Following a 29-win campaign, their most since 2013, head coach Mark Montgomery is ready to take his Terps to new heights. 

“This is starting my fourth year and I think this is our most talented team yet,” Montgomery, who recently signed a five-year extension, said. 

There is a sense around the program that this team can compete for the Big Ten regular season title. Maryland brings back six of its nine top hitters and starting pitchers Courtney Wyche and Trinity Schlotterbeck. 

The Terps opened eyes across the Big Ten in 2022. After finishing 10th in 2021, Maryland climbed to 5th last season, its best finish since joining the conference. Five of the Big Ten’s top six teams qualified for last year’s NCAA Tournament. 

The only team that didn’t? The Terps.

“I feel like this group has a really special potential, something we haven’t done before,” said first baseman Mackense Greico, one of five Maryland hitters to hit above .300 last spring.

“We’re looking to impart a legacy and leave it there for the girls to continue to come up with,” the senior said. 

At the plate, the team is led by two-time First Team All-Big Ten outfielder Jaeda McFarland. The junior finished among the Terps’ leaders in multiple major offensive categories, including runs (30), hits (44), RBIs (23) and stolen bases (16), which she placed seventh in the conference. 

Montgomery offered high praise for his center fielder. “There’s probably nobody that you can look to more that does it the right way, every day,” he said. “Whether it’s extra training, whether it’s getting there early, whether it’s staying late or whether it’s giving her all on every single play that she’s involved in.”

“I think she’s an inspiration to watch just from a standpoint of effort.”

She figures to play a key role on a team that struggled offensively at times last year. Maryland ranked in the bottom half of the conference in nearly every major offensive category, including home runs, which they finished last in. In the past, Montgomery’s teams have focused on small ball but he believes this year’s team will showcase more offensively. 

In the circle, Wyche is set to be the team’s top starter for the third consecutive year. The program’s first-ever Big Ten Pitcher of the Week finished top 10 in the conference in ERA (1.92), wins (14), strikeouts (145) and opponents’ batting average (.213). 

The senior is looking to elevate her game and become one of the Big Ten’s best pitchers, if not the best.

“My overall goal is to be the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year,” she said. “Definitely to climb the charts and be one of the top [pitchers] is the best thing I can ask for.”

Montgomery isn’t worried about past performances. After last year’s success, the team’s mindset has changed.

“They’re starting to expect to win every game we play,” he said. “It’s not OK to just be close anymore. They want to win every single game we play.

The Terps will be tested early, highlighted by their season-opening tournament in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Maryland will face two top 25 foes, including College World Series participant and third-ranked Oklahoma State. 

Not only will the team compete against some of the top programs in the nation but it will also give most of them their first opportunity to visit a different part of the world and experience Mexican culture. 

“Three-quarters of our team did not have a passport [before the upcoming trip],” Montgomery said. “They’re going to become more worldly citizens.”

The team’s expectation is to play into the postseason, Montgomery said. “Whether we win the Big Ten or it’s an at-large [bid], I think you should be seeing this team playing in the postseason.” “I’ll be honest with you, it’ll be a little bit of a disappointment if we’re not because that means we didn’t maximize our abilities this year.” he said.

Montgomery has seen tremendous growth from the program in each of his first three years at the helm. But in year four, Maryland is looking to establish itself as a firm contender in the Big Ten race.   

“They had to learn how to fight first. They did that over the last couple of years,” he said. “Now they’re going to show you they know how to win.”