The Terrapins baseball team was selected to finish second in the Big Ten in the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll released today. Coach John Szefc also nominated right-hander Mike Shawaryn, shortstop Kevin Smith and catcher Nick Cieri as the Terps’ three Big Ten Players to Watch.
Last season, the Terps (42-24, 14-10 Big Ten) finished tied for third in the conference. Szefc’s squad, which eventually advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the second straight year, made the conference tournament championship before falling to Michigan in the title game.
The coaches projected the Wolverines to win the Big Ten this season. Illinois and Iowa, the top two teams in the conference last season, are projected to finish fifth and fourth, respectively.
In D1Baseball.com’s poll, the Terps were projected to win the conference with Indiana and Michigan finishing behind them. Baseball America’s preview, meanwhile, had the Terps and the Hoosiers as second-tier NCAA Regionals bets behind the Wolverines.
Shawaryn, who was named an all-Big Ten first-team pitcher last year, returns for his junior season after holding a 13-2 record and 1.71 ERA last season. Smith, who was a consistent piece to the top of the Terps’ batting order last season, was named to the 2015 Big Ten All-Tournament Team, while Cieri hit .299 despite missing 29 games with a hand injury.
