In the eighth inning of the Maryland baseball team’s 7-6 loss to High Point last Friday, third baseman AJ Lee drilled an 0-2 slider from right-hander Muhammed Eid over the left field wall for a two-run home run.
The blast extended Lee’s season-long hitting streak to 10 games, a mark that reached 11 with a seventh-inning single in the Terps’ 9-2 win Saturday afternoon.
Lee has been one of Maryland’s most reliable contributors during the team’s inconsistent campaign. After going 7-8 in their final 15 contests, the Terps fell from first place in the Big Ten standings to the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament.
So, Maryland will look to Lee for offensive stability in its first-round Big Ten tournament tilt with No. 5 seed Iowa on Thursday.
“He clearly knows he belongs,” coach John Szefc said. “As our season went on, if there ever was any doubt, and I don’t think there was, that was erased pretty quickly by about the third or fourth weekend.”
Lee posted a .172 average and failed to hit a home run during his first season in College Park. But with the Alaskan League’s Mat-Su Miners last summer, he hit .255, the first indication he was poised for an improved 2017 campaign.
While Szefc viewed Lee as a potential breakout candidate after his productive offseason, the infielder wasn’t a lock to win the starting third base job. Brandon Gum, who transferred from George Mason, was expected to shift to third base when he recovered from a torn rotator cuff and could throw across the diamond.
But Lee’s offensive success prevented Gum from taking over the position.
Lee started two of Maryland’s three contests at the USA-Baseball Irish Classic, recording a pair of hits. As the Terps topped Notre Dame, North Carolina State and Dayton, Szefc realized Lee was the right candidate to start at third base.
“Earlier in the year, I was a bit uncomfortable on defense and at the plate,” Lee said. “Just knowing what I’m going to do is better than what the guy has for me on the mound, and getting my pitch in the zone and being the aggressor, that’s really helped a lot.”
A natural shortstop, Lee had to adjust to playing a different position on the left side of the infield. That transition was difficult, and before conference play started, Szefc spoke to him about “making more high-energy throws.”
Though Lee has committed eight errors, the second most on the team, he’s improved since his conversation with Szefc. In fact, he hasn’t made a miscue in his past 18 contests.
At the plate, meanwhile, he’s emerged as a threat. The sophomore has started 47 of Maryland’s 51 games, hitting .323 with 31 RBIs. His seven home runs rank third on the team, and he’s stolen 14 bases, contributing to the Terps’ increased aggression on the basepaths.
That production earned Lee Third Team All-Big Ten Honors on Tuesday.
Lee was slotted toward the bottom of the lineup for most of the season, but with center fielder Zach Jancarski out with an oblique injury against High Point, he hit second. The results followed him up the order.
“It’s huge for anyone in the starting lineup to be locked in like that,” shortstop Kevin Smith said. “To see him day in and day out have the same approach and stay locked in whether he has two hits or no hits has been the most impressive thing.”
The Terps struggled with runners in scoring position in the last part of their regular season schedule, reaching seven runs just three times over their final 10 games. But Lee has continued to produce, notching his seventh home run and extending his hitting streak this past weekend.
“I don’t think it surprised anybody,” Szefc said. “He turned out this season. It shows how strong his will is to be good and how much he cares.”
