The Terps suffered their fifth straight loss Tuesday.
After being swept in embarrassing fashion in its three-game series at Illinois over the weekend, Maryland baseball scheduled a midweek matchup with Georgetown to get back on track.
But the Hoyas held a five-run lead heading into the ninth inning, as Maryland seemed out of sorts. Still, the Terps gave themselves a shot, scoring a run with the bases loaded and a chance to tie the score with one out.
However, the final two batters couldn’t deliver, as Georgetown defeated Maryland, 11-7, delivering the Terps their fifth straight loss.
In their first matchup in March, the Terps (14-19, 3-9 Big Ten) defeated the Hoyas (12-20, 1-2 Big East), 14-7, but they did not have the same success the second time around. Scoring in double figures was normal for Maryland’s offense in the first month of the season, but it has taken a step back since, while pitching has remained an issue.
Maryland’s recent struggles carried over into Tuesday. The team allowed five-plus runs for the eighth consecutive game and at least 10 for the fifth time in that span, and the offense has been unable to keep up.
“Whether it’s mechanical, a video, confidence, or grip, we’re taking every single day trying to improve on that,” head coach Matt Swope said. “We’re doing our best as a staff to stay positive and continue to coach these guys.”
Maryland made some changes to its defense, with sophomore Joey McMannis getting the nod on the mound for the Terps, his first start in nearly a month after taking on a bullpen role. After Alex Calarco’s struggles behind the plate over the weekend, Swope turned to freshman Jacob Hauk for his first collegiate start.
Coming into Tuesday’s matchup, every Georgetown starter had recorded a steal on the season. This was evident in the first inning, with the Hoyas stealing two bags. Freshman Jackson Thomas stole second base, and a single up the middle scored him.
Maryland scored its first run in the second to tie the game, but the Hoyas responded immediately in the third inning. Thomas reached again with his second hit of the game, causing Maryland’s defense more trouble on the base paths, as he stole two more bags to spark the Hoyas’ four-run inning.
Maryland collected two outs with nobody on, but McMannis lost his composure, allowing a single and walking two batters after working full counts to load the bases. Senior Jaden Sheffield’s single to right field scored two more runs, putting the Hoyas up four.
After a Georgetown pitching change, as the Terps responded with four runs of their own to tie it. Johan Franco replaced starter Nadell Booker but struggled to force outs. Franco walked the first two batters he faced, while a Brayden Martin single loaded the bases. Chris Hacopian drove in the first run on a fielder’s choice, while Hollis Porter fought the wind to keep the ball fair, delivering a no-doubt home run to right field.
Freshman Logan Hastings came out of the bullpen after struggling in his previous two starts. He recorded a 1-2-3 fourth inning, but inconsistency struck again, as Hastings struggled with his command in the fifth inning, loading the bases with no outs. Maryland escaped the jam, allowing just one run on a sacrifice fly, while Hastings’ day ended with a strikeout before Devin Milberg recorded the inning-ending out.
Milberg escaped two bases-loaded jams unscathed — one created by Hastings and the other by himself in the sixth inning. In the latter case, he struck out two consecutive batters to keep the Terps within one. This was the closest the Terps would get the rest of the way, as a seventh inning opposite-field grand slam by Jeremy Sheffield extended the Hoyas’ lead to five runs.
Georgetown added one more run, while Maryland scored two, but it wasn’t enough for a comeback, sealing another disappointing loss for the Terps.
“Everything is on the table,” Swope said. “We’re trying to put these guys in situations where they’ll be successful, battle and be positive.”
Three things to know
1. Maryland has been dominated. During its five game skid, Maryland has held the lead for just one inning, on April 1 against UMBC.
2. Series split. Maryland and Georgetown’s 2025 seasons have not lived up to expectations, as the struggling teams split the season series.
3. Eddie Hacopian’s errors. The senior infielder’s season has not gone the way he would have liked. He added two more defensive errors in Tuesday’s game, costing the Terps two runs.