Maryland put on a show, to say the least.
Indiana welcomed in the Terrapin's for a three-game series this weekend as both teams fought for the top spot in the Big Ten. Entering Friday, both teams were tied for first place in the conference but after 27 innings of baseball, Maryland was able to sweep the series causing Indiana to fall two games out of first place.
The first two games of the series were pretty much the same. Strong pitching alongside a whole lot of offense by Maryland.
Game one got off to a prompt start due to back to back home runs by the Terrapin's which would set the tone for the rest of the series. Junior Matt Shaw led things off with a solo shot to center and then was followed up by senior Nick Lorusso. Maryland would get one more in the first inning to jump out to an early three run lead. The long ball and the early runs would become a trend for the Terrapin's throughout the entire weekend.
Indiana would get one of their own just moments later with a solo home run by sophomore Carter Mathison but then Maryland opened the floodgates. The reigning Big Ten champions erupted in the fifth inning for seven runs while never looking back. They held a 10-1 lead after the fifth and they tacked on three more runs later in the game. Indiana’s bats went quiet after Maryland jumped out with the lead having only three hits the rest of the game.
The second game shared a similar story. Maryland got out to an early 2-1 lead after the second inning. Maryland was facing Indiana’s top pitcher in sophomore Luke Sinnard but the bats stayed hot for the Terrapin's. They added two more in the fourth, two in the sixth, and then once again erupted for a plethora of runs. The eighth inning consisted of 13 batters coming up to the plate, seven hits, and nine runs scored. The highlight of the inning came when Maryland hit their 10th grand slam of the season to put the nail in the coffin. Game two ended in a score of 16-2.
Maryland’s offense might have stolen the show in the first two games but elite pitching was the reason for the Terrapin’s success. Senior Nick Dean and freshman Kyle McCoy were the starters for Maryland in the first two games and came out pitching absolute gems.
Dean went seven innings for Maryland only allowing five hits, striking out 10, and gave up just two runs. Only Mathison was able to record multiple hits in game one as the Hoosiers were shut down. Dean was excellent for his team and never allowed Indiana to get settled.
McCoy was even better for Maryland in game two. McCoy, the highly touted freshman for head coach Rob Vaughn and his staff, came out and put on his best performance of the season. He pushed through seven strong innings allowing only one run in his outing. McCoy was dealing with his three pitch mix all afternoon as the Hoosiers struggled to make solid contact having several one two three innings throughout the game.
Once again, Maryland put on a show offensively in game three. Maryland scored at least one run in every inning except for the first, scoring at least 10 or more runs for the sixth game in a row. Indiana’s offense woke up in the final game of the series scoring eight runs thanks to a couple of home runs by freshman standout Devin Taylor but it still wasn't enough to go up against Maryland. The extra base hits continued for the red hot Terrapin's and the result ended in another win as the Hoosiers ran out of arms in the bullpen.
After it was all said and done Maryland combined for 43 runs, 50 hits, nine home runs, and hit .406 as a team through the three game series.
Maryland has been the team to beat in the Big Ten over the last few years and this weekend proved why they now hold the top spot in the conference. Head coach Jeff Mercer put it best, sometimes the other team just played better.
“We got beat,” said Mercer. “They were better than us for three days. Their coaches were better than our coaches, their head coach was better than me for three days, their players were better. They were just better for three days.”
This series marks the first series loss for Indiana in over two months and the first time they have been swept at home since 2011. Indiana falls to 31-14 on the season with a 9-6 record against Big Ten opponents. The Hoosiers fall out of contention for first place and are now are tied for third alongside Nebraska and Michigan. Indiana will have a couple of days off before they get set for another Big Ten series against Northwestern this upcoming weekend.
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