Maryland Terrapins Baseball 2026 Season Preview
It's almost time for baseball to return to College Park.
Friday is Opening Day across Division 1 baseball, and while the sight will be familiar for Maryland Terrapins fans, the state of the team is quite different.
The Dirty Terps just had their first sub-.500 season since 2018, finishing their previous campaign 27-29 (12-18). Now, head coach Matt Swope is looking for a change of fortune in his third season leading the club.
Fresh Faces From Many Places
The Terps underwent a massive roster overhaul in the offseason, bringing in 10 players from the transfer portal. Here is that list, along with their 2025 stats:
- Ryan Costello, 1B/OF (LSU) - 0/8 with 4 BBs in 15 games.
- Landon Edwards, LHP (Rowan College - JUCO) - 2.68 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 88 Ks, 26 BBs in 15 starts (57 IP).
- Joseph Fredericks, LHP (West Virginia) - 2.00 ERA, .169 Opponent AVG, 12 Ks, 13 BBs in 22 games (18 IP) over two seasons.
- David Mendez, UTL (Vanderbilt) - .167 AVG, .551 OPS, 1 HR, 4 RBI in 24 games. Freshman All-American at Dayton in 2024.
- Antonio Morales, UTL (Wake Forest) - .233 AVG, .725 OPS, 3 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI in 34 games.
- Alistair Morin, RHP (Siena) - 3.90 ERA, .242 Opponent AVG, 80 Ks, 48 BBs in 15 starts (83 IP).
- Jackson Sirios, INF (Virginia) - .227 AVG, .779 OPS, 1 HR, 4 RBI in 20 games.
- Rylen Stockton, C (UNC-Asheville) - .343 AVG, .964 OPS, 12 2B, 7 HR, 33 RBI in 49 games; All-Big South Second Team.
- Jayson Torres, RHP (Seton Hall) - 9.84 ERA, .314 Opponent AVG, 35 Ks, 32 BBs in 18 games (35.2 IP).
- Lance Williams, RHP (East Carolina) - 5.31 ERA, .245 Opponent AVG, 47 Ks, 29 BBs in 25 games (40.2 IP).
Stockton has big cleats to fill behind the plate, as All-Big Ten First Team selection Alex Calarco graduated after last season. He'll compete with 2024 starter Devin Russell, who missed last spring with an injury.
Williams is viewed as the Terps' new Friday starter; he had a strong finish to his freshman year including a solid performance (5 IP, 5Ks, 3ER) against Florida in the NCAA Regionals.
Maryland has also assembled Baseball America's No. 24 Recruiting Class. The group of 10 players includes:
- Bud Coombs, OF, and Austin Weiss, LHP - Perfect Game Preseason Top 100 Freshmen
- Ty Kaunas, INF - Just Baseball's Preseason Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Maintaining Program Standards
The large transfer class will slot in alongside a handful of 2025 starters.
- Brayden Martin led the Big Ten with 59 walks last year; he should once again split time between third base and the corner outfield.
- Aden Hill, who transferred in from VCU before last spring, returns to the outfield for his senior year with his .804 OPS.
- Cristofer Cespedes was named to the Perfect Game Preseason All-Big Ten Team as a reliever.
Maryland has remained one of the best offenses in the entire country, taking advantage of their hitter-friendly confines. Despite the year-to-year turnover, the Dirty Terps look to remain the Big Ten's best in many categories.
2026 Season Outlook
Maryland will play a total of 55 games in the regular season, including 22 at their home digs.
The season gets underway with a trio of games at UNC-Wilmington, February 13-15. Friday and Saturday's games are at 4pm, followed by a 1pm finale on Sunday.
The home opener is Tuesday, February 17 at 4pm against Georgetown. Conference play begins March 13-15 against Purdue.
The other home Big Ten series are USC, Indiana, Michigan, and Penn State. The Terps will also travel to face UCLA, Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan State, and Rutgers.
TV slots for conference play will be released at a later date. The rest of Maryland's games are available through a combination of FloSports, ESPN+, and B1G+.
Maryland did not make the Top 6 teams in the annual Big Ten Preseason Poll. UCLA was unanimously named preseason favorites and is ranked as the No. 1 team in the country by both Baseball America and D1Baseball.
Oregon, USC, Nebraska, Indiana, and Iowa make up the rest of the list.
Check back throughout the season for regular updates on the Dirty Terps.
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Mike joined Maryland On SI with over four years of sportswriting experience. He started off his career in Syracuse on the Orange football beat, where he was featured on CBS Sports' Cover 3 Podcast and local ESPN sports talk radio. After that, he had a brief stint reporting on Major League Baseball before returning to college sports.
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