Coach Matt Swope said Maryland baseball needed heightened focus in Sunday’s rubber match against Nebraska — the Terps were looking to claim their first series win of the season.
That focus never materialized. Early, it seemed a loss was inevitable. Maryland allowed 11 unanswered runs in the first three innings, and the same issues that plagued the Terps in Saturday’s loss resurfaced in the series finale.
The Terps were run ruled for the fourth time this season, falling 21-5 in seven innings at Bob Smith Stadium. It was the Terps’ 10th consecutive series loss dating back to last season, and the fifth time Maryland (20-25, 6-15 Big Ten) surrendered 15 or more runs this season.
“That wasn’t really a baseball game,” Swope said. “Not much of a chance to give yourself a chance to compete.”
Maryland’s 12-5 win on Friday put it in good position to claim its first series win. A 7-2 loss the next day had Swope calling for its pitching staff to limit the “freebies” given to Nebraska. The Terps walked eight batters and hit another in the loss.
Those issues only worsened in the rubber match.
Senior Andrew Johnson walked the first three batters he faced and allowed a grand slam against his fourth, spelling the end of his brief start. The Cornhuskers tallied three more hits and two more runs with freshman Cristofer Cespedes on the mound, capping a six-run first inning.
[Maryland baseball wins critical series opener against Nebraska, 12-5]
Similar to Johnson’s start, the right-hander loaded the bases to open the second inning with two walks and a hit batter. Three more runs scored off Cespedes before he exited the frame with two outs. Cespedes walked three batters in his start that lasted less than two innings.
Even when walks were limited, the Cornhuskers attacked the Terps’ pitching staff. Graduate arm Jack Wren conceded two more runs in the third off three hits. By the end of the frame, Nebraska had eight hits and drew seven walks. Meanwhile, a leadoff walk by Brayden Martin in the first was the Terps’ only baserunner in that span — falling into an early double-digit run deficit.
“The energy is good … It’s not a level of effort or energy or what we’re bringing to the table or coaching,” Swope said. “But at some point, we haven’t won a series all year. We just have to do it.”
The Terps briefly cut into the Cornhuskers’ lead with a five-run fourth, which featured a Chris Hacopian grand slam. Nebraska immediately responded with a five-run showing in fifth with Wren and sophomore Andrew Koshy on the mound.
While Nebraska recorded five hits and a walk in the inning, the Terps’ only response was a single in a scoreless bottom of the frame. The Cornhuskers led 16-5 following the fifth and continued to pour in runs.
[Indiana clobbers Maryland baseball’s bullpen in rubber match, 15-5]
Five more runs between the sixth and seventh ballooned the Cornhuskers’ total to 21 runs — the first time Maryland’s staff gave up more than 20 runs this season.
The Terps conceded nine walks and 19 hits in the rubber match. Meanwhile, Maryland tallied just five hits and five runs.
“There’s not much to say after that,” Swope said. “That’s not really a competitive baseball game.”
Maryland’s pitching staff holds the third worst ERA in the Big Ten at 6.84. Only two players on the roster hold an ERA under 5.00 — Kyle McCoy and Evan Smith, the latter of whom has tossed in only one game.
The Terps finished the weekend sitting alone in second-to-last place in the conference. Maryland still has pivotal series ahead against Minnesota and Rutgers, both of whom are also fighting for the final Big Ten tournament spot.
But if this weekend showed anything, it’s that a complete, three-day performance from this Maryland team will be hard to come by.
