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Maryland baseball opened its postseason with a 6-2 win over Illinois Wednesday in the Big Ten tournament. The Terps found their offense late, and were able to manage that long thanks to senior right-hander Hunter Parsons holding it down on the mound.
Parsons pitched for 7.1 innings against the Illini, fully in control of what was probably his last collegiate start. He gave up just one run and four hits on 123 pitches. The Fruitland, Maryland, native gave the Terps that final gift as his mom cheered him on.
"You said you weren't gonna make me cry"
— Maryland Baseball (@TerpsBaseball) May 22, 2019
Listen to what watching your boy make you proud means from Wayne and Cathy Parsons. pic.twitter.com/nwrg4ZdeGD
Cathy Parsons, we loved it too
— Maryland Baseball (@TerpsBaseball) May 22, 2019
What an outing from her son, @hunt_parsons13 #DirtyTerps pic.twitter.com/S5hSq75Qm9
Head coach Rob Vaughn praised his entire team in his postgame press conference, but was especially emotional talking about the senior righty.
“They are a group that loves each other a lot and a group that fights... Can’t tell you how proud I am of these boys” - @rvaughnUMD
— Maryland Baseball (@TerpsBaseball) May 22, 2019
Truth, Coach.
Dub story ➡️ https://t.co/9iSbuw9UiA pic.twitter.com/pnSUFkN1MD
Unless Maryland wins out this week, Parsons has likely pitched his last inning for the Terps—pitching again this weekend on short rest would be a surprise. The win completes his season with a 10-3 record. He started 15 games, and finishes with a 3.43 ERA, allowing just a .232 opposing batting average seeing a team-high 379 batters. He also had a career-high 78 strikeouts in 104.1 innings pitched.
Parsons has started at least four games in each of his four years, but emerged as the best arm in Maryland’s stable last season. He threw 89 innings as a junior in 13 starts, going 5-2 with a 3.44 ERA, 62 strikeouts and a .225 opposing ERA. That acension to ace came after Parsons had a 12.05 ERA in 22 innings pitched and four starts over 12 appearances as a sophomore, an anomaly in his career with the Terps. The right-hander earned a Big Ten Freshman of the Week award in 2016 and made rice starts in 15 appearances.
Maryland will face No. 7-seed Ohio State in the second round, as the Buckeyes held off No. 2-seed Michigan 2-1 on Wednesday. The Terps will take on Ohio State at 6 p.m. ET.
In other news
Maryland women's lacrosse takes on Northwestern in the Final Four, the third meeting between the teams this season. A win would get Maryland back in the championship game, and the Terps will lean on experience to get back to the title game on Friday.
Head coach Cathy Reese was named to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Wednesday, adding another accomplishment to her legendary coaching career.
Women's lacrosse’s seniors are missing graduation for the Final Four, so they had their own ceremony Wednesday night.
When you’re going to miss graduation for the Final Four, you trade in your gown for a robe!
— Maryland Women's Lacrosse (@MarylandWLax) May 23, 2019
Fun night celebrating our seniors!! pic.twitter.com/LAJ15AqXtE
The team's valedictorian: Katherine Golladay.
Our 2019 Valedictorian: Katherine Golladay!! pic.twitter.com/QdwrVxsfo7
— Maryland Women's Lacrosse (@MarylandWLax) May 23, 2019
With men’s lacrosse’s season cut short while women’s lacrosse made another deep run, the podcast returned to figure out how they went in opposite directions.
Kevin Huerter became the first Terp since Steve Francis to make a NBA All-Rookie team on Monday, being named to the NBA All-Rookie second team.