The Maryland baseball team begins its 2023 campaign in Tampa as the Terps take on South Florida from Feb. 17-19 for the first time in program history.
Maryland won the Big Ten regular-season championship in 2022, its first conference title since winning the ACC more than 50 years ago (1971). The Terps now enter 2023 ranked No. 13 in the nation by D1Baseball following an impressive season that ended with a loss to UConn in the College Park regional in the NCAA Tournament.
Maryland head coach Rob Vaughn joined Glenn Clark Radio Feb. 15 to discuss how the team is moving forward after a heartbreaking end to last season.
“It’s kind of on to the next thing. You finish up there in June and then you have two weeks and then you get on the road and go start filling your team for next year, figuring out where you need to get better in the short term and figuring out where you need to grow long term,” Vaughn said. “Not a lot of time to suck your thumb and dwell on it. Got to pick up the pieces, figure out what you need to do to go get back there and push through this thing this year.”
There are certainly positives to take away from last season given that Maryland hosted a regional for the first time program history and won a school-record 48 games. Vaughn, now in his sixth season in charge, was asked about the rise of his program.
“I think that’s where Maryland baseball should be — in the national spotlight and in the national media attention,” Vaughn said. “We’ve got to now transform from being that team that did that one cool thing that one year to the team that kind of leads from the front. I think we’ve got a team that can do that this year.”
Maryland is returning 15 players from last year’s roster, including six players who earned All- Big Ten honors: Nick Dean, Kevin Keister, Nick Lorusso, Jason Savacool, Matt Shaw and Luke Shliger.
Savacool, a junior right-handed pitcher, posted an 8-3 record and a 2.93 ERA in 107.2 innings a year ago. Shaw, a junior shortstop, hit .290/.381/.604. Shliger, a junior catcher, hit .353/.495/.602. All earned Preseason All-America honors from D1Baseball.
Vaughn offered a lot of praise about this trio’s impact on the team for the upcoming season.
“I think we have the luxury right now that our best players are also our best leaders,” Vaughn said. “… We’re led by our best players: Matt Shaw, Jason Savacool, Luke Shliger. Those are the guys leading the charge for us.”
Vaughn singled out another player for praise. Infielder Nick Lorusso, who slashed .322/.409/.562 last season, returned for a fifth and final season.
“That dude should be hitting in Double-A somewhere and instead he’s back for his final season with us and looks great,” Vaughn said. “There’s a lot to look forward to, a lot of excitement with our returners to stay as we kind of get rolling here.”
The Terps’ pitching staff is led by Savacool and senior right-hander Dean (6-2, 4.57 ERA, 82.2 IP), who is fresh off third-team All-Big Ten honors. However, Vaughn believes his options run deeper than those two standouts.
Ohio State transfer Nate Haberthier is slated to be the Sunday starter after pitching a total of 79 innings the previous two years for the Buckeyes. Freshman Kyle McCoy, from Ringoes, N.J., was ranked as the No. 17 left-handed pitcher in the nation by Perfect Game in his recruiting class.
“I think there’s some pieces in that bullpen in some depth that we did not have last year,” Vaughn said.
On the offensive side, Maryland batted .308 as a team last year, which ranked second in the Big Ten to Rutgers. The Terps also posted 683 hits, 572 runs, 337 walks, 137 home runs and 534 RBIs, all single-season program records.
The team’s success at the plate can in part be attributed to associate head coach and hitting coach Matt Swope. According to Vaughn, Swope has received numerous job offers from other schools and even MLB clubs throughout his stay on Maryland’s staff.
Vaughn was asked how he keeps Swope around.
“[Swope] has more pride in this place than any human on the planet,” Vaughn said. “And that’s the only reason because that guy’s had some opportunities. … I’ve always said you’ve got to do what’s best for you and your family. If you feel like this is right, I’m going to support you, I’m going to do whatever I can to help you get it. … He’s a passionate learner. He is passionate about the University of Maryland being successful and that’s, frankly, the only reason he’s still here with me.”
For more from Vaughn, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credits: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics