In the days leading up to yesterday’s game at St. John’s, coach Erik Bakich talked about how he thought his Terrapins baseball team’s offense was moving out of a “valley” of sorts, how it was finally emerging after a period of lackluster production.

On Sunday at Miami, the Terps pounded out 15 hits and recorded a 6-4 victory to snap a three-game losing streak that featured three total runs. Yesterday, the Terps fully escaped their offensive gully. In a 16-4 thrashing of St. John’s in Queens, N.Y., the Terps recorded a season-high 16 hits from 11 players in the win, including five players with two hits.

“Baseball is a game of confidence. It’s like magic sometimes,” Bakich said. “A guy can be really struggling and then all of a sudden he puts a barrel on a ball and gets a hit and all of a sudden, it just triggers something. … It can happen that fast.”

Shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez paced the offense with a 2-for-4 day at the plate that included a home run, four RBI and two runs scored. Right fielder Jordan Hagel, second baseman Kyle Convissar and third baseman Ryan Holland each had two RBI.

But as Bakich highlighted the players who’d made a difference last night, it was a pitcher that drew his attention.

Charlie Haslup entered the game in the third inning after starting pitcher Sander Beck allowed the Red Storm (13-11) to load the bases with no outs and the Terps (17-9) holding onto a 6-2 lead. Haslup allowed one inherited runner to score, but escaped from the jam otherwise unscathed.

“I thought he was the player of the game tonight,” Bakich said. “He came in when the game was very much in question and he settled things down for us. He allowed us to get comfortable offensively and expand our lead. … He pitched very well tonight, and that’s what we needed to win the game.”

For the game, Haslup (2-1) scattered five hits over 4.1 innings. He struck out one and did not issue a walk.

As significant as the Terps’ bats were yesterday, St. John’s defense, or lack thereof, played just as big a role in the Terps’ season-high 16 runs. The Red Storm defense committed five errors – four of them came in the Terps’ five-run third inning – and the Red Storm pitching staff hit six Terps with pitches.

“We were taking advantage of those things as they were happening,” Bakich said. “I didn’t need to say anything. I think our players recognize that when you give any team free passes, they’re going to capitalize on it, especially a good team.”

Yesterday’s game marked the third time the Terps have hit double digits in runs, but only the first time since a 10-1 win over Manhattan on March 3. Against St. John’s, the Terps scored runs in seven innings and went for multiple runs in four innings. They also recorded seven extra-base hits off of a St. John’s pitching staff that needed six pitchers to get through the game.

With a key conference series at Boston College awaiting the Terps this weekend, Bakich thinks – and surely hopes – the team is returning to the form that saw it win 11 of its first 12 games and garner national attention. After a few weeks in the valley, yesterday could be a springboard toward a peak.

“When you’re feeling confident in sports, you can do anything,” Bakich said. “I think that’s just what it feels like from just observing our team. It feels like these guys are heating up and getting back to that confident state we were in the for the first weeks of the year.”

TERPS NOTE: Holland came off the bench after starting third baseman K.J. Hockaday suffered a thigh bruise after a collision. Bakich said he was taken out of the game so he could be treated by the team’s training staff, adding that the team’s leading hitter would be ready for Friday’s game at Boston College.

dgallen@umdbk.com