The Terps look for their first midweek win.
Maryland baseball (6-5) looks to build on a strong weekend as they host James Madison (5-6) in the first game of a four-game homestand.
In its weekend series against Princeton and No. 15 Wake Forest, the Terps went 3-1. This included two dominant wins over Princeton and a ninth inning rally against Wake Forest.
Maryland lost its final game of the weekend on Sunday 9-1, but look forward with some momentum.
James Madison Dukes (5-6, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference)
2024 record: 36-25, 17-13 Sun Belt
Head coach Marlin Ikenberry is in his 10th season at James Madison. He has led the Dukes to three straight winning seasons in two different conferences; after the 2022 season, James Madison moved from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) to the Sun Belt Conference.
James Madison has struggled against power conference competition early in the season, going 0-4 in those games, but has made up for it with a 5-2 record in their matchups with Radford, Canaisius and Fairfield.
Hitters to watch
Corey Dowdell, graduate infielder, No. 50 — The Georgia Southern transfer hit .243 in his four seasons there, but is having a career season with the Dukes, leading them with a .300 batting average and six RBIs. He also has two home runs, the only Duke with multiple
Eli Steadman, senior outfielder, No. 1 — Steadman is a transfer from the Division III Birmingham Southern. In his first season at the Division I level, he is batting .300 in 30 plate appearances and leading the team with nine hits.
Jack Cannizzaro, junior catcher, No. 41 — Cannizzaro made 13 appearances last season, batting .381 on eight hits. He has started every game this season, and is third on the team with a .240 average and tied for the team lead in RBIs.
Pitchers to watch
Corey Costello, sophomore left-handed reliever, No. 46 — The Eastern Carolina transfer has been lights out in his five appearances so far this season. In 12.1 innings, Costello has a 0.00 ERA, giving up just seven hits on 13 strikeouts and allowing no earned runs.
Casey Smith, senior right-handed pitcher, No. 43 — Smith started in James Madison’s last two midweeks and could very well see the mound again Tuesday. He has struggled this season, though, with a 8.0 ERA and and four walks through nine innings.
Strength
Bullpen. James Madison has three pictures with a 0.00 ERA out of the bullpen this season: Costello, freshman Alex Bingler, and redshirt freshman Holden McKinney.
Weakness
Offensive production. The Dukes have scored a combined six runs in their six losses, despite totaling 40 on the season.
Three things to watch
1. History on the Terps’ side. Maryland is 22-18-1 all-time James Madison and currently on a five-game win streak
2. Matt Swope’s first ranked win. Swope earned his first ranked win as Maryland’s head coach in the team’s 9-8 win against Wake Forest on Saturday. A hot weekend could carry over into the week.
3. The offense stays electric. Maryland’s offense has been the team’s focal point this season, ranking fifth in the nation with 126 total runs.