 2019 B1G HONORS

Maxwell Costes (first team, all-freshman team,), Randy Bednar (second team), AJ Lee (third team), Taylor Wright (third team), Hunter Parsons (third team) and Michael Pineiro (third team, all-freshman team) were all honored as All-Big Ten selections following the 2018 campaign, the most all-conference selections in any season in program history.