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In another signal that the future of Maryland baseball looks bright, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced its Freshman All-American teams Monday and, for the first time in Terrapins' baseball history, the list included not one but two Terps. Pitcher Mike Shawaryn was named to the first team while second baseman Brandon Lowe earned a spot on the second team. Both players were named to as Louisville Slugger All-Freshmen last week and Lowe was also named to the third team All-ACC.
Brandon Lowe - redshirt freshman - Suffolk, VA
Lowe had an impressive freshman year batting .345 with 36 RBI and 32 runs scores, If anything, the postseason has brought out even more. After nine postseason games, Lowe is batting .364 with 12 hits in 33 at bats and has increased his batting average from .345 to .348. He was held hitless in the first game of the ACC Tournament but has since gotten a hit in eight straight games. He has increased his RBI total to 42 to tie for the team lead with Jose Cuas while leading Maryland in on base percentage at .463 and slugging percentage (.466) and triples with three.
Mike Shawaryn - true freshman - Carney's Point, N.J.
With 11 wins, Shawaryn set not only the freshman record for wins in a season by a Maryland pitcher but has the most wins in a season of any pitcher in Terps' history. Impressively, five of those wins have come against some of the best squads in the nation - Florida, Florida State (twice) and South Carolina - all on the road or at a neutral site. Those eleven wins and decisions 15 of his 16 starts, provide evidence that the freshman typically gives the Terps quality starts. His control has contributed significantly to that ability to go deep into games. Shawaryn walked only 24 batters in 92.1 innings while registering 72 strikeouts. He pitched to an ERA of 3.12.
One more reason for optimism among the Terrapins' faithful is that only Florida, Loyola Marymount, LSU and Miami joined Maryland with more than one player on the NCBWA squad. The freshmen helped Maryland to a school record forty win season as the Terps finished 40-23. They also made the first trip in the program's history to the NCAA Super Regional, where they won a game but came up just one win short of a first ever trip to the College World Series in Omaha.