With five blown leads in series openers and an 0-7 record in rubber matches last year, Maryland baseball’s flaws were obvious. Coach Matt Swope acknowledged such.

“Maybe a few pieces would have changed the whole season last year,” Swope said. “But you still have to look at actually what happened.”

Power was one of the Terps’ few strengths — they mashed 94 home runs for the Big Ten’s second-best mark. But all three of the Terps’ leaders in that stat have departed, including Chris Hacopian, who was named to this year’s Golden Spikes Award watchlist.

Ace Kyle McCoy, one of the few beacons of consistency in Maryland’s 2025 pitching rotation, was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds.

The loss of talent essentially forced Maryland into a philosophical shift. An explosive, but inconsistent offense defined the first two seasons of Swope’s tenure. Now, a new emphasis has been placed on defensive stability and pitching depth — both usually more reliable than the long ball.

“We weren’t good defensively [last season], and we thought we were going to slug our way out of it,” Swope said. “Even though we led most of the offensive categories in the regular season, it still couldn’t overcome all the flaws that we had.”

[The Diamondback Sports Digest: Spring sports provide new hope for Maryland]

Maryland’s altered identity will be apparent across its revamped infield.

Transfers Ryan Costello, David Mendez and Jackson Sirois bring some mystery after the trio combined for just six starts last season. All three were trapped in highly competitive depth charts at elite programs at LSU, Vanderbilt and Virginia, respectively.

Costello is expected to start at first base, with Sirois lining up at the opposite corner. Mendez will man second base, forming a double-play tandem with Ty Kaunas, Just Baseball’s Preseason Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

The 5-foot-11 shortstop blossomed during the fall to the tune of a .400 batting average and six home runs. His high school coach Roger Dawson said Kaunas runs a 6.6-second 60-yard dash — a necessary jolt for a Terps squad that stole the second-fewest bases in the Big Ten last year.

And the glove? It’s never been a question.

Dawson, a former Baltimore Orioles scout, said Kaunas “could have played defensively at Double-A,” as a high schooler.

“We have three shortstops playing in the infield right now, between David and Ty and Jackson,” Swope said. “We might have to grind it out a little bit at the plate sometimes … but the one thing hopefully we can hang our hat on is you know we’re going to play good defense.”

[No. 7 Maryland women’s lacrosse embraces temporary move to SECU Stadium]

The Terps sat toward the bottom of the conference in fielding percentage last season, and 15.51 percent of the runs they allowed were unearned — the highest clip in the conference.

But a large portion of the 419 runs Maryland surrendered can be attributed to pitching woes.

Yet the Terps’ pitching staff didn’t receive an offseason overhaul.

ECU transfer and projected ace Lance Williams was the most notable portal addition, bringing a fastball in the mid 90s.

Redshirt sophomore Evan Smith made just one appearance last season after tearing his UCL. The left-hander is still recovering from Tommy John surgery, according to the Testudo Times, and will slot in as the Saturday starter once he returns — which Swope expects to be in late February or early March.

Sophomore Jake Yeager pitched to a 7.00 ERA across 13 appearances last season, including eight starts. He’ll likely open the campaign as Maryland’s Sunday starter. Swope said he’s “taken that next step.” He said the same of returning sophomores Logan Hastings and Cristofer Cespedes.

Transfers Alistair Morin and Landon Edwards will round out Maryland’s pitching frontline, with freshman Austin Weiss — Perfect Game’s 8th-ranked left-handed pitcher in the 2026 class — joining once he returns from injury in March.

“We’re not going to be as handcuffed as we’ve been in the past,” Swope said. “Those freshmen last year we left in for an extra inning or an extra out that probably would have not served them well, but they had to take their licking that freshman year to make us better now.”

In a lineup that’s sparse on returners, veteran outfielders Brayden Martin, who slashed .319/.478/.371 last season, and Aden Hill, the only returner with double-digit home runs last year, provide proven bats.

A Swope-led team rarely has this much offensive uncertainty, but a deep pitching staff and dependable defense are expected to create a more reliable brand of baseball — one Maryland embraces as it tries to reach the Big Ten tournament for the first time under Swope.