The Terps look to bounce back after their first conference series loss in nearly three years.
Maryland baseball will host Indiana this weekend for a crucial three-game conference series.
The Terps have run into a rough patch in their last few games. On Wednesday, Maryland barely squeaked past a weak opponent in UMBC, winning, 13-12. Last weekend, Maryland lost its first Big Ten series since 2021, dropping two of three at Michigan.
Maryland stumbles into one of its most important series of the year with a 3-3 conference record and a 21-8 overall record. Going into the season, both the Terps and Hoosiers were viewed as serious contenders to win the Big Ten.
All three games this weekend will be streamed on Big Ten Plus. Friday night’s game is scheduled for 6 p.m., Saturday’s is slated to start at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s will start at noon.
Indiana Hoosiers (16-14, 1-2 Big Ten)
2023 record: 42-20, 16-8 Big Ten
At one point this season, Indiana was ranked No. 20 in D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings. But the Hoosiers quickly fell out after a tough stretch.
Indiana had high expectations heading into the season that it’s failed to meet so far. Even so, the Hoosiers have played plenty of tough opponents and defeated No. 17 Indiana State on Tuesday, 16-7.
Indiana enters the weekend with a 1-2 conference record after losing two of three to Illinois.
Hitters to watch
Devin Taylor, sophomore outfielder, No. 5 — Taylor leads the Hoosiers with a .387 batting average. He also has six home runs and 25 RBIs on the season.
Carter Mathison, junior outfielder, No. 3 — Mathison is Indiana’s home run leader with eight this year. He has a .289 batting average and has driven in 23 runs as well.
Tyler Cerny, sophomore infielder, No. 8 — Cerny has been a key hitter in Indiana’s lineup, leading the team with 36 RBIs. Cerny has the team’s second-highest batting average (.354) and has also launched six home runs.
Pitchers to watch
Connor Foley, sophomore right-hander, No. 14 — Foley is Indiana’s Saturday starter, the only designated weekend starter for the Hoosiers. This year, Foley is 3-1 with a 3.75 earned run average in seven starts.
Ty Bothwell, graduate left-hander, No. 41 — Bothwell started last Friday for Indiana and went eight innings, giving up two earned runs. Other times, Bothwell has been a long relief pitcher, holding a 4.93 ERA after throwing 34 innings.
Ethan Phillips, sophomore right-hander, No. 40 — Phillips has started seven games but threw two innings this past Tuesday in relief. He will almost assuredly take the mound at some point this series, but may not start. He has a 4-0 record with a 5.87 ERA.
Strength
Getting on base. Indiana gets on base an average of 17.23 times per game, putting pressure on opposing defenses.
Weakness
Allowing home runs. Indiana has allowed 53 home runs this year, an average of 1.76 per game.
Three things to watch
1. Maryland’s bullpen is thinner. Wednesday night, Terps reliever Trystan Sarcone suffered an injury to his throwing arm. After the game, head coach Matt Swope could not provide specifics, but alluded to the injury’s potential seriousness, saying, “this could be possibly it for him.”
2. Will Hojnar continue his tear? Over the past five games, Maryland second baseman Sam Hojnar has 12 RBIs, 11 hits and a home run to along with a .500 batting average.
3. Maryland swept Indiana last year. Last year, Maryland swept Indiana on the road in crushing fashion, outscoring the Hoosiers, 43-12, over the three games.