Maryland baseball’s bats came alive in a big way Sunday, delivering an offensive showcase that had fans on their feet. The Terps smashed four home runs—including two from the red-hot Paul Jones II—to secure an 11-7 victory over Rutgers and avoid a series sweep. It was exactly the response the team needed after a frustrating Saturday night where they failed to score a single run.
Right from the start, Maryland showed they meant business. In the bottom of the first, Ryan Costello singled, David Mendez reached on an error, and Bud Coombs drew a walk to load the bases. Jones II stepped up and laced a single toward third, and a heads-up fielder’s choice allowed Costello to race home for the Terps’ first lead of the weekend. The energy was palpable.
But Rutgers wasn’t about to go quietly. The Scarlet Knights answered with aggressive baserunning of their own. Gabriel Rivera and Trey Wells strung together consecutive singles, then took extra bases on a wild pitch and a stolen second. Jarod Ryan crushed a 399-foot blast to deep center—Coombs just missed the catch—clearing the bases and giving Rutgers the lead. Charlie Meglio added a solo shot in the second, and suddenly Maryland was staring at a 4-1 hole.
Starter Brayden Ryan’s day ended after just one inning and no strikeouts, forcing head coach Matt Swope to turn to reliever Andrew Koshy. Koshy inherited a runner on second and quickly found himself in a jam. A perfectly placed bunt single and a sacrifice bunt brought Tyler Wiltsey home, stretching the Rutgers lead to 5-1. It was looking like another long day for the Terps.
Then the comeback began. In the third inning, Mendez worked a walk to load the bases, and Coombs delivered a sacrifice fly to score Brayden Martin. That brought Jones II to the plate with two outs and the game hanging in the balance. He didn’t flinch. Jones II launched a three-run homer to left field, tying the game at 5-5 and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
After a quiet fourth, Jones II stepped in again in the fifth. This time, he crushed a 409-foot bomb straight down the middle, putting Maryland ahead for good. It was the kind of performance that turns a good player into a fan favorite.
On the mound, Koshy settled in beautifully, tossing three scoreless innings before giving way to redshirt junior James Gladden. Gladden’s first pitch of the day was sent over the wall by Rutgers’ Trey Wells, but the Terps’ offense had built enough of a cushion. Maryland tacked on more runs in the later innings, and the bullpen held firm to seal the 11-7 win.
For a team that had been searching for its first conference victory in over two weeks, this was more than just a win—it was a statement. The Terps showed resilience, power, and the kind of fight that could turn their season around. And with Jones II swinging a hot bat, Maryland fans have plenty of reason to be excited about what’s next.