Today’s baseball game vs. North Carolina State is the last home game of the Terps season and Senior Day.
It’s been a long, sometimes grueling, year for the Terps. They won’t make the ACC tournament as they envisioned when the season started in February. But by the numbers, this team is among the best in program history.
That’s largely thanks to a veteran squad, including these eight seniors who are about to be honored in a pre-game ceremony.
Joe Palumbo: crafty switch-handed hitter who could play a multitude of positions, played shortstop most of the year and did a solid job there, came from a family full of collegiate baseball players so you could tell from day one he understood the game
Steve Braun: excellent second-baseman, and for most of the season a reliable lead-off man for the Terps offense, had his year ended a week early because of a shoulder injury but his influence will be missed next year
Nick Jowers: had an excellent year at the plate, but if you ask any Terps player what they’ll remember about Jowers it’s his defensive skills, had great natural instincts for a centerfielder and it showed throughout the year, made a couple of great catches and always made the right jump on flyballs
Mike Sufczynski: pitcher who was used in some starting situations this year and who did a good job in those starts, also came in out of the bullpen in a game against Virginia Tech this year and shut down the Hokies when the rest of the Terps couldn’t
Kevin Biringer: saved his best for last with his win against N.C. State yesterday, pitched his career high in innings with 8 innings of 2 run ball, emerged in the second half of the year as a solid weekend starter for coach Terry Rupp and the Terps
Brad Taylor: side-arm reliever and leader of a bullpen stocked with freshman and sophomore arms, led the team in ERA during his junior season and registered a team-high 5 saves this year
Brett Tidball: fits the definition of a “crafty-lefty”, started four games for the Terps this year going 2-1, came out of the bullpen and also started midweek games, in the top ten in school history in appearances, pitched seven shut-out innings of relief to defeat No. 3 North Carolina in 2006
Chad Durakis: reliable catcher, good gap to gap hitter and a team leader, only one hit shy of moving into fifth place in school history and one double shy of third place in school history, and of course he already holds the hit by pitch record
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