The Terrapins baseball team has only held a winning record once all season. But even when the Terps struggled as the team’s 15 freshmen adjusted to college baseball, coach John Szefc believed his squad would improve.
So earlier this season, Szefc set a goal for the Terps to get over .500 for the second time during their series at Iowa this past weekend.
The Terps, though, failed to accomplish Szefc’s objective, dropping their first Big Ten series against the Hawkeyes, 2-1, behind poor offensive performances Friday and Saturday.
“It’s difficult to win if you’re scoring one run a game on the road,” Szefc said. “It would be nice to come back 12-11 instead of 11-12, but we could be in a lot worse shape right now. We’ve gotten past what I think is the toughest two weeks of our schedule.”
The Terps (11-12, 1-2 Big Ten) recorded a combined two runs on 11 hits in their games Friday and Saturday. Right-handed ace Mike Shawaryn allowed five runs in five innings Friday, not keeping the game close enough for the Terps’ offense, which went 1-for-18 with runners on base.
Saturday, the lineup recorded just five hits as right-hander Taylor Bloom threw seven scoreless innings to preserve the Terps’ 1-0 lead entering the eighth. But the offense didn’t provide enough of a cushion, as the Terps’ lead vanished when Szefc turned to his bullpen.
Left-hander Robert Galligan, who holds the best ERA of the Terps bullpen, allowed three runs (one earned) as the Hawkeyes rallied for a 4-1 victory.
Szefc said the Hawkeyes (9-12, 2-1 Big Ten) commanded their off-speed pitches better than any pitching staff the Terps have faced this season. Right fielder Madison Nickens, who went 5-for-8, agreed.
“They kind of kept us off guard,” Nickens said. “We like to hit fastballs, and they didn’t throw us that many fastballs. Every guy was getting a lot of changeups and a lot of spinners. We can handle that, but they handled it really well this weekend.”
So the Terps changed their approach at the plate Sunday, Szefc said, focusing on attacking pitches earlier in the count.
It paid off. The Terps scored more runs in the first inning Sunday (three) than they had all weekend, and right-hander Brian Shaffer sealed the 4-1 victory from there.
After winning Co-Big Ten Pitcher of the Week last week, Shaffer threw his second consecutive complete game Sunday, allowing just one run on five hits in 90 pitches. Before the sophomore’s complete game in 99 pitches last week, no Terp had thrown a complete game in less than 100 pitches since 2014.
“I’ve never done that, obviously, in my life,” Shaffer said. “I just go into it with no worries and confidence in myself. When [all my pitches] are working, it’s hard to complain.”
While the Terps dropped the series, Szefc said his team isn’t in a bad position after playing two consecutive weekend series on the road. The Terps have played seven of their past eight contests away from College Park, going 4-4 during that stretch.
So Szefc feels confident his team will break .500 soon, as the Terps play eight of their next 10 games at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
“You’re probably going to go 1-2 in some conference weekends,” Szefc said. “I’d rather it happen on the road than at home. We control everything that happens to us. Everything is right there in the palm of our hands. We just have to go out and play well.”
