Maryland coach John Szefc preaches about how baseball is a mental game. One difference in a uniform or pregame routine can slip into a player’s mind and affect his performance.
Through the first six weeks of the season, the Terps had played in a variety of uniforms, They’d worn all gray, all white, and red tops with white bottoms, among others.
But in its 13-5 win against High Point on April 2, Maryland debuted its Military Appreciation uniforms. The Terps wore the same jerseys this past weekend against Ohio State in their first weekend series sweep of the season.
Whether or not the Military Appreciation jerseys made a difference in their performance this weekend, the Terps found ways to win while wearing them. And with a 4-0 record in their new attire, they might decide to wear these jerseys more often.
“They look good, they feel good, so whatever is going to work, we’re going to keep doing,” Szefc said. “There’s a lot of mental things in baseball, as you guys know, and that’s probably one of them.”
The jerseys are black with “Maryland” on the front and the player’s number embedded in camouflage on the back. The hats, also decked in camouflage, feature the usual red Maryland “M” in front and an American flag sewed to the side.
The Terps’ inconsistency wearing other uniforms was on display in their weekend series against High Point, as the team combined to score five runs in losses April 1 and 3. While wearing their Military Appreciation uniforms during the second game of the series, though, the Terps matched a season-high 13 runs in an eight-run victory.
Their success in these uniforms continued this past weekend, and Szefc said his team’s performance against the Buckeyes helped turn the corner after an up-and-down start to the year. Maryland won Friday’s second game and Sunday’s game with walk-off singles after not having recorded a walk-off all season. The Terps (18-15) are about to dive into the bulk of their Big Ten schedule.
Center fielder Anthony Papio, who drove in two of Maryland’s three runs in the ninth Sunday, said he’s going to tell head equipment manager Ron Ohringer to keep the uniforms ready for use.
“Sometimes you just got to go with whatever’s working, so we’ll see what happens,” Papio said. “I’m going to do my best to push for it to wear them out till we lose in them.”
First baseman Kevin Biondic, meanwhile, has been dealing with an additional superstition about his unifrom this season. When Biondic recorded just one hit in his first 13 at-bats to start the year, he wore an undershirt in batting practice every day during that slump. So he decided to ditch the undershirt, opting to wear it only when it was cold. The sophomore now has the best batting average (.324) on the team among those who have taken at least 22 at-bats.
When something isn’t working, Biondic said, a little switch in the uniform can make a significant difference mentally. And after the Terps experienced success in their Military Appreciation uniforms, it’s a trend all of Biondic’s teammates can relate to.
“I can speak for the rest of us. If we’re going to win in them, we’re probably just going to keep wearing them,” said catcher Dan Maynard, who hit the walk-off single Sunday. “We’d wear them every day.”
