Win or lose, many Maryland baseball players end each game the same way. They drop to one knee, heads bowed, arms slung around each other’s shoulders, eye black still streaked across their faces — and pray.
These displays of Christian faith are part of a deeper spiritual routine that a core group of players embrace.
Weekly Bible studies, campus ministry events and religious conversations in the locker room have become a key part of the team’s culture. Some players said their faith helps them navigate the demands of a Division I program and find meaning outside their sport.
“There’s so much more to life than just baseball. We put all our effort into it, but there’s a more spiritual side of life,” sophomore Chris Hacopian said. “Baseball cannot be the only thing in your life. It can not be your identity, you have to have more.”
Hacopian attended church mainly on holidays as a child and was influenced by his grandmother’s strong faith. But he didn’t begin to explore his own beliefs until his freshman year in College Park.
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The shortstop took batting practice on the field during the 2023 summer with Jordan Crosland when he noticed a Christian tattoo on Crosland’s arm, sparking a conversation.
They then joined a small group of Terps — including Elijah Lambros, EJ Hankerson and former player Randy Carlo — who met on Mondays at 7 p.m. in a Terrapin Row conference room for Bible study and faith discussions. They would read scripture together, using physical Bibles or apps.
They have carried into this season, even on the road, with Lambros typically orchestrating the gathering in his hotel room. They always encourage others to join, and Hankerson estimates most players have attended at least once. Transfer Aden Hill is now a regular.
“My faith has grown so much stronger being here, and I know it’s not super common in college sports to have a circle like that,” Hankerson said. “I’m super grateful to be able to grow my faith while being here.”
Each player has taken a unique path in their faith. Hankerson attended Catholic Calvert Hall College High School and was baptized his senior year, hoping to continue his faith in college. Crosland grew up in a Christian household but said he was never “living in it” until he connected with his teammates freshman year.
Lambros realized there’s a difference between learning about faith and truly pursuing it, even after attending a Christian high school. Though his college career didn’t begin at Maryland, he believes transferring shaped his path.
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After his freshman year at South Carolina, he entered the transfer portal and prayed for the right fit. Despite receiving an offer from his dream school, Texas Christian University, Lambros said he kept seeing the Maryland logo during prayer.
“I’m just grateful that he was able to use me [and] a couple other guys on the team to start the Bible study, start helping out these younger guys, teaching them what we know, talking about the Bible, just getting into the Word,” Lambros said.
Lambros and several teammates credited coach Matt Swope, who is also Christian, for encouraging them to find an outlet beyond baseball.
Swope, who attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, leaned on his faith and the relationships he built there to get through personal tragedy. At 15, he lost his younger brother, Jimmy, who was electrocuted. His older sister, Janie, died years later from a rare form of cancer in 2008.
“In those instances, you’re looking into things like God has a bigger plan,” Swope said. “It’s definitely been something that I’ve had to deal with at a young age and came to grips with much earlier than maybe some of these guys that are really getting into it now, or maybe most people even later on in their life.”
Many players are involved with Campus Outreach, a college ministry.
Lambros said he and some of his teammates have helped with ministry events, including visiting the dining hall to share a meal and talk about the gospel. The organization hosted a barbecue last fall at a player’s house.
During the season, Campus Outreach holds chapel services in the Varsity Team House’s film room on Sunday mornings before home games.
“Because they are [Division I] athletes, they get a lot of hype, and they’re naturally kind of more popular. So it’s definitely really cool to see them be vulnerable in that way, and for people to hear that,” said Jeff Lewtan, a staff member for Maryland’s Campus Outreach ministry.
Crosland, who is involved in Campus Outreach, suffered a hand injury at the beginning of the season and credited his religion as a constant in his everyday life. It’s a sentiment many of his teammates hope to share.
“I have that faith in God,” Crosland said. “Everything is going to happen for a reason, and everything is going to end up where it’s supposed to end up.”
