The Terps are 0-4 in three-game weekend series.
At this time last year, Maryland baseball had won 23 consecutive conference series, and 16 overall.
But the Terps are now on the other end of the spectrum, starting the 2025 season 0-4 in three-game weekend series.
Maryland has battled inconsistency through its first 25 games. With a 13-12 record and top-20 scoring offense in the nation, the Terps are still searching for their first three-game weekend series win.
In their four three-game series, the Terps have won a game in each, but have not grabbed a second despite many opportunities. Two of the series’ losses came against nonconference opponents — the Terps now need to find their footing fast to have a shot at postseason play.
“We have a sample size. We’re talented,” head coach Matt Swope said. “Way too talented to be .500.”
This is the case on offense, as Maryland is 18th in the country in runs scored (224), just one spot behind conference foe Purdue, which holds a 20-4 record. However, Maryland’s pitching and fielding aren’t even ranked in the top 100.
This trend began in the weekend series against Western Carolina. Maryland had multiple chances to win the two games it dropped, and it outscored the Catamounts, 51-31, over the three games. They led 7-3 in the seventh inning in the Friday matchup, but the bullpen ultimately faltered. The Catamounts answered with five runs of their own, winning the game 8-7.
Maryland exploded for a program record 35 runs Saturday, but couldn’t follow it up in the next day’s rubber match after a ninth inning rally, losing 11-9 in extra innings.
Facing UCLA in its first conference matchup, Maryland led 5-0 in the sixth inning, but trailed by one with the game on the line in the ninth. Sophomore Chris Hacopian delivered, hitting a game-tying home run, but the Terps’ bullpen issues resurfaced, allowing six runs in the top of the 10th inning to seal the loss.
In Saturday’s game, Maryland won by mercy rule. But in the final game, the team allowed 11 runs in the second inning to put the game out of reach and lose another series, despite the bullpen only allowing one hit in the final six innings.
The following weekend against USF, panic began to set in. Maryland dominated game one, but never led in a close 4-3 loss in game two. In the final match, Maryland looked to be on its way to a series win in the first inning, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. But it never led again, allowing 15 total runs.
Then came the trip to Seattle to face Washington. Pitching wasn’t the issue in this series, as the offense couldn’t get anything going, scoring six runs in three games. Maryland won a pitcher’s duel, 2-1, in game two, but was shut out 2-0 in game three despite strong performances from freshmen Jake Yeager and Cristofer Cespedes.
Maryland bounced back in its midweek game against George Mason, winning 15-8 and making changes on defense in hopes of more complementary play.
“I felt we did play really good defense,” Swope said. “Chris [Hacopian], moving to third, had two bare hand plays that were absolutely elite, and Colin [Gibbs] played really well at short[stop]. It was nice to see some complimentary baseball defensively and from a hitting standpoint.”
With defense being its primary issue, Swope made changes along the infield, looking to sort out what’s plagued his team all season.
The Terps will face Northwestern at home this weekend, looking to keep the momentum from Tuesday’s victory and ultimately win their first series of the season.