Each summer, some of the most talented college baseball players participate in the Cape Cod Baseball League in Massachusetts, making it arguably the most competitive collegiate summer baseball league. While some players struggle against the country’s top talent, Maryland baseball second baseman Nick Dunn and shortstop Kevin Smith thrived.
As top players on their respective teams, Dunn and Smith were named All-Stars. Dunn, who led the Terps with a .300 batting average last season as a freshman, ranked in the top-10 of the league in batting average (.311), runs (26), hits (51) and RBIs (25). Smith, meanwhile, had a .348 on-base percentage with 12 doubles, tied for the most in the league.
Dunn and Smith were two of the many Terps who took advantage of their time playing summer baseball this year to prepare for the spring season and improve their MLB draft stock.
Right-hander Ryan Selmer, who held a 4.34 ERA in 37.1 innings last season, was the lone Terps pitcher in the Cape Cod Baseball League. He finished the summer with a 3.17 ERA in 22.2 relief innings.
In the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, played in the Maryland area, catchers Justin Morris and Nick Cieri and outfielder Marty Costes headlined the Terps at the plate. After hitting .194 with Maryland last season, Morris led the Bethesda Big Train to the championship by hitting .287 with 25 RBIs, 10 doubles and four triples. Cieri, who hit .256 for the Terps last season primarily as designated hitter, batted .301 with 24 RBIs and five home runs.
Costes led Maryland in home runs (nine) and RBIs (37) last season, and he continued his success this summer. The sophomore racked up 24 RBIs, while recording seven home runs and batting .319.
Right-hander Hunter Parsons, who held a 3.50 ERA last season as the Terps’ fourth starter, starred on the mound in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League. He posted the league’s second-best ERA (1.41) while leading the league in wins (six) and strikeouts (44). Right-hander Mike Shawaryn, Maryland’s ace the past three seasons, was drafted by the Boston Red Sox this offseason, so Parsons is the top candidate to fill out the weekend rotation with right-handers Taylor Bloom and Brian Shaffer, who didn’t play summer baseball.
Also in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, right-hander Mike Rescigno, who was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 25th round of the MLB draft this offseason but decided to stay at Maryland, posted a 1.14 ERA while throwing 19 strikeouts in 15.2 relief innings. He was the Terps’ closer for most of last season but was inconsistent in that role, holding a 5.59 ERA. Left-hander Tyler Blohm, an incoming freshman, posted a 2.07 ERA in seven games, including four starts.
Other notable summer performances came from outfielder Zach Jancarski, who hit .288 and was second in the New England Collegiate Baseball League with 20 stolen bases, and right-hander Cameron Enck, who led the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League with a 0.39 ERA.
Though the majority of the Terps who played at least 25 contests last season flourished this summer, others struggled. Outfielder Madison Nickens hit .146 in 19 games in the Alaskan League, while catcher Dan Maynard batted .185 in the Perfect Game League.
This offseason, Maryland lost just three players between graduation and the MLB Draft. Based off the performances the Terps’ key players put together this summer, coach John Szefc’s squad seems on track to improve on its 30-27 record from last season and make a run at the NCAA Tournament after failing to qualify last year for the first time since 2013.
Maryland baseball players were not made available for this story.