Michigan
Maryland
Michigan to Host Maryland in Key Three-Game Series at Wilpon Complex
5/19/2021 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
Update (5/22/2021), 9:10 p.m.: Sunday's game against Maryland, originally scheduled to start at 1 p.m., instead will begin at 11 a.m. due to inclement weather forecasted in Ann Arbor.
» Michigan hosts red-hot Maryland this weekend in a three-game series.
» Michigan trails Nebraska by one game in the standings and Maryland, which has won 11 of its last 12 games, sits just two games back.
» Friday and Saturday's games will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
THIS WEEK
Friday, May 21 -- vs. Maryland (Wilpon Complex), 5 p.m.
TV: Big Ten Network | Live Stats | Live Video
Saturday, May 22 -- vs. Maryland (Wilpon Complex), 5 p.m.
TV: Big Ten Network | Live Stats | Live Video
Sunday, May 23 -- vs. Maryland (Wilpon Complex), 11 a.m.
TV: Big Ten Network+ | Live Stats | Live Video
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 24-ranked University of Michigan baseball team hosts an important home series again this weekend against Maryland at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. The teams will play single games Friday (May 21) and Saturday (May 22) at 5 p.m. and Sunday (May 23) at 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday's games will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network while Sunday's game will be streamed live on Big Ten Network+.
Setting the Stage
Maryland enters play just one game behind Michigan in the Big Ten standings, and the Terrapins have won 11 of their last 12 games and 14 of the past 16.
Just two games separate the top four teams in the standings and all four -- Nebraska, Michigan, Indiana and Maryland -- will play one another at least twice and up to six times over the final two weekends of play. On top of that, an additional two teams remain in championship contention with one of them, Ohio State, playing two games against both Nebraska and Indiana.
About the Series
Michigan leads 19-8 in the all-time series with Maryland. The teams have split a pair of games this season with Maryland breaking an eight-game losing streak with a 17-7 victory on April 5, following a 6-5 come-from-behind win by Michigan the day prior. Michigan averaged 11 runs per game in a three-game series sweep at Maryland in 2019 before eliminating the Terrapins from the Big Ten Tournament by a score of 10-4.
The teams last met in Ann Arbor in 2018, and only managed to play twice as rain marred a scheduled three-game slate. Michigan won both meetings, including a 6-3 finale on a day that saw a four-hour, 18-minute rain delay. That victory was Michigan's 17th consecutive of the 2018 season, a string that would reach 20 straight.
About U-M
• Following its series win over then-No. 21 Indiana last weekend, Michigan is ranked No. 24 by D1Baseball.com and No. 23 by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
• Michigan (25-13, 23-13 Big Ten) took the weekend series from Indiana behind timely hitting and outstanding pitching in victories on Friday (May 14) and Sunday (May 16).
• Sophomore Ted Burton was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Tuesday (May 18), his first career weekly conference honor, after batting .583 (7-for-12) with three doubles and a home run (1.083 SLG; .615 OBP) as Michigan won its weekend series vs. No. 21-ranked Indiana. He gave U-M an early lead on Friday (May 14) with a solo homer, finishing with two hits and two RBI in the win. He hit two doubles, was on base three times and scored twice on Saturday and Sunday (May 15-16), had three hits -- including a double -- and scored three times in a win.
• Tito Flores also had a standout week, matching Ted Burton's .615 on-base percentage while batting over .500 and connecting for four doubles in three games.
• Michigan will look to Steven Hajjar (4-0, 3.02 ERA, 62.2 IP, 88 K) on Friday, righty Cameron Weston (5-3, 2.85 ERA, 66.1 IP, 57 K) on Saturday and lefty Jacob Denner (4-3, 3.86 ERA, 49.0 IP, 50 K) on Sunday.
• Michigan's offense is among the most balanced in the nation as eight different players have connected for at least five home runs. Five Michigan sluggers have connected for six grand slams this season.
• Burton leads the Big Ten in slugging percentage (.694), while leading U-M's offense with a .365 batting average, a .446 on-base percentage and has hit safely in seven straight games and 13 of his last 14.
• Benjamin Sems follows with a .348 batting average, while ranking fifth on the team with 26 RBI and hits in 10 straight games and 19 of the last 20.
• Detroit-native Tito Flores continues to impress, entering play on a 10-game hitting streak a .319 batting average, 18 extra-base hits and a .428 OBP. Christian Molfetta (.298), Jordon Rogers (.292) and Clark Elliott (.290) follow close behind.
Scouting Maryland
• Maryland (24-14, 24-14 Big Ten) is red-hot entering the weekend. The Terrapins have won five straight games, 11 of their last 12 and 14 of the past 16 contests.
• The Terrapins feature one of the league's most potent offenses. Since its last meeting with U-M (April 4-5), Maryland has increased its team batting average nearly 20 points to now sit at .264 overall. Benjamin Cowles (.307, 16 HR, 43 RBI) has seen his batting average fall 100 points since the previous meeting, but the slugger has continued his impressive power numbers, leading the Big Ten in homers (16), while ranking second in slugging percentage (.693). Maxwell Costes (.301, .489 OBP), Matthew Shaw (.343), Randy Bednar (.308, .417 OBP), and Chris Alleyne (.299, 23 EBH, 28 RBI, 21-23 SB) have all been terrific. Additionally, Cowles (14) and Costes (15) have consistently found their way on base via hit-by-pitch.
• On the mound, Maryland enters the weekend with a 4.57 earned-run average. Nick Dean (3-1, 2.68 ERA), Jason Savacool (7-1, 4.69 ERA), and Sean Burke (3-3, 3.90 ERA, 55.1 IP, 38 H, 79 K) are the likely starters and are all coming off of quality starts last weekend vs. Purdue.
• Michigan bounced Savacool from his start on April 5, collecting four runs on four hits in just two innings of an eventual 17-7 win over the Terrapins.
Up Next
Fri-Sun., May 28-30 -- at Nebraska (Lincoln, Neb.)
