Baseball Opens Spring Practice
Jan. 3, 2000
Coral Gables, FL – The National Champion University of Miami baseball team will open Spring practice on Monday, January 3 at 1 p.m. at Mark Light Stadium on the UM campus.
The Hurricanes, under the direction of 1999 National Coach of the Year Jim Morris, return five position starters from last season’s College World Series championship team and 18 letterwinners overall. In 1999, UM recorded a 50-13 overall record while marching through the postseason with a perfect 9-0 record. The season culminated with No. 1-seeded Miami’s 6-5 victory over No. 2 Florida State for the national title at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE.
Leading the way for the Hurricanes on the mound is Collegiate Baseball Preseason First Team All-American senior right-handed pitcher David Gil. Gil, a 1999 All-American who was undefeated last season with a 12-0 record, returned to UM for his final season after the Philadelphia Phillies selected him in the seventh round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.
Missing is Alex Santos, who was a two-time All-American pitcher on the mound as well as an Academic All-American student off. Santos was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the fourth round of the 1999 Draft. Fellow pitcher Darryl Roque was signed as a free agent by the Montreal Expos.
Vince Vazquez, who had a big hand in assisting UM to the 1999 title on the mound in the mid-to-late innings, returns as the closer. Vazquez was earlier selected to the NCBWA Preseason All-American Third Team. Last year’s closer, Michael Neu, a 1999 CWS All-Tournament team pick, is currently with the Cincinnati Reds.
Around the bases, Miami looks similar to the team that went 4-0 at the College World Series. The lone exception is All-American shortstop Bobby Hill, who was a second round pick of the Chicago White Sox. Returning are Kevin Brown (1B), Kris Clute (2B), Lale Esquivel (3B) and Greg Lovelady (C). 1999 catcher Russ Jacobson, who missed the postseason with a wrist injury, was subsequently a third round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies.
The lone departure in the UM outfield was due to the graduation of centerfielder Brian Seever, who landed in the Anaheim Angels farm system. Returning are 1999 USA National Team Member Manny Crespo (RF) and ’99 Freshman All-American Mike Rodriguez (LF), who moves to centerfield. Marcus Nettles, a designated hitter in ’99, enters the spring as the front-runner for the leftfield spot.
Also returning to bolster the pitching depth are veterans Ryan Channell, Luke DeBold, Tom Farmer, Greg Howell, Alex Prendes, Troy Roberson, Chris Sheffield, Dan Smith and Brian Walker.
Several players from Miami’s 2000 recruiting class, recently rated sixth nationally by Collegiate Baseball, may make an impact on Miami’s line-up.The top incoming freshmen are pitcher Enrique “Kiki” Bengochea (Miami, FL), outfielder Jim Burt, Jr. (Allendale, NJ), infielder Kevin Howard (Thousand Oaks, CA), infielder Kevin Mannix (Syosset, NY) and catcher Danny Matienzo (Miami, FL/Columbus).
Of the signees, three were drafted during the 1999 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Bengochea became the highest drafted player to forgo professional baseball and sign with his top college choice after the Kansas City Royals selected him in the third round. Howard was a 22nd round pick of the San Diego Padres, while the Minnesota Twins selected Matienzo in the 24th round.
Miami begins defense of its 1999 crown on Wednesday, Jan. 26 against Lynn University at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Stadium. Morris, who enters the season one win away from his 300th at the University of Miami, has a 934-373-1 overall record in 22 seasons as a head coach. In his six seasons at UM, Morris has compiled a 299-88-0 record and has guided the Hurricanes to the College World Series each season, a NCAA record.
