Ahead of the Maryland baseball team’s trip to Cary, North Carolina, this weekend, shortstop Kevin Smith called a players only meeting to discuss the team’s early struggles. The Terps’ 1-5 record matched the squad’s worst start since 2010. So with the Terps facing Notre Dame, No. 6 NC State and Dayton, Smith wanted to instill confidence in coach John Szefc’s team.

The Terps responded to his message, scoring twice in the ninth inning to defeat Notre Dame on Friday. The team’s offensive success continued Saturday in a 9-2 win over the Wolfpack. NC State right-hander Cory Wilder didn’t record an out before departing.

But Sunday’s 11-2 win over Dayton, a contest Szefc called a “trap game,” was most impressive for the fifth-year coach. The game was supposed to start at noon, but the umpires didn’t arrive until 12:30 p.m., forcing Maryland left-hander Tyler Blohm to warm up twice. But it didn’t matter, as the Terps grabbed a 11-2 victory for a sweep at the USA Baseball-Irish Classic.

“It was just as impressive for me as any game this weekend,” Szefc said. “There was great energy in the dugout. A non-businesslike team would have gone out there and went through the motions. Our guys didn’t do that.”

The Terps offense rallied in the first. Left fielder Madison Nickens, first baseman Kevin Biondic and Smith recorded RBI singles to give Blohm an early three-run lead.

For the second time in as many days, the Terps knocked the opposing starting pitcher out early. Freshman right-hander Tyler Jones exited after allowing three earned runs in two innings.

“People looked at us the last few weekends and judged us on it because they didn’t realize the competition we played,” right fielder Marty Costes said. “In the weekends before, we hit a cold spot at the same time. That’s why we had the results we had. … The game went our way this weekend.”

In Maryland’s first six games, multi-run frames plagued the Terps. But big innings lifted Szefc’s team against the Wolfpack and Flyers.

A four-run fifth inning, which featured a two-RBI double from Smith and second baseman Nick Dunn’s second RBI in as many innings, increased Maryland’s lead to seven.

Even when Blohm departed after surrendering two runs in five innings while striking out a career-high six hitters, Maryland’s lineup continued to support right-handers Jared Price and Mike Rescigno and left-hander Tayler Stiles in relief.

In a handful of Maryland’s first losses, the Terps received short starts, the bullpen struggled and the lineup couldn’t score late in games. This weekend, the Terps were on the other side of that spectrum, rallying to defeat the Fighting Irish before two offensive outbursts resulted in wins over the Wolfpack and Flyers. Smith’s meeting might have played a role.

“We really wanted to bring more energy,” Smith said. “We wanted to sweep the weekend. We didn’t want to shy away from that.”