Maryland baseball is coming off a dominant performance over Maine, picking up its first weekend sweep of the 2023 season. Everything was clicking for the Terps from top to bottom, and the final scores reflected it.

The offense was on fire against the Black Bears, putting up 39 total runs with 25 of them coming in game one. Maryland’s starting pitchers finally showed what they’re capable of with dominant performances from Jason Savacool and the new lethal one-two punch of Kyle McCoy and Nate Haberthier on Sundays.

Maryland was also aggressive on the base paths, like it has been all season, stealing 10 bags over the weekend. Maryland’s aggressiveness on the bases gave its hitters opportunities with runners in scoring position, and it pounced on those chances.

The Terps will look to extend their win steak to five games as they head up to Newark, Delaware, to take on the Delaware Blue Hens for the second time this season. In their first matchup, the Terps came out on top with an 8-3 victory on Feb. 28, and they will look to do the same on Wednesday.

The game was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but due to inclement weather, it was moved to Wednesday. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. and can be watched on FloBaseball.

Delaware Blue Hens (6-9, 2-1 CAA)

2022 record: 25-26, 8-15 CAA

Head coach Greg Mamula has had an up-and-down start to his reign as the head coach of the Delaware Blue Hens. Despite having an overall record below .500, the Blue Hens have seen early success in conference play.

They have proven to be significantly better on their home turf, as their home/away splits are 4-4 and 2-5, respectively. Maryland is the stronger squad, but if the Maryland midweek pitchers allow the Delaware offense to get hot, it could potentially do some damage.

Hitters to watch

Joey Loynd, redshirt junior infielder, No. 29 — Loynd continues to be one of the most prolific batters in this lineup. He is currently batting .344 with a slugging percentage of .656 and an OPS of 1.075. He has been one of the main sources of offense for Maine and leads the team in RBIs (22). The second-highest RBI total is 14.

Bryce Greenly, redshirt junior designated hitter, No. 35 — Since Greenly’s debut season in 2020, he has improved in every statistical category, and that stands true this year too. He is now leading the team in batting average (.386), on-base percentage (.471) and OPS (1.085). Greenly has shown that he is extremely disciplined at the plate.

Pitchers to watch

Wyatt Nelson, junior right-handed pitcher, No. 43 — Nelson has been a consistent presence in Delaware’s midweek games this season. Whether he starts or comes in for relief, he is a go-to arm. Nelson has had a shaky start to his season in his three performances, as he currently has an ERA of 11.57 and has held his opponents to a .395 batting average.

Dan Frake, redshirt senior right-handed pitcher, No. 18 — Frake is another consistent option that Mamula goes with for midweek games — he usually looks for Frake to provide two or three innings in relief. Frake has a 1-0 record with a 3.48 ERA and .97 WHIP. Expect to see him on the bump on Wednesday.

Strength

Explosivity on offense. The Delaware offense has scored double-digit runs in five out of its 15 games this season. The Blue Hens scored 22 runs against UMBC and nearly put up 20 against Stetson and Hofstra. Their’ experience plays a key threat in their ability to score.

Weakness

Pitching. The pitching staff for Delaware has had quite an up-and-down year, which its record reflects. If its pitching lets Maryland take an early lead, Delaware will be in serious trouble.

Three things to watch

1. Can Maryland keep its hot streak rolling? Maryland is currently on a four-game win streak thanks to its aggressive play last week. If the offense can keep producing and the pitching stays as consistent as it was last weekend, Maryland could definitely return to the national rankings.

2. Can Nick Lorusso keep his hitting streak alive? Lorusso has been mashing at the plate this season and is currently the best hitter in Maryland’s lineup. He has recorded a hit in each of the past 14 games and will hope to continue that on Tuesday. On top of the hits, Lorusso leads the team in OPS (1.114) and RBIs (23). He is making a case as a potential prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft.

3. Can the Maryland pitching staff stay consistent? The Maryland pitching staff finally had a dominant weekend for the first time this season. Before this past weekend, the Terps had faced tough competition, with many of their opponents being ranked. Their recent sweep could serve as a confidence booster that they can build off of.