After Maryland baseball third baseman AJ Lee hit his second home run of the game in the eighth inning of Sunday’s 15-2 win over Penn State, he returned to the dugout expecting high-fives from his teammates. Instead, as he walked toward the far end of the dugout to return his helmet and batting gloves, he was greeted with silence.

Not one Maryland player made eye contact with Lee, who smiled during the sequence and high-fived the dugout air. It was a familiar reaction to Lee’s power — at 6-feet, 175 pounds, he doesn’t look like a home run threat, so each time he hits one, the Terps rotate through a series of nonchalant reactions.

Lee’s two-home run game amused his teammates because the pair of blasts doubled his season total. They were forced to generate multiple ways of recognizing his production, as he went 4-for-4 with five RBIs from the nine spot in the lineup.

“They like to say that I don’t have a lot of power, that I’m more of a speed guy [who should] get on base and use my legs,” Lee said. “When I hit a couple, they like to say it was a fluke or wind-aided.”

[Read more: Maryland baseball’s offense explodes for 19 hits in 15-2 win vs. Penn State]

Lee’s first home run of the afternoon came against Nittany Lions right-hander Eric Mock with the Terps ahead by nine runs. Mock struck out shortstop Kevin Smith and left fielder Madison Nickens, but catcher Nick Cieri prolonged the inning with a double down the right field line. Then, Lee worked the count full before sending a ball over the center field wall.

As Lee returned to the dugout following his third home run this season, several Terps told him they doubted he would hit another blast. But with two outs in the eighth, he sent a hanging 2-0 pitch over the center field wall. While Cieri congratulated Lee, the rest of his teammates were too surprised to provide a reaction.

“It definitely provides a shock aspect to the other team because you’re like the [smallest] guy in their lineup has a lot of juice too, so just think what happens when the top comes around,” right fielder Marty Costes said. “… If we can get that performance out of him consistently throughout the rest of the year, I don’t see a team that can beat us.”

Lee has responded to increased playing time this campaign. After hitting .172 over 19 games last season, Lee’s production against the Nittany Lions pushed his average to .303, making him one of four Maryland batters hitting over .300 through the team’s first 35 games.

In addition, Lee’s offensive success comes after switching positions. A natural shortstop, Lee has predominantly served as Maryland’s third baseman this year.

“Sometimes it takes guys a little while to get comfortable,” coach John Szefc said. “He’s playing a new position. He’s a little bit protected now at the bottom of the lineup. It’s his day-to-day work. There’s a lot that goes into a guy getting to a point where after 35 games, a guy’s over .300 now.”

Lee hit just one home run over 918 at-bats with the Alaskan Baseball League’s Mat-Su Miners last summer, further justifying the Millersville native’s teammates’ reaction to his power surge against the Nittany Lions.

When Lee returned to the Terps dugout after his second home run, he smirked and ignored his teammates’ familiar antics.

“I like to give it back to them when I hit a couple,” Lee said.