After a gritty road series in Seattle and a dramatic midweek rally, Maryland baseball returns to Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium with hopes of securing its first Big Ten series win of the season. The Terps (13-12, 2-4 Big Ten) host Northwestern (10-12, 3-3 Big Ten) this weekend in a pivotal three-game set starting Friday evening.
Washington Series Recap: Missed Chances and a Freshman Gem
Maryland’s trip to Washington last weekend was a rollercoaster. The Terps were blitzed early and often in Friday’s opener, falling 12-4 in a game where the offense stalled after a promising first inning. Despite loading the bases with no outs to begin the night, Maryland scratched across just two runs before the bats went cold. Starter Kyle McCoy showed flashes of his usual sharpness, but couldn’t overcome a barrage of hits from the Huskies’ lineup, surrendering six runs (five earned) over 4.2 innings.
Saturday told a different story. Freshman right-hander Logan Hastings delivered the best start of his young career, going 7.2 innings and allowing just one run on three hits. With the game tied 1-1 in the seventh, Chris Hacopian laced a go-ahead double to right-center — and Joey McMannis slammed the door from the bullpen to secure the 2-1 win.
But the Terps’ offense once again vanished in Sunday’s rubber match, suffering their first shutout of the season in a 2-0 loss. Maryland managed just five hits and left runners stranded in the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings as Washington claimed the series.
George Mason Comeback: Terps Explode for Nine in the 8th
Tuesday’s midweek battle with George Mason offered a different kind of drama. Trailing 8-6 entering the bottom of the eighth, Maryland exploded for nine runs in a furious rally to beat the Patriots, 15-8. The inning featured key RBI knocks from Brayden Martin, both Hacopian brothers, and a two-run double by Alex Calarco — part of a stretch where Maryland sent 13 batters to the plate.
The comeback served as redemption of sorts, avenging their season-ending loss to Mason in the 2023 NCAA Regional. More importantly, it could be the spark Maryland needs heading into another crucial Big Ten series.
“It kinda just all went in our favor at the end and we kept going,” Eddie Hacopian said postgame. “We were relentless.”
Northwestern Series Preview
Maryland now welcomes a Northwestern team that took two of three from the Terps last year — two of only four Big Ten wins for the Wildcats in 2024. At 3-3 in conference play this season, Northwestern has already matched that total from last year and enters the weekend boasting one of the best fielding percentages in the nation (.983).
Junior infielder Trent Liolios is the biggest bat in the Wildcats’ lineup, hitting .371 with nine home runs and a 1.301 OPS — both among the top in the Big Ten. Maryland’s pitchers will also have to deal with consistent threats in Owen McElfatrick (.316 AVG) and LSU transfer Ryan Kucherak (5 HR, 14 RBI).
On the mound, Northwestern’s rotation has been a mixed bag. Graduate right-hander Sam Hliboki, formerly of Vanderbilt, leads the staff with a 3.78 ERA over 33 innings. But depth is a concern — the Wildcats’ next two primary starters have ERAs of 5.63 and 6.82.
Maryland, meanwhile, will look to ride the arm of Kyle McCoy, who enters the series with a 2.75 ERA, 36 strikeouts, and just six walks in 36 innings pitched. The redshirt sophomore has been a model of consistency in his return from injury, holding a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.1:1 and three wins under his belt.
Offensively, Alex Calarco continues to be one of the nation’s best hitters. The senior catcher leads the Terps with 11 home runs — tied for the most in the Big Ten — and 41 RBIs, which rank fourth nationally. This weekend also carries extra meaning for Calarco, who faces his former team for the second time since transferring from Northwestern.
Final Word
The Terps haven’t won a Big Ten series yet this season, and after two tough weekends on the road, the home series against Northwestern could be a turning point. With McCoy on the mound, a resurgent bullpen, and an offense that may have rediscovered its firepower in Tuesday’s eighth-inning eruption, Maryland will aim to defend its home turf and climb the conference standings.