When Mike Shawaryn took the mound for the first time as a Maryland Terrapin, he faced a ranked Florida Gators lineup in Gainesville. The freshman’s talent was clear, as he had been a 32nd-round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, but no one knew exactly what to expect.
In front of a raucous SEC crowd, Shawaryn threw 5.2 innings of two-run, three-hit baseball, earning the victory as Maryland won 9-7.
“A cliche would be, ‘The rest is history,’” former Maryland head coach John Szefc said.
Five years later, Shawaryn is now pitching for the Boston Red Sox.