Trey Ciulla-Hall thought he was set to play for Maryland baseball.

The infielder announced his commitment to the Terps in July after four years at Stonehill College. All he needed was the NCAA to approve a waiver for his fifth year — something he and Maryland believed was likely.

“I was like — ‘Any second now, I’m gonna now be able to get changed and go play,’” Ciulla-Hall said.

But the NCAA refused to grant him a fifth-year waiver that Maryland sent on his behalf in November 2024, citing his participation in 21 games — one more than the allowable number to maintain eligibility — at Stonehill College during the 2021 season.

Ciulla-Hall filed a temporary restraining order and injunction to allow him to play for Maryland in 2025 after the NCAA denied Maryland’s appeal to its November decision, according to a complaint filed in a Massachusetts district court in early February.

He cited confusing eligibility rules during the COVID-19 pandemic seasons, as well as stress from his mother’s illness, that impacted his 2021 season.

Yet just less than a week later, a federal judge denied his motion for a temporary restraining order and injunction, which shut down his bid to play for Maryland this season.

“The Court is not unsympathetic to Ciulla-Hall’s situation, and notes that the denial of injunctive relief does not reflect any assessment of the plausibility of his claims,” Judge Denise Casper wrote in her ruling. “As Ciulla-Hall cannot demonstrate a likelihood of success on his claims, the Court need not reach the remaining factors required for preliminary injunctive relief.”

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In order to meet the NCAA’s fifth-year waiver requirements for student athletes whose seasons were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ciulla-Hall needed to have played less than 20 games in the 2021 season, according to court documents. But he exceeded that mark with 21.

Stonehill didn’t practice in the fall of 2020 and it was unclear if the team would play in the spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ciulla-Hall said. When the Skyhawks finally took the field, their schedule was limited to eight opponents across 32 games, including six against Bentley University, according to the 2021 schedule.

The season, which typically begins in February, was also delayed to mid-March 2021.

Ciulla-Hall added that he wasn’t even sure if he’d play at the time. He frequently returned home to take care of his four siblings and mother, who was sick with COVID-19 and had a preexisting condition, he said. But after he talked with his mother, he decided to play.

“That conversation with my mom was real,” Ciulla-Hall said. “I needed it for my own mental health at that time to get my mind off of all the craziness going on in the world and with my situation.”

The first baseman announced he was transferring to Maryland on July 17, 2024. The team was drawn to Ciulla-Hall’s potential to play third base in 2025.

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Maryland baseball declined a request for comment.

Ciulla-Hall registered for classes on Feb. 7, but withdrew from the spring semester after the court’s decision, he said.

Just before Ciulla-Hall’s ruling, Wisconsin football cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean successfully sued the NCAA for his fifth season of eligibility.

In a Wisconsin District Court, Fourqurean argued that his two seasons at Division II Grand Valley State shouldn’t count against his college eligibility — the same as Ciulla-Hall — because Fourqurean’s father’s death impacted his mental health and off-season training, ESPN reported.

The athletes also said in their complaints that the NCAA violated federal antitrust law by denying his waiver and restricting his ability to earn name, image and likeness benefits.

Ciulla-Hall said his lawyer had been in contact with Fourqurean’s legal representative to find out how to proceed with the case.

Ciulla-Hall has since returned home to Brockton, Massachusetts, he said. His baseball future is uncertain, but he said he won’t stop fighting for his fifth year.

“[The NCAA] say they fight for their student athletes and they want to make it fair for their student-athletes,” Ciulla-Hall told the Diamondback. “But in this situation with me, personally, I didn’t feel like I was treated fairly.”

The NCAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.