#5 Miami Hosts #18 Florida This Weekend
Feb. 3, 2000
Coral Gables, FL – The Defending National Champion Miami Hurricanes (2-2) host the 18th-ranked Florida Gators (3-0) in a two-game series this Friday and Saturday, February 4-5, at Mark Light Stadium on the UM campus. Both games, televised by SportsChannel Florida, will start at 7 p.m.
Miami, ranked fourth in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches’ Poll and fifth by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, will start pitching staff ace David Gil (1-0) on Friday night, while Troy Roberson (0-0) gets the nod on Saturday.
The Hurricanes lead the all-time series with Florida, 101-78-1, dating back to UM’s inaugural season in 1940. UM also leads UF, 63-29, in Coral Gables, including wins in the past eight meetings at Mark Light Stadium. In fact, the home team in the series has won eight consecutive games either at Mark Light Stadium or UF’s McKethan Stadium.
“Other than the Florida State series, Florida has traditionally been one of the best series year-in, year-out in all of college baseball,” said 1999 National Coach of the Year Jim Morris. “The fans usually pack the stadium for these games. The atmosphere should be very enthusiastic.”
Gil, a Louisville Slugger Preseason First-Team All-American, enters the contest on a 14-game win streak dating back to the1998 season. In his first outing of the 2000 season against Wake Forest at the ACC/Disney Baseball Blast, Gil pitched 5.0 scoreless innings with five strikeouts. UM went on to defeat the Demon Deacons 6-3.
Roberson will be making his second start of the season as UM’s No. 2 pitcher against the Gators. In his first outing of the season against Clemson, Roberson earned a no-decision as he pitched five scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and five strikeouts. The Tigers went on to defeat Miami 4-0.
SportsChannel Florida will televise each game live with Florida Marlins broadcaster Jay Randolph handling play-by-play duties. Randolph will be joined by former UM baseball coach Ron Fraser, the Wizard of College Baseball, with the analysis.WQAM 560 AM will also carry both games live on the radio with the voice of the Hurricanes Marc Vandermeer (play-by-play) and longtime Miami broadcaster Joe Zagacki (analysis). WACC 830 AM will carry Saturday’s game in Spanish with Jerry del Castillo (play-by-play) and Pepe Campos (analysis). As always, student radio WVUM 90.5 FM will carry both games as well.
Series Information:
WHO: #5 Miami (2-2) vs. #18 Florida (3-0)
WHEN: Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4-5, at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Mark Light Stadium on the UM campus
PROBABLE PITCHERS:
Friday: UM – David Gil (1-0)/RHP/0.00 ERA/6-4/220/Miami, FL
UF – Jimmy Ramshaw (0-0)/LHP/9.00 ERA/6-4/186/JR/Canberra, Australia
Saturday: UM – Troy Roberson (0-0)/RHP/0.00 ERA/6-2/203/SO/Royal Palm
Beach, FL
UF – Mike Smalley (1-0)/LHP/0.00 ERA/6-1/190/JR/Orlando, FL
TELEVISION: SportsChannel Florida (both nights)
RADIO: WQAM 560 AM (both nights), WVUM 90.5 FM (both nights),
WACC 830 AM Spanish (Saturday only)
