Maryland baseball’s 2024 campaign came to a disappointing end. The team missed out on the postseason after being swept in its final series of the year.
Although the reigning Big Ten regular season and tournament champions failed to even make the conference tournament this year, the Terps still recorded the sixth-most single-season wins in program history. They also won the most games decided by one run in program history, earning them the fitting nickname “Cardiac Terps.”
The campaign was defined by a few different stretches. First, Maryland got off to a hot start in nonconference play, but stalled out during a rough interconference stretch that put it in jeopardy of missing the Big Ten Tournament. Then, the Terps surged once more toward the end of conference play; however, they flailed out in the final series of the regular season against Penn State and eliminated themselves from the postseason.
Ultimately, the Terps finished with a 34-22 overall record and a 10-14 conference record, going 14-7 at home and 19-14 on the road.
Nonconference play
Maryland’s season was essentially split up into three sections: nonconference play, conference play and midweeks. It played almost all of its nonconference series in the first half of the year, with the one exception being its near-end-of-season series against Boston College.
Georgia Southern (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
2024 record: 33-26, 17-13 Sun Belt Conference — Lost in the Sun Belt tournament championship game
Maryland’s 2024 season started in Statesboro, Georgia, where the Terps took two of three game from Georgia Southern. Game one was Maryland’s first cardiac comeback of the year, ending in a 5-4 win. Game two was a smooth 7-1 victory, but game three saw the Terps get ambushed in a 7-3 defeat.
Kleberg Bank College Classic (TAMCC (Game 1), Pitt (Game 2), Washington (Game 3))
In the second weekend of the season, the Terps won a share of the Kleberg Bank College Classic, taking two of three games in Corpus Christi, Texas. The first game saw the Terps overcome a three-run deficit to defeat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 7-5. In the second game, Maryland steamrolled Pittsburgh, 10-4. In the third game, Maryland blew a lead in the eighth inning, as Washington freshman Blake Wilson hit a go-ahead, three-run homer off Evan Smith to give the Huskies a 6-5 victory.
Bryant (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
2024 record: 36-19, 17-7 Atlantic East Conference — AEC Tournament champions — Lost in NCAA Tournament Raleigh Regional
Maryland’s only sweep of the season came against Bryant, who made the NCAA Tournament. It dominated all three games, courtesy of great starting pitching. Game one was a 8-3 win behind a strong start from Kenny Lippman, game two was a 7-0 win on the back of seven scoreless innings from Logan Koester and game three was an 11-7 win, which saw the offense take charge.
Charlotte (Game 1, Games 2 & 3 (doubleheader))
2024 record: 24-34, 12-15 American Athletic Conference — Lost in the AAC Tournament
Maryland played three contests in Charlotte in early March, two of which were on Sunday in a doubleheader. Game one was a 9-5 loss, as Lippman only lasted a third of an inning. Maryland swept the doubleheader, though, winning the first game comfortably, 13-2, and the second game narrowly, 3-2.
Portland (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
2024 record: 37-19, 19-5 West Coast Conference — Lost in the WCC Tournament championship game
During spring break, Maryland baseball trekked up to Oregon and took two of three games from Portland. The Terps lost the first game, 5-3, but seized the next two. Game two saw a Matt Swope ejection and a 9-8 Maryland victory, in which the Terps avoided disaster after losing a 7-1 lead. In game three, the Terps came alive in the eighth inning — scoring four runs — to secure a 7-6 victory.
Boston College (Games 1 & 2 (doubleheader), Game 3)*
2024 record: 22-31, 8-22 Atlantic Coast Conference — Missed the ACC Tournament
Maryland baseball played a three-game series against Boston College late in the season that started on Saturday with a doubleheader. Omar Melendez threw all seven innings in an 8-1 victory in game one. The Terps won game two, 5-3, but lost game three, 2-1, on a walk-off home run.
*Later in the season
Conference play
Maryland struggled mightily in Big Ten play, and it’s the primary reason why it missed out on the postseason. After going 17-7 against Big Ten opponents last season, Maryland followed it up with a 10-14 conference record in 2024. The Terps only won three of their eight Big Ten series.
Michigan State (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
2024 record: 24-27, 11-13 Big Ten — Missed the Big Ten Tournament
Maryland started its Big Ten schedule off with a bang against the Spartans, as it earned two walk-off wins, both courtesy of Brayden Martin. The first game was a back-and-forth dual before Martin walked it off in the 10th inning to secure a 7-6 victory. In the second game, Maryland put two runners on base in the ninth inning, but still lost, 5-2. The third game was a comeback win, 5-4, for the Terps, as Martin played hero once more.
Michigan (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
2024 record: 32-28, 14-10 Big Ten — Lost in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals
The Michigan series is where Maryland’s season started to go downhill. First, Maryland’s 23-straight Big Ten series win streak was broken, marking the program’s first conference series loss since April 2021. The series started with another late-game win, as Eddie Hacopian came through with a go-ahead hit in the ninth inning, which won the game, 11-9. The second game was a nightmare for Maryland, as the Wolverines won 12-1. Game three simply got away from the Terps, as they lost 9-4, stamping their first series loss since February 2023.
Indiana (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
2024 record: 32-24-1, 15-9 Big Ten — Lost in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals — Lost in NCAA Tournament Knoxville Regional
Indiana absolutely crushed Maryland through the first two games of the series, as the Terps had no answers, losing 15-4 and 14-2. But game three was salvaged by Kevin Keister, who walked it off in the ninth inning for a 6-5 comeback victory.
Northwestern (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
2024 record: 18-34, 4-20 Big Ten — Missed the Big Ten Tournament
Maryland’s series loss to Northwestern was its most disappointing weekend of the season. The Terps blew game one after being walked-off in a 6-5 loss in extra innings. Then, they were crushed in game two, losing 11-1. Game three was a thriller, though, and the Terps were saved by Elijah Lambros, who robbed a home run to clinch a 9-8 victory.
Nebraska (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
2024 record: 39-20, 16-8 Big Ten — Big Ten Tournament champions — Lost in NCAA Tournament Stillwater Regional
The 2024 Big Ten Tournament champions took two of three games from the Terps, who won the Big Ten last year. In the first game, Nebraska pitcher Brett Sears didn’t have his best start, but did enough to help the Cornhuskers beat the Terps, 6-3. Maryland struck back in game two, as an offensive outburst led to an 11-2 victory. Nebraska then mercy-ruled Maryland in game three, winning 16-4 in seven innings.
Illinois (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
2024 record: 34-19, 18-6 Big Ten — Big Ten regular season champions — Lost in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals — Lost in NCAA Tournament Lexington Regional
The Terps were the only team to beat the 2024 Big Ten regular season champions in a series, taking the final two of three games. Illinois started the series with a 7-4 victory, but Maryland came back in game two and held off a late push for a 9-8 win. The Terps then took the series in the third game, as Sam Hojnar extended Maryland’s lead for a 11-7 win.
Rutgers (Game 1, Games 2 & 3 (doubleheader))
2024 record: 28-25, 6-18 Big Ten — Missed the Big Ten Tournament
Maryland took two of three games from Rutgers, including a 4-3 win in game one. The Terps then split the doubleheader on Saturday, losing the first half, 2-1, in a pitching duel and winning the second half, 6-4, on the back of two three-run innings.
Penn State (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
2024 record: 29-24, 12-12 Big Ten — Lost in the Big Ten Tournament championship game
This was Maryland’s most important series in the final weekend of the regular season. However, the Terps were swept by Penn State, who completely flipped the script on their postseason plans. Penn State won the first game, 8-4, which forced Maryland to sweep the Friday doubleheader to make the Big Ten Tournament. But Devin Russell struck out with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning in the first game, securing a 6-5 win for Penn State and essentially eliminating the Terps from the postseason. Then, Penn State won the third game, 19-7, to clinch its spot in the Big Ten Tournament.
Midweeks
Maryland went 11-3 in 14 midweek games, helping the Terps boost their record.
Mount St. Mary’s (Game 1, Game 2)
2024 record: 22-34-1, 13-11 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference — Lost in the MAAC Tournament semifinals
Maryland took both matchups in the home-and-home series with Mount St. Mary’s. The Terps routed the Mountaineers in game one, 14-3. They struggled to score in the second game, but still won, 6-4, on the tail of a ninth-inning rally.
Georgetown (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
2024 record: 36-21, 13-7 Big East — Lost in the Big East Tournament championship game
Maryland faced Georgetown three times in 2024. The Terps clobbered the Hoyas, 14-5, in the only game in College Park. They then split the two games in Tysons, Virginia, winning the first, 11-4, and dropping the second, 13-12, in a bullpen meltdown.
Delaware (Game 1, Game 2)
2024 record: 31-26, 16-11 Coastal Athletic Association — Lost in the CAA Tournament
Maryland took both games of the home-and-home series against Delaware. The first game was a tight 3-2 victory in College Park. In the second game, the Terps held off a late push for a 11-10 win in Newark, Delaware.
James Madison (Game 1, Game 2)
2024 record: 34-23, 17-13 Sun Belt — Lost in Sun Belt Championship semifinals — Lost in NCAA Tournament Raleigh Regional
The Terps took both of their games against James Madison, who made the NCAA Tournament Regional round, this season. Both wins were on the backs of big go-ahead home runs from freshmen Chris Hacopian and Michael Iannazzo, who came in clutch for a 9-5 victory in College Park and a 6-4 win in Harrisonburg.
UMBC (Game 1, Game 2)
2024 record: 27-25, 14-10 America East Conference — Lost in the AEC Tournament championship game
Maryland split its two games against UMBC. In the first contest, Hojnar helped the Terps avoid a disaster after they blew a 7-0 lead with a walk-off single to secure a 13-12 win. However, the Retrievers got the best of the Terps in a 4-2 win in Baltimore.
VCU, Towson, USC Upstate
Maryland had three one-off midweek games this season against VCU, Towson and USC Upstate. Arguably Maryland’s worst game of the season came against VCU, when its bullpen surrendered 12 runs in the seventh inning in a 15-7 loss. Against Towson, Maryland scored five runs in the eighth inning in a 13-8 win. Against USC Upstate, Maryland went down 8-0, but come all the way back to win, 11-8.
Maryland did not see any postseason play, but it went 9-6 against NCAA Tournament teams. Maryland also finished No. 43 in RPI and had the fifth-best RPI among teams who did not make the tournament. Essentially, Maryland’s failure to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament killed its chances to make an NCAA Regional.
