Maryland baseball at Ohio State series preview

Maryland baseball is seeking its fourth straight series win, as it’ll travel to Columbus to face Ohio State in a three-game weekend series.

Maryland is coming off a midweek loss to Georgetown, which ended a five-game home stand. The Terps battled back in the ninth inning, but fell in extras to drop their midweek record to 5-3.

The opening game of the series is set for Friday at 5 p.m. on Big Ten Network. Saturday and Sunday’s matchups will both be on Big Ten Plus, at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.

Ohio State Buckeyes (17-15, 2-7 Big Ten)

2022 record: 20-30, 8-14 Big Ten

In its first year under head coach Bill Mosiello, Ohio State came into Big Ten play with a 12-7 record, including wins against three currently ranked teams (UConn, Oklahoma and Mississippi State). Since then, the Buckeyes have struggled, losing eight of their last 13 games. They’ve dropped series against Michigan State, Indiana and Minnesota. Ohio State beat Marshall earlier in the week and is looking to continue that momentum at home against the Terps.

Hitters to watch

Kade Kern, junior outfielder, No. 7 — Kern has made an All-Big Ten team in the past two years and is in the midst of a great season. He already has 10 stolen bases, five home runs, and a wRC+ of 126 (100 is average). The junior also leads the team in runs.

Cole Andrews, graduate catcher, No. 12 — Andrews is a grad transfer from Miami (Ohio), where he was an All-MAC honoree in 2019 and 2021. He leads the team in wRC+ and walks at close to an 18% clip. He doesn’t possess much power, but he is the most productive hitter in the Buckeyes’ lineup.

Pitchers to watch

Isaiah Coupet, junior left-handed pitcher, No. 34 — Coupet is the Buckeyes’ Friday starter, and rightfully so. Last year, he had a 5.71 ERA but has been able to cut that to 4.06 so far this year. He also strikes out hitters over 35% of the time and has cut down his walking issues from last year, which has improved his MLB draft stock in the process.

Landon Beidelschies, freshman left-handed pitcher, No. 35 — Beidelschies was a highly touted prospect in Ohio, being named first-team All-State, PBR Co-Pitcher of the Year and to Perfect Game’s Preseason Underclassman All-American team. For Ohio State, he has been a great closer and has lived up to the hype in his appearances thus far. He leads the team in ERA with a 2.84, and strikes out hitters almost 30% of the time.

Strength

Strikeouts. Ohio State has lots of pitchers that can punch out hitters at a high clip. Its team average is almost 10 strikeouts per nine innings, and six pitchers strike out 25% of their opponents. This has been key in wins against UConn and Mississippi State, where Buckeye pitchers generated double-digit strikeouts in their wins.

Weakness

Recent form. Despite quality wins at the beginning of the season, Ohio State has shriveled in Big Ten play. It started off by getting swept by Indiana and then lost a series to Minnesota, who entered Big Ten play at 4-19. Ohio State’s team OPS is currently .809 and its ERA is 5.39, neither of which is good in comparison to the rest of the league.

Three things to watch

1. How will Maryland fare against the middle of the Big Ten? The Terps have won their past three weekend series, all against teams that are in the NCAA Tournament race. Despite that, Maryland has played down to its competition in the past month. Its needed late-game pushes against George Washington, Delaware and Georgetown to eke out wins. The Terps have also suffered crushing losses to William & Mary and Georgetown.

2. How will Maryland adjust to McCoy’s injury? McCoy will not pitch this weekend, which is a big blow to an already deflated pitching staff. Maryland’s bullpen has been its Achilles’ heel all season. Junior right-handed pitcher Nate Haberthier, who provided weekend starts earlier in the season, is a likely replacement on Sunday, which could set up an interesting matchup against his former team.

3. Can the Terps hit with runners on? While the Buckeyes are excellent at punching out hitters, they often walk batters, which is a bad combination against a team that has excelled at getting on base. The Terps’ problem has lied in in situational hitting, failing to convert with runners in scoring position.