When Terrapin baseball coach Erik Bakich was hired in June, he immediately set a goal for the Terps that had constantly eluded predecessor Terry Rupp: make the ACC Tournament.
Since the ACC expanded in 2005, the Terps have never made the ACC Tournament. In fact, the Terps haven’t won more than 10 conference games since 1971, when they won 11 en route to their most recent ACC Championship.
Bakich said he hopes to “smash that record” in the future, but for now, Bakich is concerned only with helping his first team get to the ACC Tournament.
There have been opportunities to do so. Three times already this season, the Terps have won a conference series opener only to lose the next two games and thus the series.
There will be even less room for error as the Terps (12-19, 3-9 ACC) head to Chestnut Hill, Mass., to square off with Atlantic Division rivals Boston College. The Eagles (13-15, 4-8) sit just one game ahead of the Terps in the division, and if the Terps find a way to win the series, they’ll find themselves in much better position to make the ACC Tournament, in which the top four teams from each division play.
“With all of the teams I have been a part of that have come back from some huge obstacle, there has always been that defining play,” Bakich said. “We have a great group of senior leaders on this team, but the moment doesn’t need to come from them. I am just looking for anyone to step up and make a play when we need one.”
It likely won’t come from ace Brett Harman. Bakich pushed Harman’s last start against North Carolina to Saturday because of flu-like symptoms. This week, the junior is healthy, but he has also been troubled by back spasms. Bakich won’t rule out the possibility of Harman being able to throw in Sunday’s finale, but Eric Potter is scheduled to start today’s opener, with Sander Beck likely to follow tomorrow.
With the pitching staff in turmoil, the burden will fall on the Terps’ offense, which was abysmal against George Mason, and has struggled to put together big innings all season.
“Hitting is all about streaks, and right now, it is pretty clear we are in a cold one,” said outfielder Mike Rozak, one of just five regular starters hitting above .250 this season. “All of us know we haven’t been playing well, we just gotta do a better job of getting the bat on the ball and helping out our pitching staff.”
lemaire@umdbk.com
