For the second straight day, Maryland’s freshman pitchers delivered a much-needed start. But once again, the Terps’ hitters failed to provide offensive support.

Freshman Jake Yeager limited Washington to only three hits and two runs across his 4 ⅔ innings start — which followed fellow freshmen Logan Hastings’ one-run, 102-pitch performance on Saturday.

 

But Maryland’s offense went scoreless, managed only six hits and drew two walks, the second least this season.

The poor offensive effort led to a 2-0 rubber match loss to Washington (11-14, 4-2 Big Ten). Maryland (12-12, 2-4 Big Ten) averaged two runs per game in the three-game set in Seattle — the worst series average since 2019.

Sunday’s loss dropped Maryland to 12-12, the program’s worst start since 2021 (when they only played Big Ten opponents). The Terps have eight series against Big Ten opponents remaining in 2025, along with seven non-conference games.

With a .500 record, Maryland’s focus has likely shifted towards securing a spot in the conference tournament in May, hoping a strong performance there would propel them into the NCAA tournament. Its 2-4 conference record currently has them on the edge of the 12-team field.

“It’s obviously no secret that we have to be good in Big Ten play moving forward,” head coach Matt Swope said on Wednesday. “Right now, we need to win the games at hand and move on from there.”

[Kyle McCoy struggles on mound in Maryland baseball’s 12-4 loss to Washington]

But Swope’s team is spiraling toward a finish reminiscent of last season. The Terps boasted a 24-8 non-conference record last year, only to finish 10-14 in Big Ten play, missing the conference tournament.

Their early season success carried little weight in committee discussions, and this year’s 10-8 non-conference record won’t make much of an impact. Only three Big Ten teams made the tournament last year, and they finished with a combined 49-23 conference record.

Yet, the Terps have not shown an ability to consistently win against Big Ten opponents the past year and a half. Maryland’s once-dominant streak of 22 straight conference series victories now feels like a distant memory.

The Terps dropped five of nine Big Ten series in Swope’s first year. They’ve continued that trend in 2025 with two series losses to open the conference slate. While UCLA is one of the top teams in the country, Washington is 10-14 this season. The path forward won’t get any easier for Maryland, as they will face three of the conference’s top five teams the rest of the way.

Offense struggles, young pitching impresses

Maryland’s batters were retired in order during the first inning, one of four frames where the Terps did not record a baserunner. 

And when Maryland did get runners in scoring position in the sixth and eighth, they couldn’t punch a run through. The Terps even had a chance at a ninth-inning comeback with runners on first and third. Instead, Elijah Lambros grounded out to end any late effort.

Chris Hacopian and Alex Calarco lead a talented offensive core of four different hitters batting over .300. But Maryland averaged only 5.14 runs a game over their past seven games.

The offense’s struggles have coincided with a significant improvement on the mound. Yeager likely cemented his role in the weekend rotation with his first start.

[Maryland baseball’s freshmen arms provide hope amid a poor overall pitching performance]

Even after Yeager exited, Maryland’s bullpen kept them in reach. Cristofer Cespedes tossed 3 ⅓ scoreless innings of relief, striking out four and holding the Huskies hitless. The freshman right-hander holds a team-best 0.75 ERA after his appearance.

Cespedes walked only his second batter in seven appearances after walking four in his first collegiate outing on Feb. 22. The freshman was one of only four relievers who appeared against Washington.

Another bullpen role that appears to be settled is the closer position. Maryland’s experimented  with multiple players, but former starter Joey McMannis claimed his second save of the season on Saturday.

The Terps’ arms kept Maryland within reach in their final two games against the Huskies. But it was the offense that couldn’t perform in Seattle.

Maryland now returns to College Park with work to be done if they hope to secure a spot in the postseason.