Maryland baseball shortstop Pat Hisle rounded first base and slipped, his face planting into the dirt on his way to second in the Terps’ 9-1 win over Rutgers on April 2. It was Hisle’s first hit of his senior season and added to Maryland’s five-run advantage.

It was new territory for the Bethesda native, who hadn’t received the chance to start this season before the Terps’ three-game series against the Scarlet Knights. Hisle appeared in just 27 games during his first three seasons in College Park.

But with shortstop Kevin Smith sidelined with a shoulder injury, Hisle has started Maryland’s past eight games at shortstop. He’s proven to be a valuable substitute entering this weekend’s three-game series against Penn State.

“He’s ready to play any position from the get-go,” Smith said. “It wasn’t like when I went down, the panic attack button was pressed and everyone’s scrambling. It was ‘OK, you’re up next.’ And he’s ready to go whenever.”

[Read more: Maryland baseball can’t overcome another early deficit in its 8-5 loss to George Mason]

After watching Smith get hurt in shallow left field April 1, Hisle started to stretch and play catch in the dugout. It was a familiar routine, as Hisle has served as one of coach John Szefc’s utility bench players the past three seasons. But Smith had his shoulder wrapped and remained in the game.

As he remained on the bench, Hisle turned to his routine dugout antics, which includes quoting funny lines from “Family Guy.” The Terps have high expectations for his bench dialogue because he’s been able to get Szefc to smirk several times this season.

His presence on Maryland’s sideline didn’t last long, though, as Szefc removed Smith after the next half inning.

“[Our personalities] are almost opposite,” Smith said. “He’s really rah-rah, he’ll say jokes out loud and scream sayings that don’t mean much to baseball and get everyone laughing. Once I get in the zone, I’m laid back [and] relaxed.”

Smith noticed Hisle was “physically tight” at the plate the game Smith suffered the injury, prompting a discussion about relaxing offensively during batting practice the next day. Then, Hisle recorded his first RBI hit of the season.

Hisle also made his defensive value clear. During Maryland’s doubleheader sweep of the Scarlet Knights, Hisle fielded a ground ball after taking three steps to his right, opting not to backhand it. He then made a strong throw to first base to record the out. At that moment, Szefc realized the position was “stable” despite Smith’s absence.

“It gave me a sense of calmness that the position’s still under control even though the guy who has been playing it the last two and a half years isn’t in,” Szefc said. “… He’s helped us win a lot of games. He’s a Maryland guy, which is important for the program, too. He’s been a really good part of our program for a long time.”

Hisle has started eight of the 13 games he’s appeared in this season and is hitting .111 with an RBI. But there’s been flashes of offensive success, such as in Maryland’s 12-11 win over Richmond on April 4.

Catcher Nick Cieri’s three-run home run tied the game in the eighth, and Hisle prolonged the inning with a two-out double two batters later. He then scored the go-ahead run on center fielder Zach Jancarski’s single, giving the Terps a lead they didn’t relinquish.

“It’s probably my favorite game I’ve played in so far [this season],” Hisle said. “The way we chipped away and won, and I was able to score the eventual winning run. That was fun. I’m just happy to be out there every day.”

Hisle might see his playing time diminish soon, as Smith returned to the lineup as the designated hitter Wednesday, his first start since April 1. However, Maryland isn’t planning to rush Smith back from the injury, meaning Hisle could receive several opportunities to play against the Nittany Lions.

“[The playing time] has been nice,” Hisle said. “[It’s] senior year, [and] it’s been nice to come out and your parents get to see you play. This is definitely going to be my last year playing baseball. It’s been nice just soaking it in, and with a guy like [Smith], it’s been a pleasure to play with him and watch him get better.”