The history of the University of Maryland Club Baseball team is one of dedication and constant improvement, with the goal of an eventual NCBA National Championship. Founded in the fall of 1998 by then-sophomore Josh Jones, the Club did not have an auspicious start. Interest among students was great. So great in fact that the Club was split into two equal teams during the Spring 1999 season. However, neither team saw that much action, because of poor organization. The A squad played about four games, winning two. The B team played just two games and lost both to Loyola. Things improved moderately the following year when Matt Greleski took over as Club President. The team was trimmed to one 30-man squad and played about a ten-game season, going roughly .500. The real improvement started in 2000 when Mitch Ayes was elected Club President. Under Mitch, the Club has experienced a quantum leap in the quality of management. Shortly after Mitch became president, the Club traveled to Cooperstown, N.Y., baseball’s mythical birthplace, to play a game against Loyola on Doubleday Field, just a stone’s throw from the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Mitch’s election coincided with the rise of the new National Club Baseball Association (NCBA), a nationwide organization of college baseball clubs. The NCBA’s goal was to provide these clubs with a post-season and national championship, which had not existed before. In addition to its rise off the field, the Maryland Club exhibited an ever-increasing quality of play on the field, thanks to former club standout pitcher, Dave Obstgarten Obstragarten, who was also an outstanding pitcher for the Maryland Varsity in the mid-nineties, became the Club’s first true head coach in 2000. In the spring of 2001, the Club was one of only about 30 clubs throughout the United States to participate in the NCBA’s inaugural season. The Club was a member of the NCBA’s Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) along with clubs from James Madison University, Richmond University, The University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech University. A club from George Washington University would be added in the spring of 2002. In the fall of 2002, over a hundred players showed up to tryout for the team. After tryouts, the team picked up several new faces, including the current president and vice president. After a rocky start in the Capital Classic, internal conflicts threatened to tear the team apart. When all was said and done, President Mitch Ayes was removed from office and replaced with interim President Andrew Williamson, who remained president until he graduated in 2005 after three seasons as a coach, pitcher, and president of the team.. With new leadership the Maryland Club Baseball team continued to grow and improve. The team played very admirably and missed the MAC playoffs in 2003 by one game because of two heart breaking losses to GW. With the season over, there was a bitter taste for there returning players. In the fall of 2003, a new page was written in the history of the Maryland Club Baseball team. With over 100 players arriving for tryouts, the team was infused with young talented players, who would soon take the team to the next level. Pitching instantly became a strength of the team, in addition to a more powerful and deeper lineup. The team got off to a great start defeating host Penn State at the Nittnany Lion Classic. The team finished the fall season 6-5. With solid defense the team performed well, but not to their fullest. Constantly throughout the fall season, the team showed glimpses of what could be in the future. Coming into the Spring, the team was more than ready for a break through. In the spring of 2004, Maryland Club Baseball team became a power house in the East. With a slow start against NC State, the team trucked through the MAC Conference winning most games by mercy rule.When all was done, Maryland took home the MAC North Conference Title home for the first time in team’s history. With JMU as their next target, Maryland lost two well played games to the defending MAC champions. Though the team had accomplished so much and broken most team records, there still was a bad taste in the players’ mouths. With the season over, Maryland players were awarded for their excellence in the nation. Six players were awarded all conference honors, and three: Steve Hardy Jake Smith and Nate Baude—were awarded All-American—the fourth most of any team in the nation. With the taste of being so close to the World Series, Maryland Club baseball is primed to make a serious run for the championship. In fall 2004, the team returned most of its starters, and added several key pitchers and position players. Maryland and GW hosted the Capital Classic Tournament where the best teams in the East came to play. When all was done, Maryland took second place overall against some very good team such as NC State, JMU and UNC. Under head coach, Andrew Williamson, the team finished up with two overwhelming victories against JMU, and posted a 7-6 fall record. Having worked hard all off-season, the team was primed for the best spring season in its almost decade long history. The Spring 2005 squad proved to be the fastest, deepest team in club history with the addition of several speedy position players including, Brandon Mise (who was moved up to varsity in Fall 2006). The team also got off to its fastest start ever, sweeping at three game series at UNC Wilmington and splitting four close games with NC State for a February best, 5-2 record to start the season. The team would go on to lose only 3 more games in the regular season, sweeping all of their conference games to finish 29-5 heading into the post season. The Terps squared off in a best of three series in Mid-Atlantic regional playoffs versus longtime rival James Madison University. The team looked to avenge both a regular season series loss (where the Terps dropped 2 of 3 to the Dukes), and a 2 game sweep by JMU over Maryland in the 2004 Regionals. Behind the arm of All-American Andrew Williamson, and a lineup of hot bats, the team got off to a hot start, defeating JMU in game 1, 6-1. The Terps dropped game 2 6-0, but proved their "Refuse to Lose" motto was more than just mere words in the decisive game 3. In that game, the Terps fell behind again, early, but behind solid defense and the pitching of Mike Costello--who was untouchable for 5 solid scoreless innings of relief--the Terps pulled off an unbelievable come from behind victory. Down 11-2 in the bottom of the 5th, the Terps rallied for 8 runs to come within one of tying the game. They tied the game in the sixth, and went on to win it in the eighth behind key hits from Steve Hardy and Mike "Tank" LaFleur. The 12-11 victory gave the Terps their first ever World Series berth. The Terps beat UMass in game one of the World Series in Bradenton, FL, for their first ever World Series victory (and a spot on the front page of the local paper), but dropped their second game 6-2 to the University of Illinois. Still, the Terps stayed alive, refusing to lose in another come from behind victory over Sam Houston State the following day, for a spot in the semi-finals and a second chance against Illinois. In a pitchers duel, the Terps scored early and held a 1-0 lead until the late innings where the Illini hitters finally got to the Maryland bullpen, defeating the Terps 2-1. Despite the heartbreak of falling just short of a spot in the championship game, the team had much to be proud of. Eight players were named all-conference selections, and the team once again produced three All-Americans: Steve Mitsak, Steve Hardy, and Andrew Williamson. The team also set an all-time record with 32 wins, to finish 32-8 on the year. Since then, Vinnie DeRight (2008-2010) and Mike Boushell (2010-2012) have coached the club baseball program. In the Spring 2011 season, the Terrapins finished 17-7 under Boushell. They made it to the MAC Regionals but unfortunately lost in the MAC Championship game to ECU who went on to become the 2011 NCBA World Series Champs. In 2012, the Terps started off hot with an 11-0 start but stumbled mid way through the season and eventually finished 2nd in the MAC North with an 18-7 overall (8-4 conference) record. In the fall of 2014, the Terps won the Penn State Classic, beating some of the best teams in the country, including defending National Champs Penn State and rival Delaware. In the Spring 2014 season, under head coach Tejus Kulkarni, the Terps would finish with a 10-11 record (8-4 conference). Despite being below .500, the tough schedule and series win in conference against Virginia Tech, Virginia and George Washington, and taking one game of rival James Madison University, the Terps were selected for the at large bid for the MAR tournament in Martinsville. After falling to ECU in the first game, the Terps bounced back to silence the haters by beating Ohio 7-2 and conference rival JMU 10-4 to set up a championship match up with the Pirates of ECU. After leading for most of the game, the Terps would run out of steam in the 8th and fall 7-3. Ben Strack, Andrew Dane and Dylan Kletter were selected for the First Team Mid Atlantic Regional Conference Team. Kletter was also selected as an All American.

All Conference 

Dylan Kletter('14) 2B- 1st Team

Andrew Dane('14) OF - 1st Team

Ben Strack('14) SS- 1st Team

All American

Dylan Kletter ('14) 2B - Third Team 

Steve Mitsak ('05)

Andrew Williamson ('05)

Steve Hardy ('04, '05)

Jake Smith ('04)

Nate Baude ('04)