Baseball to Host South Florida This Weekend
Feb. 17, 2000
Coral Gables, FL – The University of Miami baseball team (5-5), ranked No. 10 in the latest Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches’ Poll, host South Florida (4-2) in a three-game series this weekend, February 18-20, at Mark Light Stadium.
Friday and Saturday’s start times are at 7:00 p.m., while Sunday’s first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. SportsChannel Florida will air Friday and Sunday’s games, with Florida Marlins broadcaster Jay Randolph and WQAM radio personality Jon “Boog” Sciambi handling the action.
The Hurricanes got back on track with a 5-3 win over Barry on Tuesday to snap a three-game slide. UM leads the all-time series with South Florida 68-27 dating back to the 1974 season. Last season, the Hurricanes swept the Bulls at Red McEwen Field in Tampa, 8-5 and 9-4, to hold a modest two-game win streak in the series. The last time the two teams met in Coral Gables was 1998, with the Hurricanes taking 2-of-3. Under Jim Morris, Miami is 10-3 against the Bulls.
The Hurricanes will start senior ace David Gil (RHP, 1-0, 3.81 ERA) on Saturday with sophomore Brian Walker (LHP, 0-1, 2.57 ERA) pitching on Saturday and freshman Kiki Bengochea (RHP, 0-1, 3.18 ERA) pitching on Sunday.
Gil, a Louisville Slugger Preseason First-Team All-American, enters the game on a 14-game consecutive win streak dating back to the 1998 season. The senior from Miami (Christopher Columbus School) earned no decisions in his last two outings against Florida, leaving both games with the Hurricanes holding a lead.
Walker, who started the season-opener against Lynn on January 26, has since made two appearances in relief for the Hurricanes. A former high school pitcher at Miami’s Westminster Christian, Walker moves into the No. 2 rotation following a sore elbow sustained to usual No. 2 Troy Roberson this past weekend at Florida. Roberson is expected to miss just this one start.
True freshman Kiki Bengochea, a third round draft pick by the Kansas City Royals in 1999, makes his first career start for the Hurricanes. Bengochea, who played high school baseball at Miami’s Christopher Columbus School, has made five appearances in relief this season.
South Florida enters the weekend fresh off a game against Florida International, Thursday evening, in Homestead. Prior to the FIU game, USF took 2-of-3 from Southern Illinois in Tampa dropping the Sunday game 3-2. The Bulls also split with Jacksonville in two games on the road at the Dolphins home field.
Friday’s game will be carried locally on the radio by Hurricane flagship station WQAM 560 AM, with Joe Zagacki calling the action. In addition, Saturday’s game will also be broadcast in Spanish on WACC 830 AM, with Jerry del Castillo and Pepe Campos.
Series Information:
WHO: #10 Miami (5-5) vs. South Florida (4-3)
WHEN: February 18-20, Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m., Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Mark Light Stadium – Coral Gables, FL
PROBABLE PITCHERS:
Friday:
UM – David Gil (1-0)/RHP/2.81 ERA/6-4/220/SR/Miami, FL
USF – John Gorham (2-0)/RHP/0.69 ERA/6-2/201/SO/Seffner, FL
Saturday:
UM – Brian Walker (0-1)/LHP/2.57 ERA/6-3/204/SO/Miami, FL
USF – John Vigue (1-1)/RHP/8.71 ERA/6-0/179/JR/Seminole, FL
Sunday:
UM – Kiki Bengochea (0-1)/RHP/3.18 ERA/6-2/195/FR/Miami, FL
USF – Alex Brown (1-0)/LHP/2.45 ERA/5-9/162/JR/Tallahassee, FL
TELEVISION: SportsChannel Florida (Friday and Sunday)
RADIO: Flagship – WQAM 560 AM (Friday), Spanish – WACC 830 AM (Saturday), Student – WVUM 90.5 FM (all games)
TICKETS: 1-800 GO CANES or 305-284-CANES in Dade County. Tickets may also be purchased the day of the game at Mark Light Stadium or prior at UM’s ticket office in the Hecht Athletic Center.
