The Maryland Terrapin’s 2021 schedule was released Wednesday by the Big Ten Conference. Each team expects to play a 44-game schedule solely against conference opponents.
Maryland finished 2020 with a 10-5 record before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the season. The Terps open with a four-game series against the Michigan State Spartans on March 5 at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. The Spartans were 9-6 in 2020.
March 12 is the home-opener against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium. Rutgers only averaged 5.87 runs-per-game and batted .265 as a team. Maryland’s prolific offense can expect to have success against a pitching staff that posted a team ERA of 5.23.
Maryland travels to Penn State the weekend of March 19-21. The Nittany Lions were 10-5 in 2020 and averaged 6.6 runs. Penn State has an impressive pitching staff that ranked eighth in the nation last year with a 2.16 team ERA.
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Iowa Hawkeyes host Maryland for four alternating games in Columbus, OH. Ohio State had a 6-8 record and scored only 79 runs in 14 games with a 4.77 team ERA. Iowa, on the other hand, finished 10-5 and scored 108 runs. The Hawkeyes was first in the Big Ten in batting .295 and had a solid 3.39 ERA.
Maryland plays two-and-two at home on April 2 against the Michigan Wolverines and the Northwestern Wildcats. Michigan was 8-7 in 2020 and was not an offensive power. Michigan hit .249 and was limited to only 72 runs in 15 games, while the Wolverines’ pitching was middle-of-the-pack with an ERA over four.
Northwestern’s 3.31 ERA was second in the Big Ten, but the Wildcats offense struggled mightily last season with only 48 runs batting .233 in 12 games.
Maryland takes a trip to Lincoln, Neb. on April 9 to 11 to play the Nebraska Cornhuskers. In 2020, Nebraska had the second-worst team ERA at 5.94, but its offense averaged nearly seven runs per game.
Ohio State comes to Smith Stadium April 16 to 18 for a three-game series.
Up next, Maryland hits the road April 23 for another two-and-two series against Northwestern and Iowa in Iowa City.
Maryland plays the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the first time at home, April 30 to May 2. The Golden Gophers’ pitching staff had the highest ERA in the conference last season but did have a competent offense.
The Terps finish the season with four three-game weekend series traveling to Michigan and Illinois, while hosting Purdue and Indiana. The three-game series against the Hoosiers from May 28-30 is the final series of the regular season.
