No. 24 Maryland (28-16, 28-16 B1G) vs. Charlotte (39-19, 24-8 C-USA)
June 4
Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium (Greenville, N.C.)
6:00 pm ET
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland baseball team is set to play in its first NCAA Regional since last making the tournament in 2017. Maryland enters the Greenville Regional as the three-seed, facing off against two-seed and Conference USA champion Charlotte 49ers on Friday night in the second game of the regional.
THIS WEEK'S STORYLINES
back in the ncaa tournament
- Maryland is postseason-bound for the first time since the 2017 season.
- The Terrapins finished second in the Big Ten standings and enter the tournament with a 28-16 mark, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in program history. Maryland has now appeared in four of the last seven NCAA Tournaments.
- The Terps' last NCAA Regional appearance came in 2017, when Maryland went 1-2 at the Winston-Sa- lem Regional. Prior to Maryland's appearance in 2017, the Terps made back-to-back Super Regionals in 2014 and 2015.
- Maryland is 8-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
second half surge
- Maryland is 18-4 in the 2nd half of the season, where the team improved greatly in nearly all statistical categories.
- Maryland has the best second-half record in the Big Ten and its 18-4 run is the best record
among all Power Five institutions in their last 22 games.
- Maryland's 20-5 stretch from March 29 to May 21 set the best 25-game stretch in program history, eclipsing 19-6 marks set by Maryland's 2017 club (NCAA Tournament Team) and the 2015 Terrapin team (NCAA Super Regional Team).
- Maryland won 12 consecutive wins at home before its streak was snapped by Indiana in the regular-season finale. Maryland's 12 straight wins at home tied the longest home winning streak among Power Five teams this season, tying Arizona's mark of 12. Its 12-game home winning streak was also the second longest in the history of the program.
- Maryland's seven-consecutive series wins was the longest series winning streak of any Big Ten team during the 44-game, 13-week season.
terps in the mlb draft rankings
- Maryland has developed a number of elite draft prospects over the years, and this year's squad may be as loaded as ever with major-league potential.
- In the latest 2021 MLB Draft Rankings, right-handed pitcher Sean Burke is poised to be one of Maryland's highest draft picks in recent history. Baseball America has the Sutton, Mass. native ranked 44th in the nation, while Burke stands at No. 73 in MLB Pipeline's latest rankings. In the latest D1Baseball.com college draft rankings, the publication lists Burke as the 27th best college prospect in the draft and the 14th-best college right-handed pitcher.
- According to D1Baseball, Maryland possesses two of the best Big Ten draft prospects in the 2021 draft class (Sean Burke, #6; Maxwell Costes, #10), four top prospects in the 2022 draft class (Bobby Zmarzlak, #1; Connor Staine, #2; Nick Dean, #6; Dave Falco, #8), and two more in the 2023 draft class (Jason Savacool, #2; Matt Shaw, #9).
- Baseball America ranks the current Maryland prospects highly as well - with Burke ranked third overall among Big Ten prospects in the 2021 draft class and Maxwell Costes ranked 14th.
- The 2022 Baseball America prospect rankings feature Bobby Zmarzlak (#1 overall in the Big Ten) and Connor Staine (#7), while the 2023 Big Ten prospects are headlined by another Terp in Jason Savacool (#1).
program and big ten accomplishments
- Highest Big Ten winning percentage (.636) since joining the conference in 2015. Also Maryland's best overall conference winning percentage since going .700 in the ACC in 1981, only playing 10 conference games that season.
- Best overall winning percentage – despite playing a 44-game Big Ten-only schedule – since going 42-24 (also .636 winning percentage) in 2015 (NCAA Super Regional Team).
- Finished the season second in the B1G, Maryland's best finish since joining the conference and its best conference finish since finishing the regular-season second in the ACC in 1980.
- Tied with Nebraska for the most series sweeps in the B1G (3). 1 of 4 Big Ten teams to not be swept in weekend series (Michigan, Iowa, Illinois). Finished 2nd in Big Ten in series wins (9), behind NEB (11). Maryland's most series wins since also winning nine in 2015 (NCAA Super Regional Team).
terps on the big ten and national leaderboard
- Top-5 in the Big Ten stolen bases (1st), home runs (2nd), walks (2nd), on-base percentage (2nd), slugging percentage (3rd), runs scored (4th), ERA (4th), and fielding percentage (5th)
- One of two offenses in the conference (Michigan) to rank top three in in homers, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and stolen bases.
- Benjamin Cowles leads the B1G and ranks 17th in the NCAA in home runs (17). Also ranks second in the B1G and ranks 12th in the NCAA in HRs/game (0.39), and ranks 2nd in the B1G in RBIs (49).
- Matt Shaw ranks second among all conference freshmen and ranks eighth overall in the B1G in batting average (.335). Maxwell Costes ranks second in the Big Ten in on-base percentage (.497). Nick Dean ranks seventh in the Big Ten in ERA (2.87) among starting pitchers. Sean Burke ranks third in the Big Ten in strikeouts (99). Jason Savacool is tied for the lead among all Big Ten pitchers in wins (7). Sam Bello ranks second among Big Ten relievers in saves (7). Chris Alleyne leads the conference in runs scored (47) and stolen bases (22).
the 49ers Scouting report
- Maryland and Charlotte are set to meet for the first time in program history.
- Charlotte won the Conference USA regular-season championship after a 39-19 season.
- Ranked throughout much of the later half of the season, Charlotte was in the hosting discussion for NCAA Regionals before ultimately drawing a two-seed in the Greenville Region.
- Charlotte is making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2011 season.
- The 49ers are headlined by CUSA Player of the Year Austin Knight, who also took home Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Conference honors. Knight leads the Niners with a .351 batting average, while RHP Andrew Lindsey will toe the rubber on Friday night against the Terps.
