Baseball down in standings, but looking up

Given the high hopes for the Terrapin baseball team entering the second year under coach Erik Bakich, a 2-10 start to conference play for the squad was far from planned.

Fortunately for the Terps, they head out for a three-game series at Clemson (16-12, 4-8 ACC) today playing arguably their best baseball of the season at one of its most important junctures.

"I feel like our team is playing well right now," Bakich said. "Our offense is swinging the bat well. It's going to be an exciting challenge for us this weekend."

After struggling mightily at the plate for most of the season's first half, the Terps (14-15, 2-10 ACC) have found offensive life in their most recent games. Things started to turn around against No. 7 Florida State last weekend, and their hot streak continued in the Terps' 10-6 victory at West Virginia on Tuesday. The win was their third straight game in which they finished with 10 or more hits.

While the team as a whole has looked better offensively, several players have been key in the recent outburst. In their past three games, third baseman Jake Stinnett is 6-for-11 with five RBI, right fielder Charlie White is 6-for-12, and shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez is 5-for-11 with three extra-base hits. Meanwhile, catcher Aaron Etchison is hitting .333 since his return from a broken hand that sidelined him before the season even started.

The offense will receive another boost with the return of left fielder Michael Montville, who broke his hand March 5 against Canisius. Before the injury, Montville was leading the team in home runs and providing power in the middle of the lineup.

Bakich expects four or five freshmen to be in the lineup all weekend. It's not a coincidence, he said, that as those young players have gotten more experience at the Division I level, the offense has begun to improve.

"The newness and inexperience of these guys has worn off a little bit," Bakich said. "They're more comfortable at the plate, which means they've had at-bats, they're getting more pitches. They've got a better feel."

"Same approach," Stinnett said. "Just stay simple, don't try to do too much up there. That's basically it."

Nonetheless, the Terps' .245 team batting average ranks near the bottom of the ACC, while Clemson's .314 clip is second in the league. The Tigers' lineup boasts five players batting over .300, and they have hit almost double the amount of home runs that the Terps have managed.

But pitching has been the Terps' strong point for most of the season, keeping them in contention even when their offense hasn't been potent. David Carroll, the team's top hurler this season, will start tonight.

"You just want to get off to a good start on Friday, and we've had to use a lot of guys out of the bullpen on Friday nights," Bakich said. "When looking at David Carroll, he's been consistent all year and he's been able to pitch deep into games all year. That's something that's important when you're looking to set a tone on Friday nights."

Having reached the midway point of the conference season without a series win, the Terps realize their goal of playing in the ACC Tournament is a steep challenge. And even though they know there is still an entire half of the season to play, the current stage of the schedule and urgency of this weekend's showdown with the Tigers is not lost on the team.

"I think the guys know we're getting around the halfway point," Bakich said. "I think that gives them confidence because they know they're playing a better brand of baseball."

schneider@umdbk.com