Maryland baseball wins first ever Big Ten Tournament

BALTIMORE — Maryland baseball made history on Sunday in Omaha, shutting out Iowa 4-0 to secure their first-ever Big Ten Tournament title.

In the championship game, the score was tied until the fifth inning. Then, Maryland’s Jacob Orr walked, Kevin Keister hit a two-run homer, and Nick Lorusso added another home run. 

This gave Maryland a three-run lead, and they ended the game with a 4-0 win.

Ryan Van Buren, a sophomore pitcher, started the game for Maryland. He managed to keep the score tied despite allowing three hits and a walk. Maryland’s bullpen, including Andrew Johnson and Kenny Lippman, also performed well, preventing Iowa from scoring for six innings.

Eddie Hacopian, a sophomore, hit a double in the sixth inning, and Orr added another run for Maryland. The bullpen, including David Falco Jr., continued their excellent performance, keeping Iowa from scoring again.

This win marks a high point for Maryland’s head coach, Rob Vaughn, who took over six years ago. The team’s pitching, which was once a weak point, has improved greatly. They only allowed seven total runs in the tournament.

Nick Lorusso, who hit two home runs in the tournament, was named the Most Outstanding Player. 

After their victory, Maryland has automatically qualified for the NCAA Tournament, with the teams to be announced on Monday at noon.