With a chip on its shoulder, Maryland baseball taking a page from the Commanders
Maryland baseball, coming off a tough season is fully motivated as a new one arrives.
A black wristband, embroidered with cursive letters and hashtags is wrapped around the wrist of every Maryland baseball player. The words, "Anybody, Anytime, Anywhere" are bolded in white text.
It's a mantra that coach Matt Swope and the four players on a leadership council took from Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders after a disappointing year. The program had its worst record since 2019 in Swope's inaugural season. They failed to reach the Big Ten tournament in stunning fashion.
Even Maryland's offense, a constant success under Swope, swooned to low levels. The Terps ranked near the bottom of the conference in hits, RBIs, OPS and batting average.
"We have a big chip on our shoulder this year, with not making the Big Ten tournament last year. That's not the standard here. We win here. And we know that and we're excited to prove everybody wrong," Eddie Hacopian said.
Those expectations are something that Swope takes pride in. He remembers the years when Maryland was the cellar-dweller of the Big Ten. The Terps are now trying to elevate to the next level, which includes reaching Omaha (the final eight teams) for the first time.
The 2024 iteration of the 'Dirty Terps' potentially has the configuration to accomplish that. Maryland has a blend of talent, mixing proven returners, blooming young players and prudent portal additions.
Eddie Hacopian (pictured), Elijah Lambros and Alex Calarco return as senior hitters. Hacopian should've been drafted in the offseason, Swope said, and will move from first base to a utility role across the diamond.
"Eddie should not be here. He should be playing pro baseball," Swope said.
That's because transfer Hollis Porter needs a spot in the infield. Transferring from Pearl River CC, Porter hit 20 home runs, batted .399 and had a .827 slugging percentage last season. He's expected to play a large role.
The Terps will complement their veterans with a talented sophomore class. Sophomore Chris Hacopian enters his second season as one of the top players in the Big Ten. The second-team All-Big Ten selection hit .323 with 15 home runs. He will move to shortstop, a position he played in high school, to replace the departed Kevin Keister.
It's not just Hacopian. Brayden Martin, Jordan Crosland and freshman Colin Gibbs make up a strong nucleus. Martin will be one of the best tops of the order bats in the Big Ten this season.
"I think we're going to have options [offensively]," Swope said.
The offense should rebound. It's been historically consistent under Swope. But Maryland's ceiling will depend on how viable its pitching is.
Last year's pitching staff was a disaster. The Terps surrendered the most runs in conference play, the second-most hits and had a combined ERA of 6.99. After top starter Kyle McCoy suffered Tommy John surgery prior to the season, the staff never rebounded.
But McCoy is back after a grueling rehab process. The lanky redshirt sophomore says he's fully recovered and is ready to pitch on Friday nights as the Terps ace.
"You kind of have to try and process that you're not going to be playing baseball for a year, so it's understanding that you got to look at other aspects outside of just playing baseball," McCoy said. "Because my whole life, all I thought about was, how do I help myself perform on the field? And this is kind of the first time where I had to focus on aspects outside of that."
"It's like getting a top-notch guy in the portal… it's just a huge boost," Swope said.
The depth behind McCoy is unproven, though. Joey McManis had a decent freshman season and should be the team's second starter. Sophomore Evan Smith is another promising arm. Logan Koester returns for his sixth collegiate season after starting every weekend series last season.
Ultimately, Maryland will need to replicate its strong seasons in 2022 and 2023. Those groups relied on a power-heavy lineup that mashed its way to win. Box scores looked like football games – 14, 17, 12 runs scored in conference contests.
The Terps season opens on Feb. 14 against UAB in the Swig and Swine College Classic. The first home contest is against Delaware on Feb. 18. Their first Big Ten game is on March 7 against UCLA.
