I’ll have a more comprehensive report at the end of the weekend but for now, let’s let it be sufficient to say that Friday was a good night for Maryland’s bat and ball sports. Both Terrapins softball and baseball opened three game home sets Friday night and each was important for its own reasons.
At the softball complex, the Terps took on the Penn State Nittany Lions in the next to last home series of the season. As the weekend began, Maryland was tied for ninth in the conference with Purdue and Indiana. Eleven games remained before the Big Ten Tournament and three of those will come against Michigan – the fourth ranked team in RPI. While those games are at home, the Wolverines are 37-6 on the season and stealing even a single game will be a tall order. The other eight games, beginning with the three against Penn State, are more realistically within the Terps’ grasp.
Only 12 of the 14 B1G teams qualify for the conference tournament. Again, the softball team is not likely to win the tourney and grab the automatic bid to the NCAA nor will they receive an at large bid to the national tournament. So why, you may reasonably wonder, was this series important for Maryland?
First, it is important for the psyche of the team. The Terps are coming off being swept at home by a very average Illinois team. Second, reaching the B1G Tournament is an important step that first year coach Courtney Scott Deifel can point to in the progression of the team in turning around last season’s program worst record of 11-35. Frankly, it becomes something of a recruiting tool. Third, the to accomplish the second point, Maryland has to beat the teams they can reasonably be expected to beat.
The Terps did just that Friday night picking up an 8-6 win over the Nittany Lions. The win improved Maryland to 24-19 overall and 6-7 in conference play. With the other results from around the conference, the Terrapins now sit alone – albeit somewhat precariously – in eighth place. Penn State and Iowa are tied for ninth at 6-9. At least one more win will assure the Terps that Penn State will leave the weekend trailing Maryland in the standings.
The Terps took the win on a five run fourth inning fueled largely by Lindsey Schmeiser’s two run homer and Shannon Bustillos’ 2 RBI double. Schmeiser led off the game with a single extending her hitting streak to 20 games. Bustillos’ two RBI pulled her within six of becoming Maryland’s all time leader in that category.
On the other side of campus, the baseball team opened a three game series with Cal State Fullerton. Fullerton is a storied and successful program that, while it hasn’t been as successful recently, can claim four national championships and have made 23 consecutive postseason appearances.
Despite bringing a 19-16 record to College Park, Fullerton still came in with an RPI of 39. After a disappointing series against Iowa, the Terps continued their bounce back that started with Wednesday’s win at RPI 35 Liberty. The Terps picked up a 2-1 win over the Titans in front of a season high crowd of 1,370.
Maryland scratched out two unearned runs in the home second against Fullerton starter Thomas Esherton. Fortunately, Terrapins ace Mike Shawaryn made that slim margin stand up. The sophomore hurled eight innings of shutout ball while scattering four hits and posting a career high 13 strikeouts.
In addition Shawaryn, who finished his freshman season 11-4 picked up his ninth win without a loss in 2015. His total of 20 wins ties him with John Rayne for most career wins as a Terp.
Shawaryn got through eight innings having thrown 106 pitches and the Terrapins brain trust of head coach John Szefc and associate head coach Jim Belanger elected to bring in closer Kevin Mooney to start the ninth. Mooney, who recently passed Brett Cecil to become the Terrapins’ all-time leader in saves, was ineffective walking both batters he faced. However, Maryland has great depth in their bullpen and junior Alex Robinson came in retired the Titans in order on a sacrifice bunt, a groundout to second that scored a run and a strikeout to preserve the 2-1 win.
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