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As has been the case for most of the spring season, athletes from the University of Maryland were once again well represented when the Big Ten announced its Player of the Week awards. Two names, Megan Whittle and Mike Shawaryn, have appeared in previous awards stories. Men's lacrosse defender Tim Muller was feted for the first time. Let's start with his story.
Tim Muller - Defender of the Week
The Terps men's lacrosse squad played and won two games last week notching an 11-10 win over 19th ranked Loyola before edging Rutgers 9-8 in Piscataway and the Big Ten elected to honor TIm Muller for his collective effort in those contests. While he picked up a total of five ground balls in the pair of games, it was likely his four ground ball effort against Rutgers that had the conference sit up and take notice.
Both opponents scored more effectively than most other Terrapins foes this season but the Terps' defense held both below their offensive averages including containing Rutgers to two fewer goals than they had averaged coming into the contest.
This is the first Defensive Player of the Week Award for Muller, a senior from Mineola, NY, but it is the seventh consecutive week and the eighth time in nine weeks a Terrapin has claimed the honor.
Megan Whittle - Freshman of the Week
Megan Whittle came to Maryland from McDonogh School as the top ranked recruit in the nation and has certainly lived up to that billing shining brightly on a team filled with stars. Whittle's 49 goals not only leads a potent Maryland offense but also leads the Big Ten and places her fourth nationally.
Like the men, the Maryland women played two games. Unlike the men, both of the women's opponents were ranked in the top 15 in the country. Then number 15 Princeton simply had no answer for Whittle as she found the back of the cage six times in Maryland's 18-10 win. She followed that performance with her seventh hat trick of the season as the Terps went on the road and defeated the Buckeyes 13-8. The award is Whittle's fifth Freshman of the Week honor.
Mike Shawaryn - Pitcher of the Week
It became clear early in his freshman season that Shawaryn would be an effective replacement for Jake Stinnett as the Terrapins' number one starter. The Carney's Point, NJ sophomore has likely exceeded even the high expectations that awaited him this season.
To date, Shawaryn has started nine games recording eight wins and one no decision. He has pitched to a 1.89 ERA and has struck out a conference leading 69 batters in 62 innings pitched. Nine of those strikeouts came in his 128 pitch eight inning effort in Maryland's only win over the Iowa Hawkeyes in their recent B1G series. Shawaryn last won the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on March 15th and this is his third such award this season.