Lorusso broke the record in less than two seasons.
Note: This story was updated after Matt Shaw tied Lorusso’s record later on Saturday.
Nick Lorusso etched his name in the Maryland baseball record books when he broke the program’s career RBI record against Minnesota on Saturday.
The senior third baseman tied the record with a two-run home run in the first inning on Friday, and broke it with a double in the third inning of the second game of the series.
Junior shortstop Matt Shaw tied Lorusso’s career mark with a fourth-inning three-run home run on Saturday, setting up a race for who will stand atop the all-time program ranks in runs batted in as the season comes to a close.
Lorusso also owns the program’s single-season RBI record, which he broke with a grand slam against Nebraska on May 7. He has driven in the most runs of any player in college baseball this season (87).
Lorusso has been a crucial part of Maryland’s success for the past two seasons and has put on quite the performance in his curtain call on the Maryland baseball diamond. On the season, he is batting. 376 with a 1.204 OPS. His 21 home runs only trail Shaw, who has 22 — both of them are chasing the single-season home run record.
Lorusso spent three years from 2019-2021 at Villanova before transferring to Maryland to use his final two years of eligibility. He was the Big East Freshman of the Year in 2019, becoming the first Wildcat to win the award in 25 years.
In just two years with the Terps, he has established himself as one of the all-time greats to come through the program.
In 2022, Lorusso drove 70 runs, the fourth-most in a single season in Maryland history, along with 15 home runs and a .971 OPS en route to the program’s first Big Ten regular-season championship and home regional in the NCAA Tournament. Lorusso was named to the All-Big Ten first team and the College Park Regional All-Tournament team.
In 2023, Lorusso and Shaw have broken multiple records. Lorusso owns the single-season RBI record and a program-best 31-game hit streak while Shaw crowned himself Maryland baseball’s all-time home run king earlier in the season.