Here’s what to know about the Terps as they prepare to defend their back-to-back Big Ten crowns.
By Ben Messinger
Maryland baseball followed up a record-breaking 2022 campaign with another one of its most memorable seasons in school history last year, winning both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles. But the Terps will have a new look this year, with much of that team not back in College Park this season.
Shortly after last season ended, head coach Rob Vaughn departed to take the same job at Alabama. In addition to Vaughn, seven players left for the MLB draft, including shortstop Matt Shaw, who was selected 13th overall by the Chicago Cubs. Despite losing the majority of last year’s core, this season marks a new beginning for the program.
Matt Swope’s reign begins this spring, and although it is his first season as Maryland’s head coach, he is as familiar as any with the program. Growing up in New Carrollton, Maryland, Swope played for his hometown program from 1999-2003 and then returned as its director of operations in 2013 before becoming an assistant coach in 2017. With only 12 players returning from last year’s roster, he brought in a haul of transfers and freshmen.
Incoming transfers
In this day and age, many college rosters are built through the transfer portal. Maryland is no exception to this trend, as Swope has 13 new transfers on the roster.
Eight of Maryland’s transfers are pitchers, all upperclassmen: Logan Berrier (Longwood), Garrett French (Rutgers), James Gladden (VCU), Meade Johnson (Heartland CC), Logan Koester (George Washington), Trystan Sarcone (Dartmouth), Omar Melendez (Alabama State) and Alex Walsh (Lafayette).
Gladden won’t impact the Terps this season, though — he is set to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the campaign.
French and Berrier have spent significant time in their collegiate careers as relievers and project to contribute to Maryland’s bullpen.
Maryland’s rotation will likely consist of primarily transfers. Johnson, Koester, Melendez, Sarcone, and Walsh have all spent the majority of their collegiate career as starting pitchers, but with a crowded group, some will have to spend time in the bullpen. Left-hander Melendez and right-hander Koester both spent their previous season as their respective program’s top starters.
The remaining five transfers are position players, two of which come from Big Ten schools.
Sam Hojnar is an infielder from Iowa who is expected to start at second base, and Alex Calarco brings his powerful bat from Northwestern as a catcher and infielder. Both are prime candidates to crack the opening day lineup.
The remaining three transfers come from Division III and NJCAA programs: Charlie Glennon, a catcher from Denison; Ben Nardi, an outfielder from Catholic University; and Randy Carlo IV, an infielder from Hartford Community College.
Freshmen
The Terps have an influx of youth with Swope bringing in 13 freshmen this season. Pitchers Hunter Baynes, Duke McCarron, Joey McMannis, Luke Roccesano and Evan Smith will fill out the staff, but some position players are primed to make an immediate impact.
Chris Hacopian, the brother of first baseman Eddie Hacopian is a candidate for the starting job and will be an integral piece of the program moving forward as a former Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year in high school.
Outfielder Brayden Martin, who comes from local powerhouse St. John’s College High School, will also compete for a starting spot.
Other incoming freshmen include Cole Constable, Jordan Crosland, Riley DeCandido, EJ Hankerson, Michael Iannazzo and Koy Swanson.
Returners
The Terps bring three key starters back to their lineup: Kevin Keister, Elijah Lambros and Eddie Hacopian, who will have to step into leadership roles in 2024.
Keister was named team captain in the offseason and will don the No. 3 jersey that signifies that, worn last year by catcher Luke Shliger and the year prior by outfielder Chris Alleyne. Keister will be the team’s starting shortstop after posting a .303 batting average, 10 home runs and 51 RBIs last season. In 2022, he was named to the All-Big Ten first team.
Last season was Lambros’ first with Maryland after transferring from South Carolina. He was an all-conference third-team selection, recording a .288 batting average, 14 home runs and 56 RBIs as well as a reliable presence in center field. He will once again be the team’s starting center fielder this spring.
Eddie Hacopian will be Maryland’s starting first baseman, where he spent the majority of time last season. In his first season at the Division I level, Hacopian played in all 63 games for the Terps, putting forth a .328 batting average, eight home runs and 49 RBIs.
Catcher Devin Russell, outfielder Luke Zeisloft and utility Jacob Orr are also back in College Park.
Russell, a sophomore, will start the season behind the plate. Despite only playing five games last season, the sophomore catcher was stuck behind Shliger and is primed to be his successor, providing an explosive power bat from the right side.
Orr played 44 games last season and compiled a .273 batting average, presenting a solid contact hitter for Swope. As for Zeisloft, he had 20 plate appearances last season.
On the pitching side of things, Kenny Lippman, Ryan Van Buren, Nate Haberthier, Logan Ott and Andrew Johnson are back.
Lippman looks to be at the front end of Maryland’s rotation this season. Despite only starting in three of his 31 appearances last season, he has emerged as one of the Terps’ top arms. In 2023, he went 8-1 with a 4.40 earned run average in 57.1 innings.
Van Buren made eight starts in 21 appearances in 2023. He had a record of 1-3, posting a 6.81 ERA in 35.2 innings.
Haberthier, Ott, and Johnson all also started at times last season, but project to be bullpen arms in 2024.
Kyle McCoy, who made 12 starts last season, underwent Tommy John surgery in the offseason and is expected to miss the 2024 season.
A look ahead
Maryland will not play a team ranked in the preseason top 25 this season. Despite that, it faces a tough schedule.
Maryland’s nonconference slate features 15 opponents, including weekend series against Georgia Southern — where the Terps’ season begins this Friday — Bryant, Charlotte and Portland.
Maryland will also have both home and road games against Mount St. Mary’s, Georgetown, Delaware, James Madison and UMBC. The remaining two contests are one-offs against VCU and Towson.
In addition to those matchups, Maryland will compete in the Kleberg Bank College Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas, where they will face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Pittsburgh and Washington. Lastly, the Terps have a late-season two-game series scheduled at Boston College.
In Big Ten play, the Terps will play home weekend series against Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois and Penn State. They will travel to Michigan, Northwestern, Nebraska and Rutgers. Iowa is the only preseason ranked team in the Big Ten, but Maryland will avoid the Hawkeyes this regular season.