Swayze Field, the home of Ole Miss baseball, is the place of nightmares for so many opposing teams and players.
Crowds of more than 10,000 fans, which include rowdy students ready to shower their peers with beer in the outfield, have created one of the most hostile environments in the country.
That wasn’t quite the case for Maryland junior right-hander Jason Savacool on Feb. 24 in the first of a three-game set between the defending Big Ten regular-season champions and the defending national champions.
Of any regular-season start in Savacool’s three-year college career, this might have been the biggest based on the location and opponent. He showed up and showed out for the Terps.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound right-hander allowed just two unearned runs and five hits in seven innings while striking out nine.
“[Pitching coach Mike Morrison] and I just devised a really good plan from the get-go,” Savacool said. “A lot of breaking balls, just trying to stay down in the zone. I just executed that really well, had really good command of my breaking ball. My fastball command was all right, but it got the job done in the end.”
It marked Savacool’s first win of the season and it couldn’t have come at a better time, as Maryland made an early statement to the college baseball world.
“It’s just kind of who he is,” Maryland head coach Rob Vaughn said. “I thought [in our season opener], he was just kind of OK. He would tell you that. He wasn’t commanding his secondary stuff like he did tonight. He was in more bad counts than he was tonight, and tonight, that’s vintage Jason Savacool right there.”
The Terps ended up struggling for the remainder of the series, losing two of three to the Rebels, but they got their Friday night starter back after he scuffled in the season opener against USF in Tampa (six innings, seven hits, five runs).
Savacool has already found success this season with a 3-2 record, and he has not yet given up an earned run in his three wins on the year. He has struggled in his losses, giving up eight earned in 11 innings pitched across two outings.
“Anytime you win [on] a Friday, it’s a good day,” Savacool said. “That’s obviously the toughest game of the weekend, for sure, but it helps set the tone and show everyone what we’re all about this season.”
All told, in 31 innings, Savacool has given up 11 total runs and eight earned runs, good enough for a 2.32 ERA for the Terps. He has struck out 29 and walked eight.
“Jason has worked very, very hard at the mental side of it,” Vaughn said. “Growing and continuing to weather the good and the bad, not flinch and just keep being himself. That’s been a very big focus of his and to see him not flinch, be as cool as can be, he did his thing and when he does that, I don’t care who you’re facing, he gives you a chance.”
Savacool’s most recent start against UAlbany on March 17 gave him wins in two straight starts. He struck out seven and giving up four hits in seven scoreless innings of work against the Great Danes.
Projected to be a high draft pick in the 2023 MLB Draft as one of the best draft-eligible college pitchers in the country, the spotlight has been on him since last season. But he’s backing that up already with great performances in the early going this season for Maryland.
Last season — a 2.93 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 107.2 innings — was far from a fluke. Savacool is on a mission to repeat the same success that he and the Terps experienced in 2022.
“It’s not just we were good last year and that’s it,” Savacool said. “We have a really good staff, first of all. Our bullpen and pitching staff is really solid, but obviously, our hitters are bringing the big load all of the time. We just want to really keep setting the tone for the season and progress.”
Savacool’s top outing of the season against Ole Miss set the course for the rest of the season for him and the Terps, bringing back some much-needed confidence as he’s more than shown just how effective he can be on the bump.
With a low-90s fastball with some run and some devastating breaking stuff, Savacool brings electricity to the Friday night starter role for the Terps.
“That win showed me where I need to be,” Savacool said. “I’ve definitely improved some things from last year. Added my split-finger which really has helped me out, especially against lefties, a place I’ve struggled at times against. It’s brought me some confidence moving forward.”
Photo Credits: Chris Lyons/Maryland Athletics