Jake Yeager was the last Maryland baseball player to be introduced on Tuesday, and received the loudest applause.

The freshman pitcher, who entered this season as the No. 1 recruit in Maryland, made his first collegiate start for the Terps against Delaware. For the past three seasons, he donned Archbishop Spalding jerseys more than 20 miles away in Severn.

Yeager carries a legacy from the private school to College Park. Despite a mixed performance and a 13-10 loss in his first start, Maryland is optimistic about the right-hander’s potential.

“[We] saw some things that we still need to work on, and saw some good things, some positives,” pitching coach Jimmy Jackson said. “[Jake’s] without a doubt the future of the staff.”

Yeager is the first freshman pitcher since Jason Savacool in 2021 to open the year with a starting spot. Savacool was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2023 MLB draft.

Yeager committed to Maryland after his sophomore year at Spalding. At the time, Maryland was his only offer.

He later received additional opportunities after high school. Major league scouts littered the stands at his senior year starts. But Yeager made it clear he wanted to go to College Park rather than be drafted, Spalding coach Joe Palumbo said.

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“This was my number one school. So as soon as they offered me, I took it. I didn’t want to be anywhere else,” Yeager said.

Yeager transferred to Spalding after his freshman season at Arundel High School. Palumbo said the pitcher showed early potential with a naturally strong arm, eventually adding a sweeper pitch. He also increased velocity to 92 to 94 mph by his senior year.

He became a leader for the Cavaliers and a mentor to the younger pitchers, Palumbo said.

Yeager’s last high school start came in the 2024 MIAA championship. Spalding’s bats went cold and defensive errors forced a decisive game three against Calvert Hall.

After the loss, Palumbo consoled Yeager for the disappointing final start. Yeager’s response showed his team-first mentality.

“Coach, as long as we win tomorrow, I don’t care about today,” Palumbo recalled him saying.

Spalding rebounded the next game, defeating Calvert Hall to claim the MIAA title.

By the end of his senior season, Yeager had cemented himself as one of Spalding’s most accomplished athletes, earning Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year, Baltimore Sun All-Met Player of the Year and Washington Post First Team All-Met honors.

“He’s pumped to be at Maryland,” Palumbo said. “[He’s] Maryland born and bred, and I think he’s excited to put on the Terps jersey and represent his home state.”

Since coming to Maryland, the freshman has added a cutter and sinker to his pitching repertoire under Jackson’s guidance.

He’s also gained insights into how his body moves through motor preference work with coach Matt Swope. Yeager discovered he is a terrestrial athlete — meaning he relies on his lower body, sinking into his back hip and using his legs to generate power and control in his movements.

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“[I learned] some stuff I didn’t know about myself,” Yeager said. “Some coaches will tell you not to do that stuff, but when you have a system like [Maryland’s], it just makes everything so much more simple.”

Jackson, a former Spalding coach, knew Yeager from recruiting him as a coach at James Madison. Jackson said he reached out to the freshman when he joined Maryland’s staff in summer 2023.

The two also developed a pregame routine. The freshman listens to music in his headphones while stretching his arm. He then takes off the headphones and begins tossing, eventually throwing about 20 pitches and simulating his first two batters.

“I think it gets him a little bit more ready mentally, not just physically,” Jackson said.

Tuesday’s start was a mixed bag for Yeager. After securing his first strikeout in the first inning, Delaware right fielder Aaron Graeber launched a solo home run into left center. The freshman surrendered another home run in the second — a two-run shot into right center.

But he leveled out after that, retiring his next seven batters. Yeager was pulled in the fifth inning with no outs, ending his first collegiate outing with four innings pitched. He recorded six strikeouts but allowed four earned runs and three hits.

Swope thought the freshman bounced back well from the home runs. Jackson wants to see him work on getting ahead of counts better.

For Yeager, he’s happy starting for his home state’s school.

“I wanted to be here since I was a kid,” Yeager said. “I didn’t want to be anywhere else.”