Oblivious to the outing’s true meaning, Maryland baseball right-hander Brian Shaffer sat in the middle of Looney’s Pub in College Park as a freshman during the NCAA tournament selection show in 2015. After qualifying for the regional competition, the Terps topped Ole Miss and UCLA en route to a Super Regionals appearance, but still, Shaffer didn’t appreciate the significance of that moment.

As the Terps sat at Looney’s again Monday, pointing their phones in the direction of the TVs as if they already knew they had secured a spot, Shaffer’s thought process changed. The Big Ten Pitcher of the Year celebrated as it was announced that Maryland earned the No. 3 seed in the Winston-Salem Regional and will face No. 2-seed West Virginia on Friday afternoon.

It seemed Shaffer, now an MLB draft prospect, was positioned to have a breakout campaign in his first season as Maryland’s ace. However, the expectations weren’t nearly as high for third baseman AJ Lee or right-hander John Murphy, but both delivered productive campaigns. That made Monday’s celebration much more valuable for Shaffer.

“I remember sitting at the same place and getting our name called and not remembering how important it was,” Shaffer said. “This year, with this group of guys, it’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m excited.”

Left-hander Andrew Miller and right-hander Ryan Selmer opened the season as coach John Szefc’s top late-inning relief options, but it’s Murphy who ended the season with the best ERA among relievers who pitched more than an inning. The sophomore didn’t travel the first two weeks of the season while assistant coach Ryan Fecteau determined his role.

Still, Murphy worked around a five-run, 1.2-inning start against Richmond on April 4 to become Maryland’s best reliever. Over 28.2 innings, he’s pitched to a 1.26 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .175 average. As the Terps bullpen struggled during the last four series this season, Murphy proved to be the lone consistent relief arm.

That again was the case in the Big Ten tournament, during which the Terps dropped their first matchup with Iowa but won three straight to reach the semifinals. Murphy tossed three scoreless innings and struck out six as Maryland eliminated Purdue, 5-2. Two days later, Murphy thrived again, blanking Northwestern over three frames to secure the Terps’ 9-5 victory.

Like Murphy, Lee struggled early as he fought for the starting third base job, one that it seemed would inevitably be given to first baseman Brandon Gum when he finished rehabbing a torn rotator cuff. Szefc commented on his throws across the field while he adjusted at the plate.

Lee responded, so much so that he was named a Third-Team All-Big Ten selection while Gum became a mainstay at first base. Lee’s insisted from the outset that his success is the result of nothing more than believing he’s better than the pitcher on the mound. Entering Friday, he’s hitting .318 with 35 RBIs.

His first-inning home run against Nebraska on Friday gave the Terps a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, the type of offense Szefc has now come to expect as postseason play continues.

“Last year it was tough not making a regional,” Lee said. “We think we deserve to be in. It’s really special.”

Szefc put together a schedule that ranked 76th nationally, and Maryland boasted a top-35 RPI, strengthening its NCAA tournament chances. Right-hander Taylor Bloom, left-hander and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Tyler Blohm, shortstop Kevin Smith and right fielder Marty Costes all had moments of glory in 2017.

But without Lee and Murphy’s production, Shaffer might have been left at the Looney’s table wondering why Maryland didn’t earn a spot in the tournament.

“I don’t know where we’d be,” Szefc said, “without those two guys right now.”