Anybody, Anywhere, Anytime

The Terps had seven players from its roster get their names called in the MLB Draft days before Matt Swope took the reins as Maryland baseball’s head coach on June 12, 2023.

Swope knew his roster would be young during his inaugural season in 2024. However, that didn’t stop him and the Terps from having a successful campaign. Despite being among the Big Ten leaders in starts by freshmen, Maryland finished with a 34-22 record. The 34 wins were the most for a first-year coach in program history. 

Still, the Terps failed to make the Big Ten Tournament and missed out on a postseason appearance. Although the team had moments of brilliance, the result was not up to Maryland’s standard, as described by Swope.  

“There’s never a time or a season, even last year, that we don't come in and try to win the Big Ten,” he said. “You're trying to go to Omaha. As a competitor, I don't talk about trying to win the Big Ten or trying to go to Omaha. That's just the standard.”

When Swope first came to College Park as the baseball program’s director of operations over a decade ago, he says the goal was to get talented players and see what happens. At the time, it had been over four decades since Maryland earned a trip to the postseason. However, after experiencing six regional appearances as part of the staff and winning back-to-back Big Ten titles in 2022 and 2023 as an assistant coach, the Terps developed a winning standard. 

Swope has always prided himself on the program’s ability to develop talent. He pointed to players such as Nick Lorusso, Matt Shaw and Luke Shliger, who were ranked outside the top 1,000 nationally ranked recruits coming out of high school. Yet they left Maryland as three of the best players in program history, all of whom were taken in the top half of the 2023 MLB Draft.    

He reiterated that Maryland will always be a developmental program and use young talent as its primary recruitment source. He also acknowledged that the experience its younger players gained by seeing the field last season will be invaluable. Still, Swope sought to use the transfer portal over the offseason to fill out the rest of the roster and get tougher ahead of 2025. 

“Swope talks about being stuck on the process,” said Elijah Lambros, a 2023 All-Big Ten Third Team outfielder. “I've played in the SEC, I've played at a big school. That's not what they're doing. They're not stuck on the process. They're stuck on results. That's why unless you get lucky and get five all-SEC players, you're not going to be great. But Swope, he's thinking in the long run of that process. He knows it takes time. He knows it takes development and loves us enough to be patient and work with us.”

Maryland landed Aden Hill, Liam Willson and Hollis Porter in the transfer portal. Swope says the trio is tough and intrinsically motivated, making them the perfect group of student-athletes to infuse with a talented returning core.

The trio of Hill, Willson and Porter equates to 645 pounds of manpower. Hill, a junior, started all 61 games for a VCU team that won the Atlantic 10 Tournament and made an NCAA Regional appearance in 2024. He batted .276 with six home runs and 44 RBIs. Wilson, a sophomore from Wake Forest, appeared in nine games last season and recorded six hits, seven RBIs and two home runs.

Porter starred at Pearl River Community College in 2024 after redshirting at Mississippi State in 2023. He played in all 59 games last season, Finishing with a slash line of .399/.488/.827. He broke the program’s single-season record with 20 home runs. He also drove in 73 runs, ranking second all-time. Porter was named MACCC Player of the Year, First Team All-MACCC, All-Region 23, All-Region 23 Gold Glove and NJCAA First Team All-America.

The Terps also made several additions on the mound, including freshman right-hander Jake Yeager, a 2024 Maryland Gatorade and Baltimore Sun All-Met Player of the Year. The additions, paired with a few returning leaders from injury, such as Kyle McCoy and James Gladden, give the Terps a wealth of starters and arms in the bullpen. 

“It's great knowing that you got a better guy on Friday night than the other team,” Eddie Hacopian, a 2024 First Team All-Big Ten infielder, said. That's what we have in Kyle. Joey [McMannis] and Andrew Johnson have been electric this fall. … I'm really excited for this group.” 

Lambros shared a similar sentiment. He believes the Terps have the best group of guys on the roster and in the coaching staff since he arrived in College Park.

Four of Maryland’s key returning impact players are McCoy, Chris Hacopian, Eddie Hacopian and Lambros. They comprise the team’s leadership council. 

Returning for his senior year, Eddie Hacopian is integral to the council. After wearing the No. 39 jersey the last two seasons to honor his father — Derek Hacopian — who played for the Terps in 1992, he will wear the coveted No. 3. The number represents the three pillars of Maryland baseball created by former head coach Rob Vaughn: toughness, ownership and a growth mindset. 

“I came in with Eddie and roomed with him my first year here,” Lambros said. “I love Eddie. If there's one thing I can say about Eddie that I don't know I've really seen with any other players, Eddie is just the same way every single day. … That competitive edge that he brings, I think there's been very few threes that can bring that. You know what you're going to get out of Eddie. When he steps in the box, that dude is gonna try to tear your face off.”

Some of Maryland baseball’s most impactful changes occurred within its coaching staff. Swope brought in Brock Keener as an assistant to work primarily with the catcher position. Alex Calarco and Devin Russell will be the primary beneficiaries of the hire. 

Maryland has high expectations for 2025. However, the suppositions come from within. Swope and his men want to do something they have never done before. 

“The one thing I'll say about this team is breaking down the doors at Omaha is actually believed,” Eddie Hacopian said. “There's belief that this team can do it. You go around and talk to all these guys. We're just expecting to win.”

The Terps open their season at the Swig and Swine College Classic in Charleston, South Carolina. They will face UAB on Feb. 14, Ball State on Feb. 15 and Mercyhurst on Feb. 16.

“We were just tougher, and I really challenged them,” Swope said. “We switched the mantra to anybody, anywhere, anytime because we're going to coach the individual off the field, really love and care about them, but on the field, we need to have this identity that Maryland baseball has always had. If you come here and play us, you'll give everything and we're going to be relentless up or down for those 27 outs.”