Maryland baseball is set to play its fifth straight road game on Tuesday, heading out west to face No. 23 West Virginia. The Terps are coming off of a 2-1 series victory against Troy over the weekend that was fueled by late home runs and strong defense.
Maryland tallied a total of seven runs — including four in the top of the ninth inning — against the Trojans in the final game to take home the victory in Alabama.
Now, the Terps face their first ranked opponent on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. at Wagener Field.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
No. 23 West Virginia Mountaineers (10-3, 0-0 Big 12)
2025 Record: 44-16, 19-9 Big 12
The Mountaineers are coming off of a 2-1 series victory at home against Columbia. They fell short in the first game, 7-4, after Columbia took a five-run lead in the top of the second inning.
West Virginia came close to losing the series during the second game, when Columbia took a two-run lead in the top of the sixth, but the Mountaineers tied the score in the seventh. The game went into extra innings, and they recorded four runs in the tenth inning to tie the series.
West Virginia avoided the sweep in the final game of the series by overpowering Columbia, 16-1, to take home the series victory.
Hitters to watch
Gavin Kelly, sophomore utilityman, No. 2 — Kelly ranks first on the team in multiple categories, batting .436 with 24 hits, including nine doubles. The sophomore has recorded 17 runs this season and holds the highest slugging percentage on the team at .745.
Matthew Graveline, senior outfielder/catcher, No. 0 — Graveline has recorded three home runs and 13 RBIs in his first season with the Mountaineers. The senior notched three hits during the team’s series against Columbia.
Matt Ineich, sophomore infielder, No. 17 — After transferring from Ohio, Ineich is tied for the team lead in RBIs, with 16. The sophomore has a .382 batting average — second-best on the team — and ranks third on the team with a .564 slugging percentage.
Pitchers to watch
Dawson Montesa, junior right-handed pitcher, No. 31 — In his first season with West Virginia, Montesa has recorded 31 strikeouts, 11 of which came on Feb. 27 against Kennesaw State.
Maxx Yehl, redshirt junior left-handed pitcher, No. 15 — After missing last season with an injury, Yehl has opened the year with a 1.06 ERA. The redshirt junior has tallied 21 strikeouts in 60 batters faced, and he holds a 2-0 record in four starts.
Strength
Sturdy defense. The Mountaineers have had a defensive advantage so far this season, posting a .981 fielding percentage — second-highest in the Big 12. They’ve only allowed opponents to score 3.8 runs per game, and have only nine errors to go with 34 double plays.
Weakness
Warning-track power. West Virginia is consistent at the plate — its .305 team batting average is tied for third in the Big 12 — but it only has 12 home runs in 13 games. That’s less than half the Terps’ 25, nine of which are from Ryan Costello.
Three things to know
1. An old rival. Maryland and West Virginia haven’t been conference foes since 1953, when the Terps left the Southern Conference for the ACC. But the flagship schools from bordering states still carry a rivalry, albeit an unofficial one at this point.
Tuesday will mark the first time the Terps and Mountaineers have faced off since 2023, when Maryland fell, 8-6, at home.
2. Deep relief staff. Maryland’s bullpen was helpful in its 2-1 series sweep at Troy. During Game 2, freshman right-handed pitcher Nic Morlang registered four strikeouts in 25 pitches, only allowing one hit. Meanwhile, sophomore right-handed pitcher Logan Hastings had eight strikeouts in three innings.
3. New highs. Redshirt freshman Ryan Costello recorded two home runs in Game 3 against. He ranks first on the team and third in the Big Ten with nine homers. Costello ranks second in the Big Ten and fifth in the nation with 28 RBIs.
