The Terps look to start the week off with a win.
Maryland baseball will face in-state foe Mount St. Mary’s for the second time this season Tuesday. The Terps will travel to Emmitsburg, Maryland, for the first of four road games this week.
The Terps are coming off a 1-2 weekend against then-No. 15 Oregon at home, as they sit five games below .500.
Tuesday’s game will start at 3 p.m. and stream on ESPN+.
Mount St. Mary’s (14-20, 7-8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)
2024 record: 22-34-1, 13-11 MAAC
Head coach Frank Leoni leads the Mountaineers in his 14th year at the program, where he has been named conference coach of the year seven times. He led the team to its first postseason win since 2008 last season, taking them to the MAAC Tournament championship game.
This year, the Mountaineers are below .500 in conference play and tied for sixth in the conference standings, as they look to turn the season around.
Hitters to watch
Ty Fredo, sophomore infielder, No. 5 — Fredo is in his second season with the Mountaineers, and has improved in an increased role. He hit .309 in 68 at-bats last year, and has increased that number to a team-leading .336 batting average and 46 hits this season.
Sam Grube, freshman infielder, No. 21 — Grube has started all 33 games he’s played in this season, and has been a reliable bat in the lineup as a freshman. He is third on the team with a .328 average, while posting 42 total hits and 26 RBIs.
Mateo Zeppieri, senior outfielder, No. 8 — Zeppieri is the Mountaineers’ leading power bat. In his first season with the program, he posts a .257 batting average and leads the team with eight home runs. He is also second on the team with 30 RBIs.
Pitchers to watch
Ryan Brown, freshman right-hander, No. 40 — Brown started in the Mountaineers’ midweek contest last week against Navy, earning the win. In 9.1 innings pitched, he has a 4.82 ERA and 1-1 record this season.
Maximus McCrary, junior right-hander, No. 11 — McCrary pitched just 0.1 innings this weekend against Michigan and will likely see action against the Terps out of the bullpen. He has a 5.71 ERA in 17.1 innings pitched.
Andrew Cheripka, junior right-hander, No. 36 — Cheripka pitched just one inning on Friday, so he is one of the freshest arms the Mountaineers have. In seven appearances this season, he boasts a 9.82 ERA in just 7.1 innings.
Strength
Stolen bases. Mount St. Mary’s has over 100 stolen bases this season, with five players in double-digits.
Weakness
Pitting depth. Like Maryland, Mount St. Mary’s relies on its offense to lead the way with an unreliable pitching staff. Only three pitchers with more than 10 innings of work have an ERA below five.
Three things to watch
1. Positive momentum? Maryland nearly won game one of its three-game series against Oregon, 5-4. It then won game two by mercy rule, 12-2. While the Terps failed to win their first series of the season, they competed with one of the best teams in the country.
2. The Terps’ pitching improved. Despite allowing 13 runs in the rubber match this weekend, Maryland allowed just seven combined runs in the first two games. They’ll need this success on the mound to continue as the back half of the season moves on.
3. Second meeting. In their first matchup this season, Maryland defeated Mount St. Mary’s, 9-3, at home. It will be on the road this time, though, where it has struggled this season.