Brady Kirkpatrick has not had the season he hoped for.

The Terrapins baseball team’s right-hander compiled a 3.04 ERA last season in nine starts and two relief appearances for former coach Erik Bakich and was poised to be a staple in the 2013 starting rotation.

And while Kirkpatrick has made a start in all 11 weekend series this season for the Terps — who play at Clemson in a three-game series starting Saturday — a nagging right shoulder injury requiring multiple MRIs has hindered his progress. The Eugene, Ore., native sports a dismal 4.92 ERA and has struggled to pitch deep into games, averaging just more than five innings per start.

That hasn’t stopped him from making an impact, though. Despite his struggles on the field, Kirkpatrick has been a veteran leader for a young Terps pitching staff, which features six true freshmen.

“He’s been around, and he has a lot of experience,” coach John Szefc said. “He’s the kind of guy that can really help our program grow quickly, considering we have a lot of young guys, and he is one of the older guys. He really wants to take a major role in helping young guys develop on the field and off the field, and he’s really helped our coaching staff to do that.”

Kirkpatrick’s teammates also notice his off-the-field contributions.

“He brings a lot to the dugout, and he brings a lot to the team, a lot of energy, a lot of high spirits,” said right fielder Jordan Hagel, one of only three seniors on the roster. “Even though he’s not doing that well, he doesn’t let that affect him, and he doesn’t let that affect the team. He’s there to help the team, keep us inspired and keep us playing well.”

After Kirkpatrick allowed two earned runs on three hits and two walks in less than two innings against Duke on April 27, Szefc brought him out of the bullpen for the first time all season in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s 11-3 win over Towson.

“We wanted to get him back on the mound,” Szefc said. “He had a tough outing on Saturday, and when that happens with a pitcher you want to get him back out there so he can kind of get his feel back and get feeling good about himself again.”

But the strategy backfired on the first-year coach. Despite entering the contest with a 10-run lead, Kirkpatrick struggled. He surrendered two earned runs on three hits and two walks before finally drawing a double play to close out the game.

After Kirkpatrick’s poor outing Tuesday, Szefc said he isn’t sure if the pitcher will make a start this weekend. The Terps have several options to replace him, including left-hander Alex Robinson, who allowed only one run on six hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings of work against Towson.

But Szefc was clear about one thing.

“If we are going to be successful,” he said, “we need Brady Kirkpatrick to be good.”

The Terps fear Kirkpatrick’s shoulder injury may prevent him from returning to his 2012 form.

Regardless, the junior right-hander will find a way to make a difference, even if he isn’t on the field.

“I respect him because no matter how he is performing, he’s a very stand-up guy, he’s very mature and he’s able to direct a lot of traffic for our pitching staff and for our players in general,” Szefc said. “I think a lot of guys respect him and look up to him.”

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