As Maryland baseball coach John Szefc finished preparing his lineup card for the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader against Bryant and headed toward the locker room to change his uniform, left-hander Tyler Blohm was already dressed and on the field.
Blohm had stayed inside and listened to the broadcast during Maryland’s 9-2 win over the Bulldogs in the first game of the doubleheader before preparing to throw. He remained loose and didn’t exit until moments before the Terps were set to stretch. Then, he immediately went to Maryland’s bullpen to ensure the cold weather wouldn’t affect him.
The sequence was a continuation of Blohm’s preparation during the week, which featured an outlook that “was smarter on the lifting and arm work.” It resulted in what Szefc deemed Blohm’s best performance of the season in Maryland’s eighth consecutive win, a 4-0 rolling of the Bulldogs at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
“I had a really good week working toward it,” Blohm said. “[Yesterday], I felt really good in the bullpen and in the first inning, and I just kept that confidence.”
Blohm retired the first 11 Bryant hitters he faced, including third baseman Jacob Marotta, who hit a line drive toward Blohm that bounced off his hand before he fielded it and threw to first baseman Brandon Gum to record the out. Pitching coach Ryan Fecteau and the Terps’ infielders congregated around the mound and watched Blohm throw warmup pitches before the game continued.
Blohm remained in the contest and said he was “throwing harder” after the incident, noting his curveball had more movement starting in the fourth. He pitched into the seventh inning for the first time in his Maryland career but was lifted after hitting catcher Mickey Gasper to open the seventh frame.
Over his six innings, Blohm allowed three hits while walking one and striking out six.
“It was fun to be behind him and see his success,” center fielder Zach Jancarski said. “Every time he goes out there, we feel like we have a pretty good chance to win. He’s a good arm. He kind of just did his thing out there.”
And after supporting right-hander Taylor Bloom in game one, the offense provided Blohm with an early lead. Gum tallied a sacrifice fly in the first, and shortstop Kevin Smith added a two-RBI double during a three-run fourth inning.
Right-hander Ryan Hill and left-hander Andrew Miller held the Bulldogs scoreless in the final three innings to secure Blohm’s third win of the season.
“[Blohm] had his best offspeed stuff today for sure,” Szefc said. “He used his changeup effectively when he had to. Six efficient innings and it was a tough situation because of the weather … He’s a mentally tough kid. It doesn’t surprise me because he did so well in the summer and that was a prerequisite to this. This is what he expects to happen.”
