Second baseman Brandon Lowe at the plate during the Terps’ 11-4 win over Navy on April 16, 2014.
The Terrapins baseball team overcame early deficits four times in the ACC and NCAA tournaments last year during their surprising postseason run.
In the season opener Friday, the No. 16 Terps showed similar resilience in a 7-3 win over Western Kentucky in the Caravelle Resort Tournament held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Terps leaned on a balanced offense – eight starters got a hit – and a power outburst to overcome a two-run deficit.
Second baseman Brandon Lowe, a D1Baseball.com preseason All-American, hit the go-ahead home run in the fourth.
Right-hander Mike Shawaryn settled down after a two-run first and in his first start as the Terps’ ace allowed three runs in six innings. He ended the outing by retiring 10 straight Hilltoppers.
After the teams traded runs, the Terps entered the fourth down 3-1. Two home runs and three runs later the Terps had the lead for good. Right fielder Anthony Papio’s solo homer to right set the stage for Lowe’s two-run blast. The Terps tacked on three insurance runs in the sixth.
Coach John Szefc opted for Kevin Smith at shortstop. The freshman, replacing former Terp Blake Schmit, went 2-for-3 with two runs, and fellow freshman Andrew Bechtold took over at first base. While Bechtold scored a run, he was the only Terps starter to go hitless. LaMonte Wade, the Terps regular first baseman for the past two years, replaced graduated mainstay Charlie White in center field.
The Terps face Canisius and Old Dominion tomorrow. The Old Dominion game will be a rematch of last season’s NCAA Regional opener.
