Maryland baseball left fielder Will Watson earned Big Ten Player of the Week recognition after four multi-hit games and 12 RBIs in the Terps’ 4-0 week.
Maryland’s 11-run third inning during Saturday’s 17-2 drubbing of Rutgers was highlighted by Watson’s seven RBIs via a three-run home run and a grand slam. His eight RBIs in the contest tied a program record for the most in a single game.
Watson had struggled at the plate for much of the year, struggling to reach the heights he did in 2017, his first season since transferring from LSU-Eunice. The senior was hitting .217 after Wednesday’s win over Towson, in which he hit a single and two-run homer, before his average ballooned to .252 following the Terps’ sweep against Rutgers.
“There’s no passiveness to his swing,” coach Rob Vaughn said Saturday. “Will just comes out and keeps working, every day he puts in the effort. [He’s] been grinding away and you’re kind of seeing the fruits of his labor right now.”
Maryland’s sweep positioned the Terps in a tie for eighth place with Michigan State, a team they hold the tiebreaker over following a series win earlier in the campaign. At 24-27, Maryland is unlikely to receive an at-large bid to an NCAA Regional, so it needs to make the eight-team Big Ten tournament for a chance to extend its season.
Over the week’s four games, Watson hit .500, clubbed three home runs and a double and scored six runs.
“When you’re in that groove, man, the ball just looks like a beach ball,” Watson said Saturday. “When you’re up there swinging and being aggressive and putting the pressure on the defense, wheels start spinning and good things can happen.”
