Erik Bakich is all in when it comes to changing the culture of Maryland baseball.
The Terrapins don’t quite have a silly postseason hiatus like the Chicago Cubs and the World Series, but they certainly lack history, not reaching the NCAA postseason for 40 years, last making the tournament in 1971, with berths also in ’70 and ’65, the only three in program history.
Yeah, the Terps have been that bad. And yes, it’s something that’s incredibly difficult to overcome. But as Bakich is already proving this season, it seems, winning at Maryland can be accomplished.
The Terrapins won a grand total of 10 ACC games in Bakich’s first two seasons as head coach. But during that time, he assembled much improved recruiting classes. Now, the Terps finally have molded into a competitive program with some talented veterans leading the revival.
“This year is the first time we haven’t had to teach a bunch of new stuff to some guys, and that has made a difference,” Bakich said. “We inherited a group of great guys this season with a new recruiting class coming in. I’d say expectations are different, as our guys have a different belief system than they’ve had in previous campaigns.”
The attitude shift has been very apparent the first two weeks of the season, as the Terrapins are one of the nation’s most pleasant surprises thus far. In the first week, the Terps hit the road and took two of three from UCLA, allowing just two runs in the two victories and eight runs the entire weekend.
The madness didn’t stop there. The Terps (5-1) made yet another statement last weekend when they competed in the Keith LeClair Classic, once again using strong pitching to get the job done. They defeated Western Carolina (3-0), red-hot Purdue (11-1) and East Carolina (2-1) in impressive fashion.
“I thought that tournament was kind of like an NCAA Regional preparation type of thing for us. Our goal for the weekend was to treat it like a postseason type of tournament, and we handled things pretty well,” he said. “We’ve certainly accomplished our goals the first two weeks of the season.”
There are plenty of reasons why the Terps are much improved this season. Experience is a major reason why this team much better, while the offense has been opportunistic at times despite having a .253 batting average.
The pitching staff and strong team defense are the primary reasons the Terrapins are flourishing.
In 2011, the Terrapins batted .247, which is comparable to what they’re doing at the plate right now. But on the mound, things greatly differ. Last season, the Terps finished the campaign with a 5.26 ERA with Brady Kirkpatrick and David Carroll -- both weekend starters this season -- possessing ERAs of 5.71 and 4.70, respectively.
Both starting pitchers are taking impressive strides this spring. Kirkpatrick, who learned a great deal by being throwing into the fire as a freshman starter last season, has yet to allow a run in two starts and 12 2/3 innings of work. Meanwhile, Carroll has a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings and has struck out 10 and walked four.
“The starting rotation has been very consistent and is throwing a lot of strikes. This rotation and pitching staff have really stepped things up a notch,” he said. “Kirkpatrick earned very valuable experience as a starter last season, and Carroll is just a guy who can pitch consistently with that big frame of his.”
Stuff-wise, Kirkpatrick has a legitimate four-pitch mix, which includes a fastball, curveball, changeup and slider. Kirkpatrick’s fastball can get over 90, while his hard-nosed nature and athleticism often help him. Meanwhile, Carroll is an imposing 6-foot-8, 235-pounder, who throws well on a downhill plane with an upper 80s fastball. He also has a cutter, curveball and changeup at his disposal.
Though the rise of Kirkpatrick and Carroll is a big reason this team is experiencing much success, the key to the season might just be the return of senior right-hander Brett Harman, who missed the '11 campaign because of Tommy John surgery.
“It really has been great to get back out there. The guys have been behind me throughout this entire process and it means a lot to me to already build some confidence this season,” Harman said. “It was a little nerve-wracking when I first took the mound this season, but now I’m just back to pitching again.”
Harman was outstanding in his first start against UCLA. He struck out eight Bruins and allowed just two hits in five shutout innings. Meanwhile, in his second start against East Carolina, he struck out four Pirates and allowed just a run on five hits in five innings of work. The righty hasn't allowed a run.
“I know during my junior year when I was having some arm issues, my velocity wasn’t there I wanted it to be,” he said. “I then decided to learn more how to be a pitcher instead of just reaching back and throwing hard. My junior season really taught me to work down in the zone more, working much more on pitch location and movement.”
Also a high mark, the Terps also are pleased with their bullpen, which is improved this spring. Jimmy Reed has yet to allow a run in four appearances, Korey Wacker has yet to allow a run in two appearances and Michael Boyden also has yet to allow a run in two appearances. The pitching staff has a 1.24 ERA through six contests.
“Some guys in the bullpen have done a great job for us,” Bakich said. “The common denominator with a lot of good teams is pitching and defense. We’re doing pretty well in both areas right now.”
Even with the incredibly fast start, Bakich and the Terrapins remain cautiously optimistic. They realize that even with a quick start, plenty of difficult challenges lie ahead, specifically in ACC play, which begins in two weekends at Wake Forest.
“We’re pleased with our start. It’s a great start when you look at the history of this program. It’s just a progression of the program we’re trying to put together,” he said. “But let’s be honest, and let’s keep in mind, we haven’t accomplished a dang thing."
Culture definitely changed.
THROUGH TWO WEEKS … THE TEN SURPRISES
Cal Poly: The Mustangs entered the season with high hopes of just reaching the NCAA postseason, but perhaps they need to amend their expectations. They’ve begun the season in incredibly surprising fashion, sweeping Oklahoma State at home in dominant fashion before hitting the road and doing a clean sweep of Loyola Marymount. The 7-1 Mustangs are doing well at the plate, hitting .304, with Jimmy Allen (.424), Mike Miller (.395) and Mitch Haniger (.345) leading the way, while the pitching staff has been on fire with reliever Nick Grim (0.00), who has been throwing 95-96 on the bump, leading the way, along with starting pitcher Joey Wagman (0.60). What a start for the Mustangs.
Pepperdine: After going through a cold spell the past couple of seasons, Waves coach Steve Rodriguez vowed to keep his eyes away from any sort of preseason prognostications. Apparently having that philosophy with his players has worked like a charm, as the Waves are 7-2 after winning a midweek bout over USC. The Waves have been excellent at the plate, hitting .302 with Tony Cooper (.476), Zach Vincej (.429) and Matt Forgatch (.400), along with freshman stud Aaron Brown (.323) leading the charge. The pitching staff also has been solid with Corey Miller (0.57), Scott Frazier (3.75) and Jon Moscot (3.95) leading the way. It probably helps the Waves have a tough schedule to get them prepared each weekend.
Maryland: The Terrapins were one of the worst programs in a major conference last season, but boy have things changed. Suddenly, coach Erik Bakich’s club is in good shape as ACC play looms in the near distance. The Terps made a statement two weekends ago against UCLA, and have enjoyed an excellent start from their pitching staff with starters Brady Kirkpatrick (0.00), Brett Harman (0.00) and David Carroll (3.60) leading the way. The Terps could improve offensively with just a .253 average, but that has more to do with their level of competition than anything else. Kudos to Bakich and his staff.
Tennessee: The Volunteers had one of the nation’s worst pitching staffs last season, but that won’t be the case this season unless something drastically changes between now and May. The Vols are off to a very surprising 7-1 start with first-year coach Dave Serrano now leading the way. The pitching staff has been the biggest improvement thus far, with the Vols sitting at a 2.05 earned-run average as the third weekend approaches. Zack Godley (0.90), Drew Steckenrider (1.29) and Nick Blount (1.50) have been excellent on the bump, while the offense is hitting a solid .289 for this early in the season.
Oregon: Maybe UO coach George Horton was kidding two months ago when he said the Ducks would struggle this season. He had to be, because this currently looks like a team that will do anything but struggle as the season progresses. The Ducks are off to a fabulous 7-1 start with already series wins over Hawaii and Vanderbilt. The offense has been much better than expected (.297) with true freshman Scott Heineman (.478) leading the way, while hard-throwing freshman Jake Reed has been solid on the hill along with reliever Jimmie Sherfy and starters Alex Keudell (1.64) and Brando Tessar (3.86).
Florida Atlantic: We certainly expected the Owls to have a solid club this season with coach John McCormack leading the way, but this good, this early? Not in a million years. The Owls are off to a fabulous 6-1 start with already a road series sweep over Alabama as part of their resume. The Owls have been excellent at the plate thus far, hitting .332 with catcher Mike Albaladejo (.536) and Alex Hudak (.462) leading the way, while Mark Nelson (.385) and Mitch Morales (.364) als are off to nice starts. Pitching-wise, Ryan Garton (0.69) and Jeremy Strawn (1.93) have a strong hold on the starting rotation, while reliever R.J. Alvarez, who throws well into the 90s, leads the bullpen.
San Francisco: The Dons were expected to be improved this spring, but there’s no doubt they’re a little better than people expected. USF has started the season with a pair of really nice series wins over San Jose State and most recently, Missouri. Ace pitcher Kyle Zimmer (0.00) leads the way. He could end up being the first pick in the MLB draft come June, hitting 97 on multiple occasions so far this season. Fellow starting pitchers Abe Bobb (0.64) and Christian Cecilio (3.18) have also done a nice job thus far. Offensively, the Dons still have some work to do, but have a solid foundation with Justin Maffei (.417) in charge.
USC: The Trojans have experienced plenty of heartache the past couple of seasons, but perhaps that’s finally coming to an end this season. Though it’s still early, the Trojans are playing with much more confidence, coming off series wins over Jacksonville and Akron to begin the season. They’ve really improved offensively with a .324 batting average with Kevin Swick (.464) and Matt Foat (.424) leading the way, while the starting rotation of Andrew Triggs (1.93), Ben Mount (2.08) and Stephen Tarpley (3.72) has done a fantastic job. We’ll see if the Trojans can keep it up moving forward.
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs lost some big-time talent from last year’s club, including starting pitcher Ryan Carpenter and reliever Cody Martin. However, you’d never know that by the way they’ve played so far this season. The Zags are 7-0 so far this spring, and have a 2.59 earned-run average with Marco Gonzales (2.77), Tyler Olson (2.92) and Andy Hunter (3.00) leading the way. Reliever Derek Peterson also has done a tremendous job in his five appearances. Offensively, the Bulldogs couldn’t be doing much better with a .337 batting average. Amazingly, they have four hitters with batting averages thus far, Eric Lane leading the way at .471.
Boston College: The Eagles are coming off a road series loss to UCF, but that was nothing to sulk about. The Eagles played a good brand of baseball and lost the series in the final inning in the series finale. BC has improved this season for a variety of reasons, but the pitching staff is the primary reason. They have a 3.08 earned run average with starters Hunter Gordon (1.80), Matt Alvarez (1.04) and Eric Stevens (5.23) leading the way. Also, relievers Nate Bayuk, Tyler Hinchiffe, Matt Brazis and Nick Poore have done a solid job. It’ll be interesting to see if the Eagles can keep it up.
AROUND THE NATION
Oklahoma coach Sunny Golloway has had a solid career, but he hit a milestone last weekend in a home series sweep over Hartford. Golloway, who previously spent several seasons as the head coach at Oral Roberts, won his 600th game as a collegiate baseball head coach. Golloway likely will guide the Sooners back to the NCAA postseason this spring, having recently directed the Sooners to Omaha in 2012. Congrats to Golloway on a fine accomplishment.
Baylor is off to a fantastic 7-2 start this season, but received a bit of bad news on Tuesday, announcing that talented freshman outfielder Adam Toth would miss four weeks of action with a broken hand. Toth sustained the injury while diving for a ball against UCLA last weekend. Toth was having a solid campaign for the Bears, hitting .310 with two doubles and four RBIs.
Speaking of key injuries, it’ll be very interesting to see what Florida trots out there this weekend when it faces Miami in a huge road series. The Gators have a couple of key injuries, most importantly being a minor setback for All-American catcher Mike Zunino. O’Sullivan said Sunday afternoon that Zunino could miss the Miami series -- though he’s expected to play -- because a hamstring issue. Meanwhile, sophomore right-handed pitcher Karsten Whitson left his start against William & Mary in the first inning. O’Sullivan said Whitson was taken out of the game because he didn’t have his best stuff, and that he looked a little off. In an official statement, the Gators said Whitson’s issues so far this season stem from not being able to pitch much in the fall because of a groin injury. As with Zunino, we’ll see if the talented righty trots out there this weekend.
In other injury news, our own Patrick Ebert reported Monday that San Diego State would be without catcher Brad Haynal the rest of the season. Haynal broke a bone in his leg during drills, surprisingly in the outfield. His injury is very unfortunate, as he was off to a good start for SDSU, hitting .375 with two doubles and two RBIs. The Aztecs are 3-6 so far this spring.
If you’re looking for a soon-to-be fast rising prospect, look no further than Cal Poly reliever and right-handed pitcher Nick Grim. We named Grim the Big West’s top transfer in the preseason, and he’s certainly living up to that billing. Grim was up to 95-96 two weekends ago against Oklahoma State. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder, has appeared in five games and has yet to allow a run in 8 1/3 innings. He also has struck out four and walked three, while teams are hitting him at a .167 clip … Also keep an eye on CP reliever, sophomore right-hander Chase Johnson, who also throws in the low-to-mid 90s. He has yet to allow a run in five appearances.
Kendall Rogers is the college baseball managing editor for Perfect Game and can be reached at kendall@perfectgame.org