Kyle McCoy’s starts have followed a nearly identical pattern this season: deliver at least six quality innings, hold opponents to three runs or fewer — and watch his teammates cost him a chance at a victory. Friday night was no different.
Despite McCoy throwing a career-high 110 pitches against Indiana and leaving Maryland baseball with a five-run advantage in the eighth, the Terps found a way to drop their fifth straight series opener. Maryland’s bullpen unraveled, giving up one of its largest leads of the season in a five-run collapse.
The Hoosiers tied the game in the eighth inning, before Will Moore delivered the game-winning knock in the ninth for the Hoosiers as Maryland fell, 7-6. The Terps are now 3-7 in games McCoy pitches despite his starter-best 3.22 ERA.
“It just seems like a broken record,” coach Matt Swope said. “Seems like one of those years.”
It was the sixth game this season Maryland’s opponent scored the go-ahead run in the ninth inning or later, a feat that occurred only three times in 2024. Four of those late collapses have come in McCoy’s starts.
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After striking out eight Hoosiers, the redshirt sophomore exited with runners on third and second, no outs in the eighth. Maryland held a five-run lead. But then reliever Andrew Johnson allowed the two runners to score before surrendering a two-run homer one at-bater later.
Johnson was pulled for freshman Cristofer Cespedes moments later, who conceded the game-tying single — a ground ball to third base that Brayden Martin bobbled.
The freshman hit back-to-back batters and allowed a runner to reach third with no outs. He did record two outs before Moore delivered the game-sealing hit on a two-strike pitch.
“This game doesn’t owe you anything,” Swope said. “It doesn’t owe you any favors, nobody is going to feel bad for you. We just got to consistently come out and keep [our[ heads high and then stay positive.”
Fresh off Tommy John surgery, McCoy had thrown over 100 pitches in five of his last five starts, hitting a career-high 106 twice this season before setting his new personal-best on Friday. He meets with trainer Tyler Cronin nearly every day to keep building arm strength and follows a detailed post-outing routine after each start.
McCoy’s weekly routine is guided by how his arm feels. After a Friday start, he typically takes Saturday off, plays light catch on Sunday, extends his throwing on Monday and throws a bullpen on Tuesday. He adjusts based on how his arm is responding the rest of the week.
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“Health wise, how I feel, my elbow hasn’t been anywhere near a problem. Everything’s felt great,” McCoy said. “I’ve been really, really happy with how my arms felt.”
McCoy has been tasked with guiding a struggling Maryland pitching staff. The redshirt sophomore has tried to stay upbeat with his teammates as the Terps’ unit has stumbled to a team 6.43ERA.
Early deficits and late-inning bullpen struggles have often spoiled McCoy’s performances. Maryland jumped to an early lead against the Hoosiers, but couldn’t continue the effort as the bullpen struggles reappeared.
The Terps jumped out to an early four-run advantage after Eddie Hacopian knocked a grand slam in the second. It was the senior captain’s sixth home run. Jacob Orr added an RBI single in the third, giving the Terps a 5-0 lead.
But Alex Calarco’s RBI double in the seventh was the only run Maryland scored after the third inning, while Indiana tallied six in the eighth and ninth.
“We got to be able to push across one more at some point,” Swope said.
Weekend series wins have been elusive for Maryland — the Terps entered winless it their previous seven. McCoy’s showing would’ve brought them one step closer to breaking that streak and staying in the hunt for a Big Ten tournament berth.
The late collapse makes it an even more daunting task now, having to win two straight games against the conference’s top offense with a skidding pitching staff for a series victory.
The Terps hoped their ace’s dominance could’ve set the tone for a different weekend outcome. Instead, they find themselves in a familiar weekend hole.
