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April 24, 2003

College Park, Md. - The Maryland Terrapins (14-25, 2-12 ACC) look to continue last weekend's success when they roll into Durham, N.C. for a three-game series with the Duke Blue Devils (14-26, 0-14 ACC). Both teams are hungry for more conference victories, which should make for an exciting three games, one of which - Saturday at 1 p.m. - will be televised by Fox Sports Net South. Terrapin ace Steve Schmoll (Rockville, Md.) is expected to start Saturday's game.

Duke took two of three games last season in College Park, with Maryland winning the first game and dropping the last two. The two teams met again in the ACC Championship, which the Blue Devils slugged out, 10-9. Nevertheless, Duke remains the only ACC team the Terps have a winning record against all-time (71-63-1).

Player to Watch:

OF Will Frazier Sophomore

Frazier, a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American last season, played his best baseball down the stretch last season. With 15 games left in the 2003 season, Frazier is starting to heart up, slamming two home runs this week after hitting one all season.

Last season vs. Duke: 9-for-17, 2 HR, 10 RBI

Terps vs. Duke (Career): Buffone: 5-for-19, 3 RBI; Frazier: 9-for-17, 2 HR, 10 RBI; Gemmill: 0-for-8; George: 2-for-10; Maxey: 5-for-16, 2 HR, 5 RBI; Maxwell: 3-for-6, HR, 2 RBI; Whitmer: 2-for-12; Wilson: 0-for-2.

CHRONICLING SCHMOLL'S AMAZING YEAR

Senior Steve Schmoll (Rockville, Md.) will take the mound this weekend in search of several Maryland records, including career innings pitched, career strikeouts, and single-season strikeouts and strikeouts per game.

Schmoll was honored as one of three Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger National Players of the Week earlier this season, as well as Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week following after he threw two complete game shutouts and struck out 25 batters.

Schmoll has struck out 10 or more batters in five of his seven starts this season since being converted from the closer's role. With the NCAA now tracking national stats, Schmoll is fifth in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings at 13.22. He also leads the ACC in strikeouts (98) and shutouts (2), and his 13.23 strikeouts per game are the most in the ACC by more than two, ahead of N.C. State's Joey Devine (10.93).

Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Clemson was perhaps the most indicative of how valuable Schmoll has been to the team. After pitching two scoreless innings and striking out five for the save in game one, Schmoll went right back out to the mound to start game two 25 minutes later. He threw six innings, allowing one unearned run and striking out another six before leaving with the game tied 1-1. The Terps went on to score eight runs total and take the second game.

With 11 strikeouts on the day, Schmoll is now nine strikeouts from becoming first all-time in team history, passing Brandon Agamennone (254). With 98 strikeouts and 14 games left, he is also challenging Milton's single-season strikeout record of 118.

Schmoll has been equally effective in conference and non-conference play. Against ACC foes, he has a 3.48 earned run average, just 16 points higher than his 3.32 earned run average against non-conference opponents.

A biological resources engineer major with a 3.63 grade point average, Schmoll was named Maryland's Male Student Athlete of the Year for 2002-2003, as well as Maryland's Student Athlete of the Week on April 8.

MAXWELL NAMED ARTHUR ASHE SCHOLAR

Sophomore Justin Maxwell (Olney, Md.) is making tremendous strides both on the field and in the classroom. Earlier this month, Maxwell was just one of 11 college baseball athletes selected as a 2003 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar by Black Issues in Higher Education.

The award was established in 1993 to honor minority undergraduate students who excel in academics, athletics and service to the community, standards set by Ashe, who died in 1993. Award winners must compete in an intercollegiate sport, maintain a cumulative GPA of a 3.2 or higher and be active on their campus and in the community.

Maxwell, an animal scienes major, boasts a 3.93 cumulative grade point average, the highest of all baseball recipients, emphasized by a perfect 4.0 in fall of 2002. Also recruited by Harvard, Maxwell finished his tenure at Sherwood High School with a 4.0.

In his second year on the Terrapin baseball team, Maxwell has been just as spectacular on the field. So far this season, he has already surpassed all of his 2002 totals, compiling a team-leading nine home runs, 32 runs batted in and eight stolen bases. He was named Maryland's Student Athlete of the Week on March 18 after going 7-for-11 (.636) against then-No. 14 Wake Forest.

ACC PERFORMERS

Though the Terps' conference record stands at 2-12, Maryland has had some outstanding performances in ACC games by several players.

Redshirt freshman Brian Jarosinski (Olney, Md.), who had made five starts prior to last weekend's series against No. 23 Clemson, started all three games against the Tigers, two of which were wins. Jarosinski went a scalding 9-for-13 (.692) with his first career home run and five runs batted in for the weekend, bringing his conference batting average to an incredible .480 (12-25). For his efforts, Jarosinski was named Maryland's Student Athlete of the Week on April 22. He has continued his hot play, bringing an eight-game hit streak into this weekend's series.

Redshirt senior Ray Gemmill (Silver Spring, Md.) swung a big bat last weekend as well, going 7-for-10 before leaving in the third inning with a mild concussion after being struck on the head by a pitch. Gemmill brought his conference batting average to .424 (14-for-33) with three runs batted in.

With a home run and four RBI in the Terps' first ACC win on Saturday, Maxwell solidified his place among on the conference's top performers. Maxwell has nine of his 28 runs batted in against conference foes, as well as a .327 batting average and two stolen bases.

THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM

Earlier in the season, clearly the best spot to bat in the Terrpain lineup was the seventh spot. Things have changed, with the third spot becoming the most productive place to bat in.

The Terps' are collectively batting .335 from the third slot, highest of any batting order position, to go along with a team-high 24 runs batted in and team-high .477 slugging percentage.

Leading the way is redshirt-senior Ray Gemmill (Silver Spring, Md.), who is hitting .481 with two home runs and six runs batted in in 26 at bats. Also prolific from the third spot is sophmore Bobby Ryan (Damascus, Md.) at .353 (12-for-34) with six runs batted in and junior Anthony Buffone (Manalapan, N.J.) at .323 (20-for-62) with seven runs batted in.

SUPER SENIORS

In their final year on the Terrapin baseball team, several Terp seniors are having the best years of their careers, including first baseman Ray Gemmill (Silver Spring, Md.), shortstop Kyle George (Bel Air, Md.), reliever Matt Basinger (Connellsville, Pa.) and, of course, pitcher Steve Schmoll.

Gemmill, a redshirt senior, entered the 2003 season with six home runs in his career and has put up five this season alone. In game two of Saturday's doubleheader against No. 23 Clemson, Gemmill set a career-high with four hits, and his .291 batting average and .563 would be career bests. In the field, he has yet to commit an error in 204 chances.

George has been one of the team's most reliable players, missing just two games over the past two season's and starting in all 93 of the games he has played in. George can consistently be seen ranging far to either side, going all-out to get to every ball and making spectacular throw from his knees to take away would-be hits. An unexpected development has been the senior's newfound power, touting a .464 slugging percentage and four home runs, and a .304 batting average, 67 points higher than his average last year.

Last but certainly not least is Basinger, who claimed sole possession of second place all-time in Terps' career appearances with 75. With a career earned run average of 7.44 entering this year, Basinger has been the most reliable arm out of the Terrapin bullpen with a 3.54 earned run average and the second and third saves of his career. Opponents are hitting just .253 off of Basinger, second behind Schmoll.

ODDS & ENDS

Pressure Cooker: Sophomore reliever Brooks Norris (Baltimore, Md.) has allowed just two of his 11 inherited runners to score, including one of the last eight.

Welcome Back: Senior Daryl Whitmer (Waldorf, Md.) has three runs batted in in the past three games, his first in 16 games.

Injury Report: Sophomore Joe Sargent (Chesapeake Beach, Md.) is nursing a bruised ankle, but started Wednesday's contest vs. James Madison. Gemmill suffered a concussion when he was hit in the head on Sunday, but was back in the lineup on Wednesday as well. Sophomore Jason Maxey (Columbia, Md.), who hit 17 home runs last season as a freshman, has suffered a setback in his recovery from off-season wrist surgery and has played in just one game since April 8.

TERPS BROADCAST SCHEDULE

The University of Maryland's student-run radio station, WMUC 88.1 FM, is bringing you all of the Terps action this season over the airwaves and via the internet. This weekend's schedule is as follows:

4/26	Duke	wmucsports.com
4/27	Duke	wmucsports.com
4/28	Duke	wmucsports.com

FORMER TERPS IN THE PROS

Eric Milton (1994-96), Brandon Agamennone (1995-98), Kevin McDonald (1999-2002), Matt Swope (1999-2002) and John McCurdy (2000-02) are the five former Terrapins currently active in professional baseball.

Milton, an all-star in 2001 with the Minnesota Twins, went 13-9 with a 4.84 ERA last season despite battling a partial tear in his left knee, and he will miss 4-to-6 months this year after undergoing surgery on that same knee. For his career, Milton is 56-51 with a 4.80 ERA.

McCurdy, the third Terp all-time to be taken in the first round, got off to a modest start with the Oakland A's single-A affiliate in Vancouver last season, and will open the 2003 with the Kane County Cougars. McCurdy, through April 21, had seven runs batted in and three stolen bases in 76 at bats.

Brandon Agamennone is currently on the roster for the Expos' Triple-A affiliate, Edmonton Trappers, while Swope was promoted to the Expos' high-A team, the Savannah Sand Gnats.

McDonald remains with the Oneonta Tigers, a single-A team in the Detroit organization.