CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — Maryland baseball hasn't had a true No. 2 starter since Tayler Stiles was injured by a line drive up the middle in late April.
But no matter how coach John Szefc deploys his pitching staff in the must-win super regional game today against Virginia, he knows he'll need closer Kevin Mooney to quickly put Friday behind him.
Mooney, a junior from Forest Hill, was charged with three runs on three hits and an intentional walk Friday in Maryland's 5-3 loss in the opener of this weekend's best-of-three. All five runs Virginia scored came after Mooney relieved starter Mike Shawaryn, who carried a shutout into the eighth inning.
"Kevin Mooney has been very, very successful for us all year — for three years," Szefc said. "Games usually don't finish that way when he pitches. When him and Mike pitch, [it doesn't] end that way."
Mooney was 3-0 with 11 saves in 23 appearances this year for the Terps, setting a school record with 33 career saves. Szefc said he doesn't need to offer any consolation to Mooney after a game like Friday's.
"He's mature enough, he understands," Szefc said. "You don't have to sit there and coddle him or anything. He's a big boy. I couldn't tell you the last time he was unsuccessful in that situation. I couldn't even put my finger on when it was. We've had a ton of success with him, and with Mike, and our pitching staff in general. It just didn't happen. I really don't know how else to say it."
There seemed to be no apprehension that Mooney, who closed out three games in the Los Angeles regional, will be the man should Maryland need to close out another game this weekend.
To get to Mooney, Maryland will likely use an all-hands approach to slowing down Virginia. The Terps must win to force a third game for the right to go to the College World Series for the first time. Freshmen Ryan Selmer, Brian Shaffer, and Taylor Bloom are all options, with relievers Robert Galligan, Bobby Ruse, Zach Morris, and Alex Robinson all fresh as well.