With pitcher Sander Beck’s atypical Tuesday start at West Virginia this week, the Terrapin baseball team will have a new top weekend starter when it takes the Doug Kingsmore Stadium mound tomorrow night at Clemson.

David Carroll, who has emerged as the team’s best starter this season, will start tomorrow in the series opener for the first time this season, while Eric Potter — the usual Sunday starter — will pitch Saturday. The team has not decided who will take the mound Sunday.

Fresh off a dominating victory against No. 7 Florida State on Saturday in which he pitched 7.1 shutout innings and allowed just three hits, Carroll was named the www.collegebaseball360.com Primetime Pitcher of the Week. For the season, he is 5-1 with a 2.15 ERA, and he has allowed only two earned runs in his last 21.1 innings.

“It feels pretty good; I just try to keep us in ballgames throwing a lot of strikes,” Carroll said. “I’ve been pretty consistent all year, which has helped a lot. That’s probably the main thing I’ve brought to the table: consistency in the staff.”

Pitching well in big games has become standard procedure for Carroll, a 6-foot-8 junior who transferred to College Park after spending the first two years of his career at Western Nevada.

Carroll was on the mound for the Terps in their 10-1 victory at Texas, going six innings and allowing only one run on three hits against one of the nation’s top teams. Weeks later, in a March 26 game against then-No. 3 Virginia, Carroll went seven innings and again gave up only one run. He could have earned the victory had two errors not doomed the Terps’ (14-15) upset chances.

“He doesn’t just throw strikes, he has command in the strike zone, and there’s a difference,” coach Eric Bakich said. “He’s been very consistent. That’s the one thing that he’s been for us from the start of the season until now. You know what you’re going to get when he takes the mound, and that’s a good feeling to have.”

Even though it’s now official that Carroll will take the rubber tomorrow, he’s made it clear he doesn’t care when he gets his chances.

“It’s only one game; you only get one win even if it is Friday or Saturday,” Carroll said. “I’m open for the challenge, but also, if Coach doesn’t think it’s best, then that’s fine, too.”

KIENE’S GLOVE WORK

When first baseman Tim Kiene was recruited to play for the Terps, college-baseball pundits raved about the South Windsor, Conn., prospect’s hitting ability. But as he turned in one of his best weekends as a Terp at the plate against Florida State, he also showed off his defensive prowess.

Kiene made his first start of the year at first base Saturday and got the nod Sunday as well. He rewarded the decision with several strong defensive plays, including one in which he picked a throw out of the dirt to finish off a double play.

“He’s much improved from when he first got here defensively. His footwork and his athleticism is much better. I’m comfortable with him at first base. I like seeing him over there,” Bakich said. “I think we’ve got lots of good defensive options with him and [Tomo] Delp.”

Kiene, who was a designated hitter in all prior starts, had a pair of RBI on the weekend while playing the field. And even though some players say they prefer playing on defense to being a designated hitter, Kiene said it makes no difference.

“It felt good. I got my opportunity, and I did the most I could with it,” Kiene said. “Whatever helps. I feel like I could play a position just as good. So whatever helps, helps.”

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

From the very start of the season, Bakich said the Terps’ No. 1 goal was making the postseason.

According to Baseball America, the Terps would fall short of that aim if the season ended today.

The publication’s projected NCAA Tournament field of 64 teams includes seven ACC schools. The Terps, though, are not among them.

Even though the team had a solid No. 49 RPI even before beating West Virginia on Tuesday, it has defeated only three teams in the projected field. Victories against Texas and Florida State will help the Terps’ case, but winless series against projected No. 1 seeds Georgia Tech and Virginia place added importance on the team’s remaining conference slate.

Along with the Tigers, the Terps are scheduled to face projected postseason teams North Carolina, NC State and Miami later this season.

schneider@umdbk.com