In Their Own Words: Memories Of 2015

Junior right-handed pitcher Kevin Mooney put both hands in the air before taking his glove off his left hand and throwing it in the air. He simultaneously jumped, unable to contain his excitement. 

Maryland baseball made history the last time it faced off with UCLA in the four-team double-elimination round-robin NCAA regional. On June 1, 2015 — nearly a decade ago — the No. 3 seed Terps found themselves in a win-or-go-home scenario over the top-seeded Bruins in Los Angeles at Jackie Robinson Stadium. They split the first two games and had a trip to its second straight Super Regional on the line. 

In a game decided by one run, junior outfielder Anthony Papio and sophomore catcher Nick Cieri drove in decisive runs behind freshman right-hander Taylor Bloom and Mooney’s combined three hits surrendered to defeat UCLA 2-1. Mooney struck out the final batter on a 2-2 count with runners on first and third base, stranding the potential tying and game-winning runs.

The squad, led by then-head coach John Szefc, saw four Terps earn honors at the NCAA Regional’s awards ceremony. LaMonte Wade Jr. was named the tournament's most outstanding player. Bloom, Papio and Kevin Martir were also included on the All-Tournament team. 

Most importantly, the Terps celebrated its second regional title in school history, along with a then-record 42-win season. 

As the Terps host UCLA at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium from March 7-9 for their Big Ten Conference opening series, coaches, players and staff members from the 2015 Maryland baseball team shared their reflections and memories of the magical 2015 season and the unforgettable moment in Los Angeles.

Taylor Bloom
Right Handed Pitcher

• Being just a freshman in 2015, it all seems like a blur now, but getting my first collegiate start and win against Delaware in a midweek game. 
• Making it to the championship in the Big Ten Tournament and getting the opportunity to start that game. Although that game didn’t go how we wanted it to, I feel like it fueled the team as we went into regionals.
• Getting the opportunity to start the championship game as a freshman against UCLA. Definitely threw the game of my life that day. I believe I went 6.1 Innings and gave up one run, passed it off to Kevin Mooney to finish the game off. Some spectacular plays behind me by LaMonte Wade, Jose Cuas, Brandon Lowe and probably many more!
• Above all else, all these experiences gave me lifelong friendships, and every time the boys get back together, it’s like we never left!

Brandon Lowe
Second Base

• Taking down a national No. 1 seed was unbelievable and really rare to have happen. 
• LaMonte Wade Jr. was unreal during that regional. From bringing back home runs, throwing guys out at the plate, to hitting balls on top of the facility in right. It was truly a sight to see watching him play in those games.

Kevin Martir
Catcher

• Lamonte Wade’s throw to home plate early in game two. I was full of emotion and spiked the ball at home plate after the runner was called out (Jimmy Belanger's reaction after the spiked ball). 
• The first inning attempted bunt, and I was able to throw the runner out and set the tone in the game early.
• Celebrating the regional final win on the field with the team and at the hotel, where we took over the conference room. 
• After winning the regional, we were boarding the plane on the runway when we saw Kobe Bryant on a golf cart. He was boarding a helicopter, and he acknowledged the whole team and waved at us.
• As for the 2015 season, I admired how our team was always together. You would rarely ever find a guy by himself. The team was tight, and we did almost everything together. It did not feel like a baseball team. It felt more like a family.

Kevin Mooney
Right-Handed Pitcher

• I remember that John Savage (UCLA head coach) said after the final game that, “They are the best three seed I’ve ever seen.” … I think that speaks volumes to the team that we had that year. The resiliency that the team showed to finish the season and enter the playoffs on a high note after stumbling a bit late in the regular season is nothing short of incredible. Our final 11 games (before the UVA Super Regional) were all 1, 2 or 3 run games, with total scoring at or under seven runs in all of them. The 2015 team’s ability to play tight games and come out on top more often than not shows the strength of the team and our profound will to win. 
• To go to a second regional in a row for the first time in school history in and of itself was an incredible cap to an amazing season. When we drew UCLA and knew that they were the No. seed, there was nothing but extreme confidence throughout the locker room. We knew that we had done it in 2014, ending South Carolina’s 28-game home playoff winning streak. We could knock off any team and were just as much a threat as anyone. Getting snubbed out of a No. 2 seed was the extra bit of motivation that we needed to drive us to take down UCLA.

• After breaking the career saves record during the regular season, I had three saves in the Big Ten Tournament. I was ready to go in the Big Ten Tournament Championship against Michigan for a fourth save, but we ultimately fell short. I then rode that momentum into the regional and earned a save against Ole Miss and then UCLA to start the regional off. After losing game three to UCLA, it came down to the final game, winner take all. We jumped out to an early two-run lead and held the lead the rest of the game. I threw three innings after Taylor Bloom’s tremendous start and was fortunate enough to be on the mound for the final pitch, striking out Darrell Miller Jr. to end the game and send us to a second straight Super Regional. The celebration from that win was surreal, knowing that this group of guys had built an amazing legacy that continues to this day and set the stage for the future of Maryland Baseball. 
• I can’t even take a guess at how many future draft picks were on that team, and also how many future big leaguers were on that team as well. The combination of the lights-out pitching staff and the stellar offense was a lethal one that really showed its power in the playoffs. If I recall correctly, that 2015 pitching staff set the record and still holds it to this day for most strikeouts in a single season in Maryland history. As a Staff, we fearlessly stepped onto the mound from starters all the way through every guy in the bullpen with extreme confidence that we were going to dominate every hitter that stepped into the box.

Kevin Smith
Shortstop

That week in California for the UCLA Regional is still one of my favorite baseball memories. I remember being at Looney's Pub watching the selection show earlier that week and watching us get paired with the No. 1 overall national seed, UCLA. The best part about it was that everyone immediately got excited. No one was nervous, no one cared that it was UCLA. Everyone was absolutely focused that week on heading west and coming back east with some hardware. I remember all of LaMonte's insane plays in center, Kevin Martir's electric ball spike at the plate, Taylor Bloom's lights out performance on Monday, and the memories of Monday night hanging out with the team in the lobby of the hotel until 4 in the morning reliving that weekend. A lot of people talk about how we were the underdogs in the entire tournament, but when we went out there, we expected to win. The culture that was being built at Maryland was one of pride, focus, and confidence, and it showed that weekend. I feel like that weekend really elevated the program, and I couldn't be prouder to have experienced that with that group!

Matt Swope
Director of Operations

• That team had come off a regional that we won the previous year in South Carolina, but it was a little bit of ups and downs with some injuries in that season. But I think you go into that regional, and UCLA was the No. 1 overall seed in the country — very, very highly touted, had a first-round pitcher. We were the No. 3 seed in that tournament. There are only four seeds, Ole Miss was No. 2. I think it was more of a quiet confidence that we had going into the West Coast type of regional where you knew they played a little bit more pitching, defense and small ball. The East Coast, we were a little bit more offensive and had some talent. I think anytime you can beat the No. 1 overall seed in the entire NCAA Tournament, it’s a pretty special moment for the program. 
• I think that was what we call the LaMonte Wade regional. He had a little bit of a hamate issue that year. It was cool to see him come out and basically put his full skill set on display. He was hitting homers. He was making defensive plays, robbing home runs in the outfield. He was throwing people out at home. He was doing it in all facets. That's something that pretty much sticks out.

LaMonte Wade Jr. was named the Los Angeles Regional's most outstanding player for plays like this one, robbing Ole Miss of a home run in the eighth inning of a 3-1 victory in the first game of the regional that set up the UCLA series.

• The other thing was someone like Taylor Bloom. Brian Shaffer went down early in one of those games with an injury. Bloom was a freshman, so just him coming in and being able to give us a really good effort was not unexpected, but it's really hard to do for a young kid in a regional. That really sticks out as well. 
• But when you look back on those teams, you understand why we were good. You had a lot of big leaguers on there, a lot of experience and actually some star power. Another little tidbit, it was probably one of the greatest birthdays I could ever have. We won that regional on my birthday and the year before in South Carolina. If we ever have games on June 1, it's probably going to end up being a good thing.

LaMonte Wade Jr.
Outfield

My favorite moment, other than celebrating after with my family and teammates, was when I threw out a guy from centerfield in a crucial part of the game. The atmosphere was crazy. The way our team went in there and performed in that tournament was special.