Maryland baseball faces first-place Nebraska for a three-game series

Maryland Showtime Baseman Maxwell Costes (Photograph Courtesy of Maryland Athletics)

After winning three of four concluding weekend, Maryland (9-x B1G) will look to build on its momentum as it hits the road for a challenging matchup with Nebraska (thirteen-5 B1G).

Later starting the flavour 5-4, Nebraska has won eight of its last ix games and is undefeated at home (4-0).

"They are in first identify considering they are executing offensively, and they play lockdown defence force," head coach Rob Vaughn said.

Nebraska's lineup brings a lot of power and is i of the main reasons its enjoyed such a strong kickoff to the season. The Cornhuskers are in the pinnacle three in the Big Ten most offensive categories. They're kickoff in runs scored (135), first in on-base percentage (.397), second in batting average (.292), second in abode runs (29), and tied for first in stolen bases (24) with Maryland.

Nebraska right fielder Joe Acker took over the leadoff spot ten games ago. Since ascending to the leadoff spot, Ackers has an on-base percentage of .489. He'south also scored xiii runs and has provided instant production reaching base of operations in his first at-bat half-dozen times.

The Maryland rotation of Sean Burke (1-1, iv.78 ERA), Nick Dean (0-0, iv.50 ERA), and Jason Savacool (4-0, three.82 ERA) must limit early damage. Walks early in games have been troubling for the Terps staff and accept put them in some early deficits.

2d baseman Cam Chick has an OPS of 1.086, which leads 7 batters in the Nebraska lineup with an OPS over .900. Chick is kickoff in home runs (6) and RBI (21). Catcher Luke Roskam, shortstop Spencer Schwellenbach, and first baseman Jack Steil, centerfielder Jason Hallmark, and designated hitter Max Anderson round out a potent lineup.

Schwellenback leads the team in runs scored (22), tied for showtime in the Large 10. Anderson and Hallmark lead in hits (26), which is third in the Big Ten.

"They have a unique skill set offensively," Vaughn said.

In comparison, the Nebraska rotation of Cade Povich (2-1, 3.95 ERA), Chance Hroch (2-0, 5.04 ERA), and Shay Schanaman (ii-0, v.87 ERA) face up a Maryland criminal offence that will look to replicate its production from last weekend. Maryland is 2d in runs (127), tied for first in stolen bases (24), second in on-base percentage (.378), third in slugging percentage (.445), third in batting (.261), and 2d in home runs (26).

Maryland heart fielder Chris Alleyne and right fielder Randy Bednar set the tabular array for the Maryland lineup. Alleyne leads the team in runs (20), which is fifth in the Big X.

Shortstop Ben Cowles has led the Terrapins in every major offensive category this season. Cowles tied Rutgers first baseman Chris Brito for the Big Ten pb in home runs (9), second in RBI (25), and has the highest slugging pct (.833).

First baseman Maxwell Costes is heating up at the plate besides. Later but batting .192 with one RBI in his beginning 10 games, Costes batted .500 with 9 RBI over his terminal 4 games. Since returning from injury, Costes has been 1 of the main sources of production in Maryland's lineup.

"Even when bad times come, I tin brand it through it," Costes said. "I didn't feel any pressure. All I needed to practice was go dorsum to the drawing lath, see what I was doing wrong and make adjustments."

In a matchup of teams with such potent offenses, the games will come up down to pitching and defence force. Nebraska allowed the second-fewest runs (81) and walks (59) and is the best fielding team in the Big X (.984).

On the other mitt, Maryland is eleventh in fielding (.965). The Terps committed the 2nd-most errors in the Big Ten (24), which will need to change if they want to have success against the Cornhuskers. The deciding factor in the game is if Maryland can limit its mistakes and capitalize on the few that Nebraska commits.

"They thrive on mistakes, they put a lot of pressure on the defense, and they desire to force you to play make clean," Vaughn said.

Game ane is Friday at seven:30 p.g., Game 2 is Saturday at 3:00 p.m., and Game 3 is Lord's day at i p.m.

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Source: http://wmucsports.net/maryland-baseball-faces-first-place-nebraska-for-a-three-game-series/