Maryland baseball vs. William & Mary preview

Maryland baseball is coming off a huge series win over then-No. 25 Iowa. The Terps were led by a tremendous offensive display from junior shortstop Matt Shaw, who batted .583 with nine RBIs and two monster home runs. Senior right-handed pitcher Nick Dean also threw a gem in game two throwing five shut out innings.

Next, the Terps host William & Mary for a midweek matchup on Tuesday. The game is slated for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch and can be streamed on Big Ten Plus.

William and Mary Tribe (18-11, 5-4 CAA)

Despite holding a record seven games above .500, the Tribe see themselves in fifth place in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Mike McRae is currently in his second year with the program. Last season, his squad had a 26-23 overall record and finished fourth in the conference. McRae is still in the beginning steps of implementing his philosophy onto the program, but it seems that the Tribe are on the right path.

Hitters to watch

Ben Williamson, senior third baseman, No. 9 — Williamson has been the most complete hitter for William & Mary, leading in almost every statistical category. He is currently batting a whopping .431 on the year with a team-high six home runs and 28 RBIs. The infielder also hold a wRC+ of 189, showing that he can produce at a high clip.

Joe Delossantos, senior center fielder, No. 34 — Delossantos is another hitter in this lineup who poses a real threat at the plate. He is tied for the most RBIs on the team (28) with Williamson. Delossantos can cause terror on the base paths, as he has successfully stolen 17 bags this year.

Pitchers to watch

Nate Knowles, sophomore right-handed pitcher, No. 26 — Knowles has been one of the familiar faces the Tribe’s midweek games throughout the season. He currently hold a 3-2 record with a 1.97 ERA through 32 innings pitched. Knowles has the ability to generate a lot of swings and misses, as he leads the team with 34 strikeouts.

Zach Tsakounis, graduate left-handed pitcher, No. 19 — McRae usually looks for Tsakounis to come in to relieve Knowles three to four innings. In games he has pitched that feature a decision, Tsakounis is 2-0. Expect to see him on the mound for the Tribe.

Strength

Pitching staff. Only one pitcher on William & Mary’s staff has a record below .500. The strong pitching performances this season have translated to its successful record. But, the Tribe’s pitchers will have their hands full with a prolific Maryland offense that is currently averaging 8.5 runs per game.

Weakness

Strikeouts. The William & Mary offense is extremely susceptible to whiffs — it sports a strikeout percentage of 26%. If Maryland’s pitchers find themselves in a groove and are able to execute their pitches, they could shut down William & Mary.

Three things to know

1. Will Haberthier get his second consecutive midweek start? After Kyle McCoy broke out, Maryland head coach Rob Vaughn moved Nate Haberthier back to a midweek starter and weekend reliever role. Haberthier got a few innings this past weekend, but was drilled n the ribs by a ball.

2. Can Maryland gather momentum ahead of the weekend? Maryland has seen recent success against nonconference teams and will have to find a way to pick up a win before entering a huge home weekend series against Rutgers. If Maryland wins three out of four games this week, there is a real chance it will make its return to the top 25.

3. Can Shaw continue his hot streak? Shaw was on fire at the plate this weekend. He had been struggling beforehand, but showed why he is a projected first-round pick in the MLB draft. Maryland will need him to produce throughout the season to go far in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments.