Paul Jones II grew up about 30 minutes from the University of Minnesota’s campus. So when the freshman saw Maryland would be playing the Golden Gophers, he was immediately excited for the chance to return home and play in front of friends and family.

Even better, the series opener fell on his mother’s birthday — and Jones has a knack for homering on that day.

He kept the tradition alive Friday night at Siebert Field, launching a three-run shot in the sixth inning against Minnesota.

The blast was part of a five-run frame that separated the Terps from the Golden Gophers as Maryland took the first game of a pivotal late conference series, 8-2.

“It was just great for me to be able to do that, having all my family here, especially my mom’s birthday being today,” Jones said. “Being able to give her that for a birthday present was really cool.”

The designated hitter isn’t the only member of his family with Minnesota baseball ties. His grandfather, César Tovar, played for the Minnesota Twins from 1965 to 1972 and was inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Fame in 2022.

Jones has emerged as an option for Maryland’s ninth spot and designated hitter late in the season, starting five of the last 11 games. Friday’s homer was his second of the year; he’s batting .250 with nine RBIs.

“Really happy for him in his hometown and having his family here, and I know that felt good,” head coach Matt Swope said. “He couldn’t help but smile coming around the bases.”

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Swope has repeatedly said Maryland baseball will treat each of its remaining games like a Game 7, needing strong performances in its final two conference series — and help from other teams — to keep its postseason hopes alive.

The Terps seemed to take that message to heart, following Wednesday’s extra-innings win over James Madison with Friday’s win at Minnesota. His team played complementary baseball — Kyle McCoy pitched seven innings, Ryan Van Buren produced a strong relief outing and the Terps brought home eight runs.

Chris Hacopian opened the game with a two-run homer in the first inning. The sophomore shortstop had a long ball drought that lasted 25 games between March 9 and April 18 but has recorded six in the last 12 games.

He batted .642 with five RBIs in Maryland’s series win at Penn State last weekend — a performance Swope called pivotal in securing the Terps’ first series victory of the season.

“He’s finally getting that bit extra slug. He’s starting to drive the ball a little bit better,” Swope said. “If he’s slugging a little bit, it’s gonna make us tough to beat down the stretch.”

First baseman Hollis Porter kept the offense rolling with an RBI groundout in the third, then sparked Maryland’s sixth-inning surge with his team-leading 21st homer. Aden Hill followed with a sacrifice bunt to bring in another run before Jones’ three-run shot gave the Terps a six-run cushion.

The eight-run performance supported a 106-pitch outing from McCoy — tied for the second-most he’s thrown this season. It wasn’t the ace’s cleanest start, as he allowed a season-high 10 hits and one walk, but the redshirt sophomore minimized damage when it mattered. A two-run single in the fourth marked the only run-scoring hit against the lefty.

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“Definitely don’t think it was my A-plus stuff today,” McCoy said. “But I was just making sure I was getting weak contact and kind of letting my defense do the work.”

While the Terps’ bats built a larger lead than in last Friday’s start in University Park, Maryland received another adequate performance from the bullpen — a rarity this season. Senior Ryan Van Buren tossed two scoreless innings to close the game, allowing just one hit.

Van Buren has struggled this season, posting a 7.11 ERA and allowing at least one run in 12 of his 13 previous appearances — with his only other scoreless outing coming in the season opener against UAB.

But the Terps will hope the right-hander can build on the outing over the final five games. Van Buren’s 62 career appearances are the most on Maryland’s staff, and he started the Terps’ 2023 Big Ten title game win over Nebraska.

With every game now a must-win, the senior’s experience could prove valuable for a pitching staff that’s seen its veterans struggle.

The Big Ten Picture

Even if the Terps win out, they’ll still need help from around the conference to clinch a Big Ten Tournament spot.

Friday’s win moved Maryland into a tie for 14th with Purdue. Nebraska pulled even with Rutgers for 10th at 12-13 following Rutgers’ loss to Penn State, while Northwestern boosted its postseason hopes with a 12-2 rout of Ohio State — maintaining a two-game cushion over Maryland for the final tournament berth.

Michigan State, sitting in 13th place, hadn’t finished its game against USC by the end of Maryland’s Friday night opener.