MM 5.9: Maryland baseball scuffles in 5-3 loss to Rutgers
This is the Maryland Minute, a short story followed by a roundup of Terps-related news.
Offense has rarely been the leading problem during Maryland baseball’s shaky 2026 season. The Terps boast the second-most runs scored in the Big Ten and are tied for 20th nationally. But Friday’s game against Rutgers saw Maryland’s bats go silent.
The Terps scored only three runs, including just one through the first six innings, leading to their 5-3 loss at Bainton Field to begin a critical Big Ten series. While Jordan Crosland and Bud Coombs combined for six hits, the rest of Maryland’s offense failed to make a similar impact. The other hitters in the Terps’ batting order logged just two hits in their 27 plate appearances.
Those offensive struggles overshadowed another stellar outing from Cristofer Cespedes. The 6-foot-5 right-hander allowed just one run in his previous start despite the last-minute notice — he found out hours before first pitch after Logan Hastings was scratched with an illness. Cespedes was just as dominant on Friday.
He went seven innings and punched out seven hitters. Despite conceding five runs, only one was earned. Cespedes has now allowed just one earned run across his last nearly 19 innings of work.