The Terps look for their first series win in almost a month.
Maryland baseball will look to snap a three-series losing streak this weekend when it travels to take on Nebraska.
The Terps have won two one-run games in a row, taking down Northwestern, 9-8, and Delaware, 11-10.
“I’ve been through a lot of crazy situations here. So, I told these guys that two is a win streak,” head coach Matt Swope said.
Swope also acknowledged that changes are coming to the pitching staff, with the rotation set to be shaken up. Maryland’s Saturday starter is yet to be announced, but Swope indicated Wednesday that left-hander Omar Melendez is under consideration.
Here are this weekend’s game times (in Eastern Time) and expected starters, with Maryland’s pitcher listed first. All three games will stream on Big Ten Plus.
Friday, April 19 at 7:05 p.m. — Logan Koester (4-4, 5.83 ERA) vs. Brett Sears (6-0, 1.32 ERA)
Saturday, April 20 at 3:02 p.m. — TBA vs. Mason McConnaughey (4-2, 2.29 ERA)
Sunday, April 21 at 2:05 p.m. — Joey McMannis (0-0, 3.41 ERA) vs. Drew Christo (1-2, 4.82 ERA)
Nebraska Cornhuskers (23-11, 6-3 Big Ten)
2023 record: 33-23-1, 15-9 Big Ten
Nebraska may be the best opponent Maryland will face this season. Led by fifth-year head coach Will Bolt, the Cornhuskers are ranked No. 19 in RPI and hold the best overall winning percentage in the Big Ten (.676).
Despite their dominance for much the season, the Cornhuskers head into this weekend on the heels of two straight defeats, losing to Rutgers and Creighton.
Hitters to watch
Josh Caron, junior catcher, No. 5 — Caron has been Nebraska’s best hitter this season, leading the Cornhuskers in both RBIs (40) and home runs (7). His 40 hits also lead the team.
Cole Evans, senior outfielder, No. 12 — In his second year with Nebraska after transferring from Parkland College, Evans has a .277 batting average, 30 RBIs and three home runs.
Dylan Carey, sophomore shortstop, No. 15 — After maintaining a sizable role as a freshman, Carey has thrived this year as an everyday starter. He has a .262 batting average, 17 RBIs and four home runs.
Pitchers to watch
Brett Sears, senior right-hander, No. 34 — Sears has been Nebraska’s Friday starter all year for good reason. Among qualified starters, he leads the Big Ten with a 6-0 record and 1.32 ERA across nine starts. He also leads the conference with 61 ⅓ innings pitched and has the lowest opponent batting average at .142.
Mason McConnaughey, sophomore right-hander, No. 51 — McConnaughey was most recently named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after striking out nine across seven scoreless innings last Saturday. On the year, he has a 4-2 record with a 2.29 ERA in 35 ⅓ innings.
Drew Christo, junior right-hander, No. 25 — Christo has made seven starts on the year and was recently moved from Saturdays to Sundays. In 37 ⅓ innings, he has a 1-2 record with a 4.82 ERA.
Strength
Pitching. Nebraska has the best pitching staff in the Big Ten, boasting a 4.26 ERA and the lowest opponent batting average (.242). The Cornhuskers also have the most saves in the conference with 13.
Weakness
Scoring. Nebraska’s 244 total runs are just ninth-best in the Big Ten. The Cornhuskers are also in the bottom half of the conference in both home runs (34) and RBIs (222).
Three things to know
1. Changes to the rotation. For the first time this season, Maryland will not have Kenny Lippman pitching on Friday. In a major shakeup, Swope told reporters that Lippman will work out of the bullpen for the foreseeable future.
Said Swope: “We’re going to play it day by day … we’re going to move Lippman to the ‘pen and Koester is going to go on Friday.”
After watching his team surrender 29 runs in its past three games and drop eight of its past 12, Swope seems to be testing just about anything to get more out of his rotation.
2. Hacopian is hot again. Eddie Hacopian is a major reason why Maryland was able to snap a four-game skid last weekend. In the Terps’ last two wins, he’s managed three homers and six RBIs. He’s up to a .400 batting average on the year, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten.
3. Driving runners in. The Terps have left 350 runners on base this season, an average of over nine per game. Their opponents, however, have left just 7.5 runners per game on base. Against Nebraska’s stout pitching staff, the Terps will need to take advantage of every opportunity.