After struggling with pitching and run prevention all year long, Maryland baseball defied the odds and secured just its second conference series victory of the season.
Redshirt junior Devin Russell launched two home runs, and sophomore Paul Jones II added one of his own. Sophomores Logan Hastings and Lance Williams dominated on the mound, combining for a season-high 17 strikeouts.
Maryland held on to beat Penn State, 6-4, securing the series victory on Saturday during Senior Day at the Bob to end the 2026
season on a positive note.
“Glad for [Russell] to go on a revenge tour and finish strong,” Swope said. “He probably single-handedly carried us the past couple days.”
The Nittany Lions took an early lead when leadoff hitter Jayden Davis launched a solo home run over the right center field wall. Their defense kept the Terps silent in the bottom half with a 1-2-3 inning.
Right-handed sophomore Logan Hastings responded with a quick second inning of his own, throwing two strikeouts and getting a putout from left fielder Bud Coombs.
In the bottom of the second, freshman Nate Hawton-Henley blasted an RBI single, bringing in the tying run.
Russell gave the Terps the lead in the bottom of the third. With two strikes, Russell skied a 428-foot homer over the left field wall — that marked his third home run of the series after he blasted two on Friday night.
“I was seeing the ball well, and I put a good swing on a few good pitches,” Russell said.
Jones II extended the Terps’ advantage in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run home run over the right field wall. Jones II’s 443-foot blast was his sixth in Maryland’s final five games.
The Nittany Lions brought in a second run in top of the fifth after Michael Anderson slammed an RBI double down the left field line.
Hastings closed the inning with two strikeouts and set a new career-high with the second, his ninth of the day. His previous best of eight came on March 7 against Troy.
Penn State again knotted the rubber match with back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth before Hastings tossed a pair of strikeouts.
But the lead returned to Maryland after Russell blasted his second home run of the game and fourth of the series, giving the Terps a two-run advantage. That was the last offense of the day.
After the game, Russell handed his mom the last pitch ball.
“I wasn’t really emotional out there, but when I gave her a hug, I had to kind of cut it shorter,” Russell said. “I think I might have shed a tear too.”
Williams took the mound in place of Hastings in the top of the seventh after he punched out a career-high 12 batters in 97 pitches – the same number of strikeouts Cristofer Cespedes threw in Friday’s win.
Penn State’s second reliever, Mason Horwat, held the Terps scoreless in the bottom of the seventh. But Maryland’s defense did the same.
After throwing his second strikeout of the contest, Williams walked two batters in a row before throwing his third. With two runners on, Penn State’s Preston Yaucher smashed a fly ball to left center. Coombs showcased his athleticism, jumping for the ball that looked as though it would sail over his head and securing the final out of the eighth.
Maryland failed to snag a couple insurance runs, but third baseman Brayden Martin stole a line drive straight to him before Williams closed out the top of the ninth with two straight strikeouts — throwing the last pitch of the Terps’ 2026 campaign after throwing the first in February.
Swope said reliever was “clearly the role” for Williams.
“He’s put himself in a position to definitely get drafted, and that’s probably something he would do in pro-ball too, is be more of a leader and somebody that can just come in and chuck it,” Swope said.
Three things to know
1. Farewell seniors. Maryland said goodbye to redshirt senior Alistair Morin and outfielder Aden Hill. Morin didn’t play in any games during the 2026 season, but Hill started in 25, taking 93 at-bats. Hill brought in 11 RBIs — three of which came on March 13 against Purdue — along with three homers and four doubles.
2. Offensive efficiency. The Terps recorded 10 hits with six RBIs on Saturday. Home runs from Russell and Jones II allotted three of Maryland’s six runs. Jones II is tied for second on the team with 12 home runs after producing four in the last week.
3. What’s next? Maryland’s active roster this season contained 13 newcomers who made their mark on the 2026 season. The Terps have 11 juniors, including Martin, who ranks fifth in the nation with 54 walks. Swope said “there’s no confidence” going into the offseason.
“It was a disappointing season, those are just the facts,” he said.
