Friday, March 28
College Park, Md.
5 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
Maryland
Wildcats Travel to Maryland for Three-Game Series
3/27/2025 5:25:00 PM | Baseball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern will hit the road for the first time in three weeks when it travels to Maryland for a three-game series in College Park.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, 3/28: Maryland – LHP Kyle McCoy vs. NU – RHP Sam Hliboki
Saturday, 3/29: Maryland – RHP Logan Hastings vs. NU – RHP Matthew Kouser
Saturday, 3/30: Maryland – LHP Jake Yeager vs. NU – TBD
For the second time in three years, Northwestern (10-12, 3-3 Big Ten) claimed a home series win over in-state rival Illinois, winning 5-4 on a walk-off double by INF Ryan Kucherak in the series opener and 14-4 in run-rule fashion in the series finale. Kucherak went 6-for-13 on the weekend, slashing .462/.500/1.231 with three homers, a double, four RBI, five runs, and a walk. Kucherak and INF Trent Liolios became the first Wildcats to record three-homer games in the same season since at least 2016.
Northwestern ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 15th nationally in fielding percentage (.981). In 2024, NU led the Big Ten and ranked 10th nationally in fielding percentage (.980).
Northwestern's pitching staff has held opponents to four or fewer hits on five occasions so far in 2025, its most in a season since 2019 (five). The Wildcats are 4-1 in such games and 6-1 when holding opponents to three or fewer runs.
In eight appearances this season, RHP Sam Hliboki has logged a team-best earned-run average of 3.78, earning a pair of saves and posting a 1-2 record. Hliboki's BB% of 3.5% ranks fourth in the B1G. Hliboki ranks sixth in the Big Ten in innings pitched (33.1).
LHP Blake MacMillan has thrown 15.0 straight scoreless innings out of the bullpen. In the series opener against Illinois, MacMillan earned the win in 2.2 shutout innings, striking out two and allowing two walks and two hits. The graduate transfer ranks seventh in the Big Ten in batting average against, with opponents hitting just .194 against the Mississauga, Ontario native. MacMillan ranks 16th in the Big Ten in WHIP (1.15).
Trent Liolios has been on fire to start the 2025 campaign, leading all Wildcats in batting average (.371), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.843), home runs (9), runs batted in (21), and runs scored (18). Liolios leads the Big Ten and ranks 16th nationally in slugging percentage (.843), ranks second in the conference in on-base plus slugging percentage (1.301), and ranks fifth in the league in weighted runs created plus (172), and home runs (nine).
Northwestern is 10-14 all-time against Maryland. Last season, the 'Cats took two of three from the Terps in Evanston. NU walked off Maryland 6-5 in Friday's series opener in 10 innings and routed the Terrapins 11-1 on Saturday, before falling 9-8 in 10 innings on Sunday.
Maryland (13-12, 2-4 Big Ten) dropped each of its first two Big Ten series to conference newcomers Washington and UCLA. UTL Chris Hacopian leads all Terps with a .420 batting average and .560 on-base percentage.
Northwestern will return to the Windy City for a midweek at UIC on Tuesday, April 1 at 4 p.m. CT, before hosting Iowa for a three-game weekend series at Miller Park.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, 3/28: Maryland – LHP Kyle McCoy vs. NU – RHP Sam Hliboki
Saturday, 3/29: Maryland – RHP Logan Hastings vs. NU – RHP Matthew Kouser
Saturday, 3/30: Maryland – LHP Jake Yeager vs. NU – TBD
For the second time in three years, Northwestern (10-12, 3-3 Big Ten) claimed a home series win over in-state rival Illinois, winning 5-4 on a walk-off double by INF Ryan Kucherak in the series opener and 14-4 in run-rule fashion in the series finale. Kucherak went 6-for-13 on the weekend, slashing .462/.500/1.231 with three homers, a double, four RBI, five runs, and a walk. Kucherak and INF Trent Liolios became the first Wildcats to record three-homer games in the same season since at least 2016.
Northwestern ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 15th nationally in fielding percentage (.981). In 2024, NU led the Big Ten and ranked 10th nationally in fielding percentage (.980).
Northwestern's pitching staff has held opponents to four or fewer hits on five occasions so far in 2025, its most in a season since 2019 (five). The Wildcats are 4-1 in such games and 6-1 when holding opponents to three or fewer runs.
In eight appearances this season, RHP Sam Hliboki has logged a team-best earned-run average of 3.78, earning a pair of saves and posting a 1-2 record. Hliboki's BB% of 3.5% ranks fourth in the B1G. Hliboki ranks sixth in the Big Ten in innings pitched (33.1).
LHP Blake MacMillan has thrown 15.0 straight scoreless innings out of the bullpen. In the series opener against Illinois, MacMillan earned the win in 2.2 shutout innings, striking out two and allowing two walks and two hits. The graduate transfer ranks seventh in the Big Ten in batting average against, with opponents hitting just .194 against the Mississauga, Ontario native. MacMillan ranks 16th in the Big Ten in WHIP (1.15).
Trent Liolios has been on fire to start the 2025 campaign, leading all Wildcats in batting average (.371), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.843), home runs (9), runs batted in (21), and runs scored (18). Liolios leads the Big Ten and ranks 16th nationally in slugging percentage (.843), ranks second in the conference in on-base plus slugging percentage (1.301), and ranks fifth in the league in weighted runs created plus (172), and home runs (nine).
Northwestern is 10-14 all-time against Maryland. Last season, the 'Cats took two of three from the Terps in Evanston. NU walked off Maryland 6-5 in Friday's series opener in 10 innings and routed the Terrapins 11-1 on Saturday, before falling 9-8 in 10 innings on Sunday.
Maryland (13-12, 2-4 Big Ten) dropped each of its first two Big Ten series to conference newcomers Washington and UCLA. UTL Chris Hacopian leads all Terps with a .420 batting average and .560 on-base percentage.
Northwestern will return to the Windy City for a midweek at UIC on Tuesday, April 1 at 4 p.m. CT, before hosting Iowa for a three-game weekend series at Miller Park.
Players Mentioned
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