Maryland baseball splits doubleheader with UNC Wilmington, secures series victory
Eighteen innings of baseball in one day is a lot for a team to handle — let alone in the first series of the season. That’s the situation Maryland baseball faced Saturday, after Sunday’s matchup with UNC Wilmington was pushed up due to forecasted inclement weather.
But the Terps weathered the storm and split the doubleheader to win two of three in its first weekend series of the year.
Game one of Saturday’s doubleheader with UNC Wilmington gave room for concern; the Terps fell 8-4 and trailed 6-0 five innings in. But a gritty game three was broken open late as Maryland took the series finale, 5-1.
Game 1
The Terps found a balance both at the plate and on the mound in the series opener. But Seahawks starting pitcher Cooper Allen stopped that momentum, and weathered a hot Terps lineup that featured changes.
Allen tossed five innings with two hits, no runs and five strikeouts. He worked through jams, executed locations and set up his defense in moments of pressure.
Terps freshman starter Nic Morlang held his own as well. In his first collegiate start, the right-hander from Virginia tossed three innings and allowed just one run with four strikeouts, despite three walks.
It wasn’t as good of an afternoon for the middle of Maryland’s rotation. Joseph Fredericks, Andrew Koshy and Ryan Bailey combined to allow seven runs between the fourth and eighth innings.
The Terps were held back by a lack of timely offense Saturday afternoon. Their lineup didn’t produce a run until the sixth inning, already down by six runs at that point. Even a three-run blast from Ryan Costello later in the frame wasn’t enough to flip the tide — Maryland still trailed, 6-4.
Maryland was 2 for 17 with runners on base, and only had one hit with runners in scoring position and with two outs.
What was a team clicking on all cylinders Friday night took a step back Saturday, setting up a rubber-match for game two of the doubleheader.
Game 2
Catcher Rylen Stockton took the first seven innings of the evening game off. He reentered the game to catch the eighth, and stepped up to the plate in the ninth with Jordan Crosland on third and Jackson Sirois on first with one out.
Up 3-1, a hit was sure to seal the deal with the Seahawks’ offense struggling. That’s exactly what Stockton did. The sophomore swung and knocked a single to center field, sending Crosland home. Another one by junior Antonio Morales knocked in Sirois just one pitch later, widening Maryland’s lead to four.
The Seahawks couldn’t build any momentum after scoring first, handing the Terps a 5-1 win and their first series victory of the year.
In his season debut, sophomore Jake Yeager held down the mound. In his 60 total pitches, the right-handed sophomore threw 37 strikes, striking out two batters and only letting one run in.
Crosland stole third base after he and Aden Hill were plunked to open the top of the fourth inning. Sirois, who didn’t play at all in the previous game, ripped an RBI single allowing Crosland to tie up the game.
Costello redeemed himself for his earlier strikeout, driving a single to center field to score Martin in the fifth.
A David Mendez sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, paired with Stockton and Morales’ RBI singles, sealed Maryland’s victory.
Three things to know
1. Back on track. The Terps’ series win against UNC Wilmington marks their first opening series win since 2024. Maryland won three straight series’ openers between 2022-2024, but lost against Western Carolina in 2025.
2. Martin’s stellar inning in the field. The left fielder put Terps fans on notice with back-to-back plays in the bottom of the fourth. First he robbed Jake Bechtel of a hit with a stellar diving catch. On the very next pitch, he gunned out Trevor Lucas as he tried to score from second base on a single.
3. Bud Coombs injury. The freshman made his college debut in the first game, on a seventh-inning pinch hit opportunity — he doubled to right field. But while deciding whether to tag up on a flyout, the DeMatha Catholic standout planted his right foot and slipped awkwardly.
Coombs left the game and his injury status is unknown. The two-sport athlete is also on Maryland’s football roster, and missed the entire 2025 season with an undisclosed injury suffered in camp.
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