By Chris McManes

The University of Maryland baseball team logged one of its finest seasons ever in 2022. It’s no understatement to say the year was memorable. Record-setting. Historic.

Maryland baseball team celebrates after their victory
The Terrapins and their fans celebrate during Maryland’s 10-5 victory over Wake Forest in the College Park Regional.
Courtesy of Maryland Athletics

The Terrapins won a school-record 48 games, going 48-14 for a .774 winning percentage. They captured the Big 10 championship for their first conference title since winning the ACC in 1971. 

Maryland’s performance so impressed the NCAA that it was selected to host a postseason regional tournament for the first time. The Terps finished one victory shy of advancing to a super regional, the step before the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

“We’re gonna keep building this thing,” Maryland coach Rob Vaughn said. “This group is gonna walk through the gates in Omaha; there’s no doubt in my mind. This group is gonna do some special things.”

The Terrapins opened the College Park Regional on June 3 with a 23-2 demolition of Long Island. They lost to Connecticut the next day in the double-elimination tournament. Maryland stayed alive by winning twice on June 5. 

First, it scored six runs in the eighth inning of a 10-5 victory over Wake Forest and then got an RBI single from junior third baseman Nick Lorusso to beat UConn 7-6 in 11 innings.

The season ended with an 11-8 loss to Connecticut in a contest the Terps trailed 9-1 after four. Vaughn said his team’s rally displayed its toughness. 

“Our guys emptied the tank,” he said. “They gave our team and they gave each other every ounce of who they are. We can leave here with our heads held high, knowing we did some really special things this year.”

Maryland’s final game came in front of 3,000 fans on Shipley Field at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium. Ticket demand was so high for the tournament that temporary bleachers were added in left field. 

“You can see how much [the fans] cared that we were hosting a regional,” sophomore infielder Kevin Keister said. “We had great fans out here this whole weekend.”

Maryland Baseball regular-season highlights

The Terrapins began the year by sweeping a three-game series against Baylor in Waco, Texas. Following their 14-4 win over Delaware, the Terps were 8-0 for the first time ever. 

On April 15, junior outfielder Bobby Zmarzlak hit a three-run walk-off home run to lift Maryland to an 8-6 victory over Ohio State. 

In a 13-0 win over Northwestern on April 29, Ryan Ramsey threw a perfect game. It was just the 20th nine-inning perfect game in college baseball history and first for Maryland since 1959. The junior lefthander was second in the nation in victories (11-1), had a 3.22 ERA and held opponents to a .193 batting average. 

The Terrapins finished 18-5 in the Big 10 and won the conference championship with an 18-7 triumph at Purdue. For the year, they scored 10 or more runs 23 times.

Among the team records Maryland set this season were most home runs (137), runs (572), hits (683), doubles (143), walks (337) and RBIs (534). 

Individual accolades 

Senior outfielder Chris Alleyne hit a school-record 24 homers while batting .331 with 24 stolen bases and 79 RBIs. He was named Big 10 Player of the Year and first-team All-American. 

Vaughn thinks Alleyne will one day play in the Majors. “I couldn’t be more proud of him,” he said. “Just an unbelievable human, unbelievable kid. We’re gonna watch him play on TV one day.”

Ramsey, junior left-hander, was second in the nation in victories (11-1), had a 3.22 ERA and held opponents to a .193 batting average. He was named first-team All-Big 10 and second-team All-American. 

Sophomore Luke Shliger, who caught Ramsey’s perfect game, set the school mark for runs (79). He paced the squad in batting average (.353), hits (88) and walks (54) and was fourth in RBIs (58). 

Sophomore right-hander Jason Savacool finished 8-3 with a 2.93 ERA. He paced the Terps in innings pitched (107.2) and strikeouts (123). He was named first-team All-Big 10 and second-team All-American. 

“Now that it’s over, I think we’ll be able to look back at a team that broke every record, from wins to homers,” said Vaughn, who received a contract extension to coach Maryland through 2027. “Records were shattered this year by this group, and they set the standard for what it means to play here. … We’ll build this thing and be back.”

Chris McManes (mick-maynz) covers University of Maryland athletics for the College Park Here & Now in McManes Sports