OMAHA, NE – In a matchup between two of the top offenses in the Big Ten, top-seeded and No. 23 ranked Maryland prevailed in a pitcher's duel with assistance from a Big Ten Tournament record five double plays against No. 8 seed Michigan State, 3-2, Tuesday evening at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The Terps (38-19 overall) have advanced in the winner's bracket of the Big Ten Tournament for back-to-back years.
The Terps advance to play against the winner of the No. 4 Nebraska/No. 5 Rutgers game (which will be played on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET) on Thursday at 7 p.m., in a game that airs on Big Ten Network and the Maryland Baseball Network.
After the game was deadlocked at 2-2 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Terps put together a rally that culminated in a go-ahead double by
Luke Shliger to keep Maryland in the winner's bracket.
David Falco Jr. (4-0) picked up the win after pitching 2.2 scoreless frames and preventing Michigan State from picking up the go-ahead run in the seventh inning.
On the defensive end, the defense turned five double plays throughout the contest to match the most double plays in the 2023 season and equal the Big Ten Tournament record set in 2007.
The Terps offense started off strong, as Shliger drew a leadoff walk in the first inning and reached third a batter later on a
Matt Shaw double. Both men were driven in on RBI sacrifice flies from
Nick Lorusso and
Ian Petrutz, giving the Terps the lead after allowing a run in the first.
From there, the pitching staff and defense took over to preserve the Maryland advantage. After Maryland scored its pair of runs in the first inning, the pitching staff held Michigan State to just one run over the ensuing eight innings. The Terps' pitching staff received ample help from
After Maryland allowed a run in the first inning,
Kenny Lippman held the Spartan bats in check for 3.1 innings with clutch pitching. He rolled up double plays to end three consecutive innings in the early going to maintain Maryland's one-run edge.
Andrew Johnson entered the contest in the fifth, holding the Spartans off the board as
Matt Shaw prevented a base hit with a spectacular catch in shallow center field and doubled off Jack Frank at second base to escape the inning. In total, Maryland turned two on four occasions between the second and fifth innings.
Johnson tossed 1.2 scoreless frames, turning the ball over to
Nigel Belgrave to help the Terps escape the sixth with two runners in scoring position.
Michigan State starter Nick Powers matched Maryland's pitching staff, as he pitched seven frames and didn't give up a run to the Terps until the eighth inning. As a result of Powers' effort on the bump, the Spartans drew the game level in the seventh on an RBI knock from Brock Vradenburg.
The Spartans threatened to add another run in the seventh with two runners aboard, but Falco Jr. induced the Terps' fifth double play of the evening to get Maryland out of the jam unscathed and setting up Shliger's go-ahead double in the eighth.
Shliger extended his reached-base streak to 55 games with his first-inning base-on-balls as a part of a 2-for-3 performance with two doubles and a run. Additionally, Shaw went 1-for-4 at the dish while his double put his season-best hitting streak at 19 contests.
Jacob Orr continued his season-best 18-game reached-base streak, getting aboard with a leadoff single in the eighth and coming around to score as the go-ahead run.
Breaking Down The Action
- Michigan State scored the first run of the contest on a Maryland error, putting the Spartans up 1-0 in the top of the first.
- Maryland claimed the lead in the home half of the first, making it a 2-1 contest with a pair of sacrifice flies from Lorusso and Petrutz.
- Vradenburg drove in the tying run for Michigan State with an RBI single in the seventh inning to even the game at 2-2.
- Shliger drove an RBI double down the left-field line to put the Terps up 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth.
Double Play Pleasure
- The Terps turned five double plays in the game – including four consecutive innings – from the second to the fifth inning and the final one in the eighth inning. The fourth was the remarkable catch by Shaw in the fifth inning, which he tumbled backwards, gained his footing and doubled the runner off second base.
- The five double plays equaled the Big Ten Tournament record for a single game, originally set by Illinois vs. Iowa in 2007. It is a Schwab Stadium record.
- The five double plays equaled the most by a team in Division I baseball this season. Seven other teams turned five DPs in a game, the last coming by San Diego State on May 13 vs. Air Force.
Tournament History
- Maryland is now 11-9 all-time in Big Ten Tournament play dating to the 2015 tourney.
- The Terps have played in the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2023 tournaments.
- Maryland's best finish came in its first event in 2015, falling to Michigan in the Big Ten Championship game. The Terps won three games in that tournament.
- The Terps also won three games in the 2017 tournament, advancing to the semifinals.
- Last season, Maryland won its opener against Indiana in 11 innings before losing Michigan and Indiana.
By The Numbers
- 4: Falco Jr. is now 4-0 this season, all in relief.
- 5: The Terps tied the Big Ten Tournament record and equaled the most by any team in Division I baseball with five double plays turned in the game.
- 18: Orr's season-best reached-base streak hit 18 games with his eighth-inning single.
- 19: Shaw laced a first-inning double to continue his season-best 19-game hitting streak.
- 55: Shliger led off the first with a walk, extending his record-setting reached-base streak to 55 games.
- 61: Shliger's first-inning walk put his season total at 61, one shy of the Big Ten record most recently reached in 2009 by Purdue's Dan Black
- 88: Shliger crossed the plate once Tuesday, putting his season run total at 88, two shy of Micky Morandini's record of 90 set in 1986 for Indiana.
- 97: Lorusso added to his nation-leading RBI total, tacking on one RBI to put his season total at 97.
- 167: Lorusso continued to build his program RBI record by driving in the 167th RBI of his career in College Park.
Up Next
- The Terps will continue their run to the Big Ten Tournament title with Thursday's showdown against the winner of No. 4 seed Nebraska and No. 5 seed Rutgers. The contest will start at approximately 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT and air on Big Ten Network and the Maryland Baseball Network.
