Boston College Athletics
Baseball Wraps Up Season at Maryland
May 15, 2013 | Baseball
May 15, 2013
College Park, Md. - The Boston College baseball team wraps up the 2013 season in College Park, Md., with a three-game set with Maryland. Thursday's and Friday's games will start at 6:30 p.m. while Saturday's season finale will be at 1 p.m.
The Eagles (11-38, 3-23 ACC) have won five of their last nine games and three of the four losses were by two runs or less. They are coming off their conference bye week after taking the series finale at home from No. 25 Virginia Tech, 5-3, on May 5, rallying in the eighth inning. They lost the first game, 1-0, in the 12th inning, and their ninth-inning comeback in the second game fell short, losing, 7-5. On Tuesday, in their final home game of the season, the Eagles fell to Maine, 9-7, after scoring seven runs in the final three innings.
The Terrapins (28-24, 9-18 ACC) are also coming off an ACC bye week and went 1-2 in Clemson. They won the first game, 7-2, but dropped the next two, 3-2 and 9-5. Last weekend, they dropped a non-conference home game to VCU, 9-7.
BC holds a 15-6 advantage over Maryland since the Eagles joined the ACC in 2006, winning every series. In College Park, BC is 6-3, while their only sweep came at home in 2008. Last year, the Eagles won the first two games of the series at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond. In game one BC earned a 10-3 victory, outhitting the Terrapins, 13-8. Current junior RHP Eric Stevens earned the win, going 5.2 innings, allowing just five hits, two runs and two walks, while striking out five. Sophomore RHP John Gorman pitched the last 3.1 innings of relief, giving up just three hits, one run, two walks and he struck out four. Senior OF Matt McGovern led the way in hitting for the Eagles, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs. In the second game, current sophomore INF Blake Butera hit a walk-off single, propelling the Eagles to a 5-4, 12th-inning win after picking up the game after it was halted before the top of the 10th on Friday evening due to darkness. Sophomore LHP Nick Poore pitched the final three innings for the Eagles, coming away with the win. He allowed only one hit, did not walk a batter and struck out two. Maryland took game three, 7-1. McGovern was 2-for-4 in game three while junior OF Tom Bourdon recorded the only BC RBI. Senior RHP Hunter Gordon tallied the loss, pitching 6.2 innings, allowing eight hits, seven runs - six earned - four walks and two strikeouts.
Former player and current director of baseball operations Pete Frates and former NFL player O.J. Brigance will serve as honorary captains at Thursday night's game to promote ALS awareness. During batting practice, the Terrapins and Eagles will wear Brigance Brigade tee shirts in honor of both players' courageous battles against ALS. Brigance and Frates will bring out the lineup cards prior to the game and watch from their respective dugouts throughout the game.
Brigance joined the Ravens in 2000, helped the team claim a Super Bowl victory and now works as Senior Advisor to Player Development. In 2007, Brigance was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Following his diagnosis with ALS, O.J. and his wife Chanda created the Brigance Brigade Fund to raise funds to improve the quality of life of ALS patients and their families. Frates was diagnosed with ALS in March 2012 at 27 years old. A Beverly, Mass., native, he played in the outfield for the Maroon and Gold from 2004-07. A captain his senior year, he finished his BC career with 107 starts, a .228 average, 88 hits, 56 RBIs, 11 home runs and 34 stolen bases. At the 2013 Baseball Night in Boston, he was honored with the Eddie Pellagrini Award, presented by the Diamond Club, given to a former player who has devoted service back to the baseball program.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH UPS (BC listed first)
Thursday: RHP Hunter Gordon (1-4, 2.88) vs. LHP Jimmy Reed (6-3, 2.35)
Friday: RHP Eric Stevens (0-11, 6.38) vs. RHP Jake Stinnett (5-5, 3-21)
Saturday: LHP Andrew Chin (1-8, 4.07) vs. LHP Alex Robinson (1-3, 4.82)
WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST:
Thursday: Isolated thunderstorms, highs in the low 80s and lows in the low 60s; WNW 9 mph; 30% chance of rain
Friday:Mostly sunny, highs in the low 80s and lows in the low6; WNW 4 mph; 10% chance of rain
Saturday:Partly cloudy, highs in the low 70s and lows in the high 50s; ESE 7 mph; 20% chance of rain
WAYS TO WATCH AND FOLLOW:
Twitter: @BCBirdball
GameTracker: Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Postgame Interviews: YouTube
