I am back at Shipley Field as we await the start of Game 2 of the Terps series against Virginia Tech. I guess we should be glad the rain held off last night so they could play the whole game, but today it is not nearly as nice, as a matter of fact it is rather cold and the outfield is sure to be drenched after the rain came overnight.
Here are a few pregame notes:
-Apparently sophomore righthander Matt Quinn has been shut down for the season after throwing just four innings. Quinn wasn’t available at the beginning of the season because of an elbow injury and apparently it has gotten worse. According to pitching coach Jim Farr Quinn has bone chips in his elbow that will require surgery. Also freshman pitcher/outfielder Taylor Buran has mononucleosis and will be out for at least the next month Farr said. The losses of Quinn and Buran leave the Terps depleted in the right-handed reliever department, which, Farr said, was the reason behind the use of four pitchers in the last two innings last night.
- Today’s pitching match-up will be interesting again as the Terps send sophomore Brett Harman (3-3, 6.25 ERA) to the mound and the Hokies will counter with lefthander Justin Wright (2-1, 3.99 ERA). Farr also feels good about today’s start for Harm,an. No one who pitched yesterday for the Terps throws a lot of breaking balls so Farr expects that Harman, who throws two above average breaking balls (curveball and slider) will be able to use that to his advantage to keep Hokie hitters off balance.
-In the lineup there are very few changes from yesterday. DH Jensen Pupa has moved down in the lineup after going hitless in yesterday’s ballgame, Casario will move into the No.2 hole while Pupa slides all the way down to the seventh. The only other real change is that, with a lefty on the mound, head coach Terry Rupp has decided to give regular leftfielder Gerry Spessard the day off and Mike Rozak will patrol left in his stead. Spessard has been dreadful against lefthanders this season, but had a big day yesterday with a double and a home run. Rozak is 6-22 (.273) on the season but is probably the best option to replace an outfielder.
I will probably not be updating as often because I am trying to leave room for my colleague Michael Katz who will undoubtedly have some sort of post this afternoon as the Men’s Lacrosse game v. Johns Hopkins wraps up in Baltimore. But of course I will be here for the whole game so if any major happens, you better believe I will be posting it immediately.