Cardiac Terps

Brayden Martin found himself in a familiar situation. The freshman delivered a two-RBI single with bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning just two days prior, giving Maryland baseball a 7-6 walk-off win over Michigan State in its Big Ten Conference home opener. He was doused in Gatorade for his clutch hit.

On Sunday, March 24, he was once again at the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium with the chance to walk it off for Maryland. But this time the stakes were much higher. It was a rubber match against the Spartans, and the Terps had an opportunity to extend an impressive streak dating back to the 2021 baseball season.

Maryland was tied with Michigan State 4-4 with two outs and had a runner in scoring position on second base. Facing a 2-1 count, the left-handed batter blasted the baseball to opposite field and over the Spartan left fielder’s glove. The ball one-hopped off the wall and Kevin Keister crossed home plate.

The Terps drenched Martin, this time in water, as he and his team celebrated a 5-4 series win over the Spartans. Maryland now had 23 consecutive Big Ten series wins, and 15 consecutive weekend series wins.

“When we're down two, three or even four runs, it's never like we can't come back and win with this team,” Martin said. “We always fight back and find a way to win. That's what [Matt] Swope always says. Great teams find a way to win and that's what we're great at.”

Maryland baseball has bestowed the "Cardiac Terps" moniker this season for its late-game rallies and comeback wins. The phrase originated on Twitter, as Jason Savacool, a right-handed pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization, shared a Tweet after a late win early in the season. Savacool played for the Terps from 2021-23, boasting numerous accomplishments, including 2022 First Team All-Big Ten and NCBWA Third Team All-American honors. 

Martin’s late-game heroics are just one example. The Terrapins’ clutch abilities have been a common theme that has defined the 2024 season thus far. The Terps are 19-6 on the season and are off to their second-best start in program history. Ten of their wins occurred while trailing at one point and they outscored opponents in the eighth inning or later by a margin of 47-17. Seven of their wins have occurred in a last at-bat.

Head coach Matt Swope says resilience and a relentless attitude are traits he’s tried to instill in the program. He has inherited a roster of 25 new players and got every one of them to buy in. He also says the late wins and ability to perform in high-pressure situations are a representation of the team’s culture.

“Culture is very much a buzzword, but culture represents itself during adversity and when things aren't going great,” he said. “If you're having comeback wins, I think that says a lot about your group and your culture. I'm most proud of that and the guys continue to battle.”

It’s fitting that a season littered with dramatics started with a narrow victory in a last at-bat on opening day. The Terps trailed 4-1 entering the top of the seventh inning against Georgia Southern. They proceeded to score four unanswered runs, including an RBI sacrifice fly by Sam Hojnar in his Maryland debut. He drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning to claim a 5-4 win on Feb. 16. The win was Swope's first as a head coach.

The late wins continued to pile up as the early season went on. They were often led by a committee of sluggers who pitched in to score several timely runs in close games. The Terps scored three runs in the top of the ninth on the road against Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Feb. 23 and against Mount St. Mary's on Mar. 12.

Jacob Orr hit an RBI double in the top of the ninth against Portland on March 16. Finally, Maryland had a five-run bottom of the eighth against James Madison on Mar. 19. Each game resulted in a go-ahead run crossing home plate to secure a win, and fans were left watching on the edge of their seats.

The team embraces adversity and lives for the chances they’re afforded in the biggest moments. Infielder Kevin Keister is a captain for the Terps, and he has seen firsthand what the team is capable of.

“We have a lot of confidence in our lineup one through nine,” Keister said. “We have a lot of confidence in the guys on the bench as well. We have a bunch of good players on this team, which leads to more confidence. As you've seen, some young guys have stepped up and some players that bat later in the lineup have stepped up. That just breeds more confidence when you get in those later innings.”

The batters are responsible for putting runs on the board. However, Swope and others acknowledge that pitching is a major factor in the team’s ability to continuously come out on the winning end of close games. The Terps are 7-1 in one-run games.

“A lot of those different pitchers that we brought in, especially the older guys, have that mentality we wanted,” Swope said. “They want the ball and they've been in these high-pressure situations. You're not worried about how they're going to compete or what the situation will do to them because they've been there and they understand that.”

The coach named Logan Berrier, a transfer from Longwood, as someone out of the bullpen who’s been “lights out.” The senior is 5-0 on the mound and has a save on his stat line. Swope expressed the same praise for his starter Kenny Lippman. The right-hander has consistently set up his teammates and kept the bullpen fresh by pitching multiple innings into the later parts of games.

The pitchers are the backbone of the Cardiac Terps. They are often the ones giving the team a chance and the ones to finish the job. Unless Martin is at the plate of course, who earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for his pair of walk-off hits.

The team has proclaimed its offense “The Pack” and it has shown up time and time again. Outfielder Elijah Lambros says he has the utmost confidence in the pack.

“You can never count the pack out,” Lambros said. “One through nine, we’re coming. If you think that the game is over, just because you're up by a couple of runs in the night, then you're probably going to lose.”