All season, the Maryland baseball team has grappled with its undermanned bullpen, watching as its underclassmen-heavy middle relief corps repeatedly struggled.
Closer John Murphy and first baseman and reliever Kevin Biondic have been stable late-game options, but no other bullpen arms have sported ERAs below 3.75.
The return of right-hander Ryan Hill, though, gives the Terps a much-needed boost as they make a late push toward qualifying for the Big Ten tournament. Due to NCAA eligibility issues, Hill, a senior, didn’t play this season until April 25.
Since his return, the Grayson College transfer has thrown 4 2/3 innings without allowing a run, rediscovering the form that earned him significant innings out of the bullpen last season. Ahead of a crucial Big Ten series against Nebraska, Hill’s presence and versatility could benefit a potential Maryland late surge toward conference tournament contention.
“He’s going to be a key tool for us these next couple of weekends,” left fielder Marty Costes said April 29. “He was a guy for us that took the ball when we needed him to and did well last year. So, we have confidence in him.”
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The Frisco, Texas, native featured heavily for then-coach John Szefc’s squad last campaign, leading Terps pitchers with 29 appearances. He started two games and threw 46 2/3 innings, the most of any reliever. But a late collapse inflated his ERA to 5.01, marring what had been a promising first year at the Division I level.
His absence stretched the bullpen — already losing six of its nine relievers who had double-digit appearances — even thinner. On a few occasions this year, starters have stayed in games past their usual pitch count in an effort to bypass the often turbulent middle innings.
[Read more: Maryland baseball’s comeback falls short in 9-5 loss to West Virginia]
Hill adds an experienced presence with the ability to eat innings. In Tuesday’s loss to West Virginia, Hill went 2 1/3 scoreless frames, his longest outing of the season. It was a promising sign for coach Rob Vaughn ahead of a critical matchup against the Cornhuskers.
“That’s kind of vintage what Ryan Hill did last year for us,” Vaughn said. “He’d come in midweek games when we were scuffling early and kind of stem the tide and give us a chance.”
Hill’s 10.61 strikeouts per nine innings ranked second on the team last year. In the fifth inning Tuesday, Hill dropped in a curveball to catch designated hitter Connor Hamilton swinging for the pitcher’s second punchout of the season. For a group that hasn’t produced the results required to cover for an under-performing batting order, the lone run surrendered by the bullpen in 6 2/3 innings in Morgantown was a promising step.
At six games below .500, an at-large bid for a second straight NCAA Regional appearance seems out of the picture for Maryland. And the Terps are in 10th place in the Big Ten, two games and places out of qualification for the eight-team conference tournament.
Hill’s return since being reinstated with the team could be a boost for Maryland’s bullpen and the Terps’ chances in a must-win series in Lincoln to keep conference tournament and NCAA Regional hopes alive.
“I’ve just been waiting to be put in,” Hill said. “I know that I can go out there and throw strikes and get the outs and give our team the best chance to do well.”
