Baseball Gets Ready For South Florida
Feb. 18, 2000
Up Next:
#10 Miami (5-5) vs.
South Florida (4-3)
Tonight’s Broadcast:
RADIO – WQAM (flagship) 560 AM (Fri.)
WACC (spanish) 830 AM (Sat.), WVUM (student) 90.5 FM
TELEVISION – SportsChannel Florida (Fri. & Sun.)
MIAMI VS. SOUTH FLORIDA SERIES: The Hurricanes meet up with South Florida for the 96th time in the all-time series dating back to the 1974 season, with Miami leading 68-27. Last season, Miami swept the Bulls at Red McEwen in Tampa, 8-5 and 9-4, to hold a modest two-game win streak heading into the 2000 series. The last time these two teams met in Coral Gables was in the 1998 season, with the Hurricanes taking 2-of-3.
Head Coach Jim Morris is 13-4 overall against South Florida while at Miami and Georgia Tech. Morris is 10-3 vs. USF at Miami since 1994 and held a 3-1 mark while at Georgia Tech.
In the 1990’s, Miami won 17-of-22 meetings.
DAVID GIL BRINGS 14-GAME WIN STREAK INTO SOUTH FLORIDA GAME: Senior ace David Gil extended his winning streak to 14 games with his victory over Wake Forest in his 2000 season debut on January 28. In his last two outings – both against Florida, Gil has recorded no-decisions. In each of those games against the Gators, Gil left the game with the Hurricanes still leading. Against Wake Forest, Gil held the Demon Deacons scoreless in his five innings of action. His last loss came against Texas, 8-7, on March 1, 1998. In addition, Gil has won 10 games in his last 12 starts. The no-decisions in his last two starts against Florida broke a string of 10 straight decisions won.
Game #11 - Friday 2000 StatisticsPlayer Ht Wt Yr Rec ERA App IP H R ER BB SODavid Gil 6-4 220 Sr. RHP 1-0 2.81 3 16.0 12 5 5 4 15
NOTE: His last two starts have resulted in no-decisions…still has a 14-game win streak dating back to the 1998 season…in his last outing at Florida, pitched 7.0 innings and gave up five hits, two earned runs, one walk with five strikeouts…left the game with UM leading 3-2.
Game #12 - Saturday 2000 StatisticsPlayer Ht Wt Yr Rec ERA App IP H R ER BB SOBrian Walker 6-3 204 So. LHP 0-1 2.57 3 7.0 3 3 2 3 3
NOTE: Lone start of the season was against Lynn in the season-opener…pitched 5.0 innings in that outing with no runs scored, two hits, one walk and two strikeouts…took the loss at Florida (2/13).
Game #13 - Sunday 2000 StatisticsPlayer Ht Wt Yr Rec ERA App IP H R ER BB SOKiki Bengochea 6-2 195 Fr. RHP 0-1 3.18 5 5.2 10 7 2 2 6
NOTE: Made five appearances all in relief…took the loss against Clemson (1/29)…was a third round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals in 1999.
MIAMI VS. SOUTH FLORIDA SERIESMiami holds a 68-27 mark against USF dating back to the 1974 season. Last year, UM 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.
- UM is 10-3 vs. USF under Jim Morris
- At Georgia Tech, Morris was 3-1 vs. USF.
- In the decade of the 1990’s, Miami won 17 of 22 meetings.
PROJECTED LINE-UP (2000 STATS): By PositionPos. # Player Ht. Wt. Yr. B/T BA HR RBIC 51 Greg Lovelady 6-0 200 Jr. R/R .308 0 11B 38 Kevin Brown 6-5 220 Jr. R/R .258 1 82B 6 Kris Clute 5-10 180 Jr. R/R .282 1 83B 0 Javy Rodriguez 5-11 188 So. R/R .351 0 2SS 24 Kevin Howard 6-3 185 Fr. L/R .333 0 5LF 16 Marcus Nettles 5-11 185 So. L/L .263 0 1CF 9 Mike Rodriguez 5-10 175 So. L/L .238 0 3RF 8 Manny Crespo 5-11 185 Jr. R/R .231 2 6DH 11 Lale Esquivel 6-3 210 Sr. R/R .333 3 6
Head Coach: Jim Morris (Elon ’72) At Miami: 304-93 .766 7th Season Head Coach – D-I: 808-337-1 .705 19th Season Head Coach – Overall: 939-378-1 .713 22nd SeasonAssistant Coach: Lazaro Collazo (15th Season, Miami, ’88)Assistant Coach: Gino DiMare (4th Season, Miami, ’92)Assistant Coach: Mark Kingston (1st Season, North Carolina, ’92)
Career Statistics vs. So. Florida (as of 1999)
PitchersPlayer G-GS W-L S ERA IP H R ER BB KTom Farmer 2-0 0-0 0 0.00 2.0 0 0 0 1 0Greg Howell 3-0 0-0 0 7.38 3.2 6 6 3 2 2David Gil 2-2 1-1 0 3.18 5.2 9 8 2 2 6Alex Prendes 1-0 0-0 0 99.00 0.0 2 3 3 2 0Troy Roberson 1-0 0-0 0 0.00 1.1 2 0 0 1 1Dan Smith 1-0 0-0 0 81.82 0.1 2 4 3 1 0Vince Vazquez 1-0 0-0 0 0.00 2.0 0 0 0 1 4
Position PlayersPlayers G-GS AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SOKevin Brown 4-2 .250 8 2 2 1 0 0 3 1 4Kris Clute 4-2 .500 8 1 4 1 0 0 2 1 4Manny Crespo 2-1 .250 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2Mike DiRosa 1-1 .000 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2Lale Esquivel 4-4 .429 7 1 3 0 0 0 3 2 4Charlton Jimerson 3-1 .571 7 2 4 1 0 1 1 0 2Greg Lovelady 2-0 .000 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Marcus Nettles 1-1 .333 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1Javy Rodriguez 1-1 .000 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2Mike Rodriguez 1-1 .250 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1Mark Walker 6-6 .188 16 2 3 0 0 0 5 6 7
Baseball AmericaFebruary 14, 2000# School (Rec.) Last Week LW1. Florida State (7-2) 2-1 42. UCLA (6-1) 3-1 33. Stanford (6-3) 1-3 14. Alabama (2-1) 2-1 25. Cal State Fullerton (2-4) 2-1 56. Louisiana State (3-0) 3-0 87. Auburn (7-0) 5-0 118. Georgia Tech(2-0) 2-0 99. Southern California (5-3) 1-2 610. Houston(5-2) 4-0 1211. Baylor(4-2) 2-2 1012. Texas(7-2) 4-0 1413. MIAMI (4-5) 0-3 714. Wichita State(0-0) 0-0 1315. Tulane (2-1) 2-1 1516. Loyola Marymount (3-1) 1-0 1617. Arizona State (11-2) 3-0 1718. Central Florida (5-2) 3-1 1819. Clemson (2-1) 0-0 1920. North Carolina (6-0) 3-0 2021. South Carolina (5-0) 3-0 2122. Rice (3-4) 3-1 2223. Notre Dame (0-0) 0-0 2324. Florida (5-3) 2-1 2425. Texas Tech (6-2) 3-1 NR
Baseball Weekly/ESPNPreseason Poll (1/24/00)# School (1st Place) Rec. Pts. LW1. Florida State (30) 7-2 1024 52. Stanford (4) 6-3 974 13. Alabama (2) 2-1 933 34. Louisiana State (4) 3-0 897 65. UCLA (2) 6-1 826 106. Georgia Tech 2-0 741 87. Auburn (1) 7-0 727 138. Houston 5-2 641 99. Cal State Fullerton 2-4 591 210. MIAMI 4-5 554 411. Texas 7-2 552 1712. Wichita State 0-0 500 1213. Arizona State 11-2 580 2214. North Carolina 6-0 474 NR15. Southern California 5-3 471 1116. Texas Tech 6-2 467 2017. Baylor 4-2 438 1418. Clemson 2-1 399 1519. Florida 5-3 370 1820. Tulane 2-1 331 1621. Rice 3-4 255 722. South Carolina 5-0 232 NR23. Central Florida 5-2 224 NR24. Long Beach State 3-3 102 2325. FIU 8-0 96 NR
ARV: Nevada (82), Notre Dame (65), Loyola Marymount (65), Fresno State (60), Wake Forest (49), Arkansas (48), Arizona (42), Oklahoma State (31), Ohio State (27), Minnesota (26), Jacksonville (25), Lamar (24), Tennessee (21), East Carolina (19), Mississippi State (15), Virginia Commonwealth (13), Kentucky (12), Texas A&M (9), Ball State (9), Louisiana-Lafayette (7), Rutgers (6), North Carolina State (5), The Citadel (5), South Alabama (3), Michigan (3), Mississippi (2), Illinois (2), North Carolina-Greensboro (1).
Collegiate BaseballFebruary 14, 2000# School (Rec.) Points LW1. Florida State (7-2) 485 62. UCLA (6-1) 480 43. Stanford (6-3) 479 14. Alabama (2-1) 477 35. Louisiana State (3-0) 473 86. Cal State Fullerton (2-4) 469 27. Georgia Tech(2-0) 466 98. Texas(7-2) 463 129. North Carolina (6-0) 461 2010. Houston(5-2) 458 1011. Clemson (2-1) 455 1112. MIAMI (4-5) 452 513. Tulane (2-1) 450 1314. Wichita State(0-0) 442 1415. Auburn (7-0) 441 1716. Texas Tech (6-2) 439 1817. Southern California (5-3) 438 1518. Baylor(4-2) 436 1619. Arizona State (11-2) 433 2820. Florida (5-3) 429 2421. South Carolina (5-0) 427 NR22. Rice (3-4) 424 723. East Carolina (3-1) 422 NR24. Long Beach State (3-3) 418 2225. Notre Dame (0-0) 413 2526. Fresno State (5-2) 409 NR27. Minnesota (1-0) 407 2728. Nevada (6-4) 404 NR29. South Alabama (0-0) 398 2930. Loyola Marymount (3-1) 394 NR
MORRIS DIVISION 1-A MILESTONE WINS:
Win, Opponent, Score, Date, Note
1 Campbell 12-11 3/2/82 First Career D-1 Win
100 Georgia State 12-3 4/29/84
200 UNC-Wilmington 13-6 3/3/87
300 Davidson 17-0 3/18/89
321 Mercer 6-3 5/6/89 Became Ga. Tech’s Wins Leader
400 @North Carolina 2-0 4/20/91
500 Georgia Southern 9-2 5/11/93
503 South Carolina 12-0 5/29/93 Final win at Georgia Tech
504 Barry 8-0 2/2/94 1st at Miami
600 vs. Southern Cal 15-10 6/2/95 Game #1 at College World Series
700 Arizona State 6-5 5/25/97 Win sent Miami to 1997 CWS
800 vs. Rice 8-4 6/11/99 Game #1 at College World Series
803 vs. Florida State 6-5 6/19/99 First College World Series title
808 Barry 5-3 2/15/00
MORRIS MILESTONE WINS AT MIAMI:
Win, Opponent, Score, Date
1 Barry 8-0 2/294 1994 Season Opener
50 Florida Atlantic 5-2 2/1/95 1995 Season Opener
100 Coastal Carolina 8-3 2/9/96
150 @Hawaii 13-11 1/19/97
200 South Florida 8-5 1/30/98
250 Barry 8-3 1/26/99 1999 Season Opener
299 vs. Florida State 6-5 6/19/99 First College World Series title
300 Lynn 5-4 1/26/00 2000 Season Opener
304 Barry 5-3 2/15/00
2000 Game Notes
HURRICANES KEEP PERFECT MARK AGAINST CROSS-TOWN NEIGHBOR BARRY: With their 5-3 win over Barry on February 15, the Hurricanes extended their all-time mark against the Buccaneers to 16-0 since the first meeting in 1984. Miami has not lost to a Division II program since February 4, 1994, a 4-2 loss to Rollins College in Jim Morris‘ first season with the Hurricanes.
KEVIN BROWN HITS HOME RUN NO. 1 ON THE SEASON: Team captain Kevin Brown slugged his first home run of the season in the second inning against Barry. Brown led the team with 22 home runs in 1999. His last home run came in the second inning of the College World Series title game againt Florida State on June 19, 1999.
TOM FARMER HAS CAREER-BEST OUTING AGAINST BARRY: Tom Farmer struck out a career-high nine batters against Barry in a personal-best 6.0 innings. Farmer had previously lasted just 5.2 innings, earlier this season against North Carolina. The nine strikeouts is a team season-high for a UM pitcher, while the 13 overall strikeouts was a season-high for the pitching staff.
MIAMI/FLORIDA SPLIT SEASON SERIES – AGAIN: The Hurricanes and Gators won each of their two home contests during the 2000 season, with UM taking the first two games at Coral Gables 16-8 and 17-1, and UF winning the Gainesville meetings 4-3 and 20-11. It marks the fifth straight season that each team has swept the other on its home field, a 10-game streak for both schools, since the 1996 campaign. UM holds a 103-80-1 advantage in the all-time series dating back to the 1940 season and 16-14 in the Jim Morris era.
GATORS PULL OFF NINTH INNING RALLY IN GAINESVILLE GAME #1 IN 4-3 LOSS: The Hurricanes struck first with one run in the second inning and held that 1-0 lead until the bottom of the sixth. UF answered back with a triple and home run that led to a brief 2-1 Gator lead. In the seventh, Kris Clute hit his first home run of the season that also scored Marcus Nettles, giving UM a 3-2 lead until the bottom of the ninth. With one out, UF catcher Tony Soccaras tied the score, 3-3, with a home run. Later in the inning, UF loaded the bases with two outs until the very next batter, Mark Kiger, singled in the game-winning run to right field.
UM’S 5-5 RECORD: The team’s 5-5 record is the slowest start in the Jim Morris era. The .500 record 10 games into the season is the second to 1993’s 9-9 record after 18 games. In addition, that 1993 squad also fell to 4-6 then 6-8 and eventually 9-9.UM Starts under Jim Morris
Year Start Overall Season Result
1994 8-2 49-14 1-2 at College World Series
1995 8-2 48-17 2-2 at College World Series
1996 9-1 50-14 3-1 at College World Series
1997 7-3 51-18 2-2 at College World Series
1998 7-3 51-12 1-2 at College World Series
1999 7-3 50-13 4-0 at College World Series
KEVIN MANNIX MAKES MOST OF HIS FIRST CAREER START: True freshman Kevin Mannix of Syosset, NY made his first career start at first base in game #2 at Florida. In that appearance, Mannix was a team-best 2-4 from the plate with one walk, three runs scored, six RBI and on strikeout. Defensively, Mannix had four putouts. He leads the team with a .417 batting average as well as a .833 slugging percentage.
HURRICANE OFFENSE HITS FULL FORCE AGAINST THE GATORS IN CORAL GABLES: For the two-game series at Mark Light Stadium, UM totaled 33 runs and 36 hits. UM batted .450 as a team with eight doubles, two triples and five home runs.
In game No. 1 (W, 16-8), the Hurricane offense totaled 19 hits, 16 runs and 16 RBI. The 19-hit total equalled UM’s entire hit-total from the first four games of the season. The 16 runs were five more than UM’s total from the first four games (11). The 16 RBI was seven more than the previous first four games (9). Game No. 2 nearly had the same results as UM batters wracked up 17 hits, 17 runs and 14 RBI.
Miami Injury Report:#18 Ryan Channell – Left elbow
Has been cleared to begin pitching in live action. Recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery from the 1998 season.
#13 Troy Roberson – Right elbow
Sore right elbow following 2/13 at Florida. Will miss his start against South Florida.
#43 Vince Vazquez – Right Groin
Pulled right groin muscle just before season-opener. Likely to miss the remainder of February.
THE 17-1 WIN OVER FLORIDA: The Hurricanes 17-1 victory over Florida tied for the second-ever worse loss in the history of the Florida baseball program and worse loss in 26 years. The 16-run margin tied five other games in UF history, most recently Georgia in 1955. UF’s worst loss came against Clemson (24-2) in 1974. The margin of defeat was also the most-ever by UM over UF and the two-game 33-run total most also the most by UM over UF in a two-game series. Miami has now won 10 straight over Florida in Coral Gables.
MANNY CRESPO COMES ALIVE AGAINST THE GATORS IN CORAL GABLES: In the two games against Florida, junior right fielder Manny Crespo totaled six runs and six RBI off of four hits with three walks. His four four runs scored in game No. 1 marked a new career-best after totaling three runs on nine separate occasions. His game No. 1 hits included a fifth inning double that ignited a four-run UM outburst and two home runs during the third and seventh innings. Crespo, who batted 1.000 in game No. 1, entered the series with an unfamiliar .077 batting average. Following the series Crespo’s average rose 201 points to .278.
KRIS CLUTE STANDS OUT IN GAME NO. 2 AGAINST FLORIDA: Junior second baseman Kris Clute totaled three hits, three runs scored, three RBI and one walk in five at bats in UM’s 17-1 win over Florida. His hits included a double and a triple.
HURRICANES SUFFER BACK-T0-BACK SHUT OUTS AT ACC/DISNEY BASEBALL BLAST: For the first time since the 1975 season and just the third time ever, Miami was shut out in consecutive games. At Disney’ Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, the Hurricanes went 1-2 against ACC opponents. On the first day, David Gil (1-0) led UM to a 6-3 win over Wake Forest, his 14th consecutive win. The Hurricanes lost the second game against Clemson, 4-0, and North Carolina on the final day, 9-0.
JAVY RODRIGUEZ NAMED TO ACC/DISNEY BASEBALL BLAST ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Sophomore shortstop Javy Rodriguez was named to the ACC/Disney Baseball Blast All-Tournament team. Rodriguez had the initial game-winning RBI against Wake Forest in the first game, while making many stellar plays defensivley.
JAVY RODRIGUEZ ADDS THE DIFFERENCE IN SEASON-OPENING, 5-4, WIN OVER LYNN: Sophomore shortstop Javy Rodriguez’ RBI single in the seventh inning that scored Marcus Nettles from second was the difference as UM held on to a 5-4 victory over local school Lynn in UM’s 2000 season opener. Miami jumped out to a 4-0 lead by the sixth inning, but Lynn came back in the top of the seventh with a four-run burst.
MIAMI FAIRS WELL AGAINST THE ACC: Miami has had some success against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference over the past five seasons. UM has won 38 of its last 49 games against ACC foes, including nine of its past 11. In 1999, the Hurricanes forged a 12-3 record vs. ACC opponents (Florida State 6-1, N.C. State 2-1, Clemson 2-1, Wake Forest 2-0). This season, UM is 1-2 against ACC schools (1-0 Wake Forest, 0-1 North Carolina, 0-1 Clemson).
UM vs. ACC (Last 49 Meetings)
Date Result Site
1/30/00 North Carolina 9, Miami 0 Lake Buena Vista, FL
1/29/00 Clemson 4, Miami 0 Lake Buena Vista, FL
1/28/00 Miami 6, Wake Forest 3 Lake Buena Vista, FL
6/19/99 Miami 6, Florida State 5 Omaha, NE
6/5/99 Miami 8, Wake Forest 1 Coral Gables
6/4/99 Miami 10, Wake Forest 2 Coral Gables
4/25/99 Miami 9, Florida State 8 Coral Gables
4/24/99 Miami 9, Florida State 4 Coral Gables
4/23/99 Miami 8, Florida State 7 Coral Gables
4/18/99 Miami 8, Florida State 7 Tallahassee,FL
4/17/99 Miami 4, Florida State 3 Tallahassee, FL
4/16/99 Florida State 8, Miami 2 Tallahassee, FL
4/11/99 Miami 7, N.C. State 6 Coral Gables
4/10/99 N.C. State 13, Miami 9 Coral Gables
4/9/99 Miami 7, N.C. State 4 Coral Gables
4/4/99 Miami 14, Clemson 11 Charlotte, NC
4/3/99 Clemson 7, Miami 5 Charlotte, NC
4/2/99 Miami 5, Clemson 3 Charlotte, NC
5/24/98 Miami 7, North Carolina 4 Coral Gables
5/22/98 North Carolina 6, Miami 5 Coral Gables
5/3/98 Florida State 5, Miami 4 Coral Gables
5/2/98 Florida State 11, Miami 5 Coral Gables
5/1/98 Miami 7, Florida State 1 Coral Gables
4/26/98 Miami 8, Georgia Tech 8 Atlanta, GA
4/25/98 Miami 8, Georgia Tech 5 Atlanta, GA
4/24/98 Georgia Tech 22, Miami 7 Atlanta, GA
4/5/98 Miami 9, Florida State 6 Tallahassee, FL
4/4/98 Miami 8, Florida State 2 Tallahassee, FL
4/3/98 Miami 9, Florida State 4 Tallahassee, FL
3/22/98 Miami 4, North Carolina 2 Coral Gables
3/21/98 Miami 8, North Carolina 2 Coral Gables
3/20/98 Miami 1, North Carolina 0 (10) Coral Gables
5/5/97 Florida State 7, Miami 3 (7) Coral Gables
5/4/97 Miami 7, Florida State 6 (10) Coral Gables
5/3/97 Miami 9, Florida State 1 Coral Gables
4/20/97 Miami 17, Duke 1 Coral Gables
4/19/97 Miami 9, Duke 5 Coral Gables
4/18/97 Miami 6, Duke 2 Coral Gables
4/13/97 Florida State 8, Miami 7 Tallahassee, FL
4/12/97 Miami 8, Florida State 5 Tallahassee, FL
4/11/97 Miami 9, Florida State 5 Tallahassee, FL
4/6/97 Miami 12, Georgia Tech 0 Coral Gables
4/5/97 Miami 9, Georgia Tech 4 Coral Gables
4/4/97 Miami 10, Georgia Tech 1 Coral Gables
6/5/96 Miami 14, Clemson 5 Omaha, NE
5/31/96 Miami 7, Clemson 3 Omaha, NE
4/14/96 Miami 7, Florida State 4 Coral Gables
4/13/96 Miami 9, Florida State 8 Coral Gables
4/12/96 Miami 6, Florida State 2 Coral Gables
HURRICANES HARD TO NO-HIT: Entering the Barry game, Miami has not been -no-hit in 2,123 games. The last time the Hurricanes were no-hit was by Ken Huebner of Florida Southern on April 18, 1964 in Lakeland. UM experienced a close call last season as Notre Dame no-hit the Hurricanes through 8.2 innings in South Bend, IN on May 12, 1999. Then-freshman Mike Rodriguez hit a single to break up the no-hitter.
HURRICANES HAVE NOT LOST A THREE-GAME SERIES: Miami won all 11 three-game series it played in 1999, including five three-game sweeps. UM took the first two from Wake Forest in the Super Regional to erase a third meeting. Entering the 2000 season, UM has won 13 consecutive three-game series and 30 of its last 31 three-game series. At Mark Light Stadium, Miami won eight three-game series in 1999 and 36 of its last 37 three-game series. Since April, 1995, UM has lost a three-game series at home just once when Florida State took two of three games, May 1-3, 1998.
MIAMI IN SEASON OPENERS: Miami holds a 35-21 overall record in season opening games after defeating Lynn 5-4 on January 21. The last loss in a season-opener for the Hurricanes was January 16, 1997, a 3-2 loss at Hawai’i. UM has not lost a season-opener at home since a 9-7 defeat to Florida on February 3, 1984 (12 games).
50-40-30 WIN PLATEAU: Miami has won at least 50 games during the past four seasons under Head Coach Jim Morris. UM has won at least 40 games for six straight years, 11 of the last 12 years and 25 of the last 27 years. Miami has won 30 or more games for 29 consecutive years. The last time UM failed to win 30 games was 1970 when the ‘Canes finished 28-15-1. Morris, as a head coach, did not drop below 42 wins during the 1990’s decade. His lowest single-season win total during the ’90’s, either at Miami or Georgia Tech, was 42 wins in 1991 with the Yellow Jackets. Morris’ lowest single-season win total in his six previous seasons at UM was 48 in 1995.
DAVID GIL, KEVIN BROWN NAMED 2000 TEAM CAPTAINS: On December 6, 1999 the baseball team selected senior pitcher David Gil and junior first baseman Kevin Brown as team captains for the 2000 baseball season. Gil, a left-handed pitcher out of Miami Columbus, went 12-0 last season with a 3.19 era in leading the Hurricanes to the 1999 National Championship in Omaha, NE. Among Gil’s victories last year were NCAA teams Ohio State, Clemson, Florida State (twice), Long Beach State, Florida International, Wake Forest and Rice. Brown, who led the team with 22 home runs and 66 RBI in 1999, had the bases clearing double in the fifth inning that propelled the Hurricanes to the CWS title.
FOOTBALL PLAYER PHILLIP BUCHANON ADDED TO BASEBALL ROSTER: The UM baseball team has added freshman Phillip Buchanon to its roster for the 2000 season. Buchanon is already attending Miami on a football scholarship as a defensive back. Buchanon, who will add depth to the UM outfield, saw much playing time during his true freshman season with the football Hurricanes. He appeared in 10 games, recording 21 tackles on the season, including one tackle for loss, a pass break-up and a forced fumble. Buchanon, originally from Fort Myers, FL, was an all-state baseball player at Lehigh HS. He batted .463 with seven triples, six doubles and five home runs. Buchanon joins pitcher/tight end Dan Smith as the lone football players on the Hurricanes’ 2000 roster.
MARK KINGTSTON HIRED, GINO DiMARE NAMED RECRUITING COORDINATOR: UM Athletic Director Paul Dee and head coach Jim Morris announced the hiring of former volunteer coach Gino DiMare as the Hurricanes new Recruiting Coordinator and Hitting Coach on August 16, 1999. Morris also named former Illinois State assistant coach Mark Kingston as UM’s new volunteer coach and David Diggs as Coordinator of Baseball Operations. Additionally, Strength Coach Mike Gibbons, Trainer Kevin Blaske and SID Joe Hornstein also begin their first season with the Defending National Champs.
ORANGE AND GREEN PLAY TO A 3-3 TIE ANNUAL ALUMNI GAME: The 2000 Hurricanes, wearing green, put three runs on the scoreboard in the sixth inning to forge a 3-3 tie with the orange team in the annual seven-inning preseason outing. The orange team placed seven UM alumni with current players, highlighted by Florida Marlins infielder Dave Berg (92-93). Also returning to Mark Light for the alumni game were Brian Seever (98-99), Aubrey Huff (97-98), Alex Santos (97-99), Russ Jacobson (97-99), Eddie Rivero (95-96), Darin Spassoff (96-99). Mike Tosar (88-91) served as the orange team coach.
ALWAYS A PACKED HOUSE AT MARK LIGHT STADIUM: Attendance for the 1999 baseball season placed eighth nationally among NCAA Division 1-A schools. 106,685 patrons attended UM home games during the ’99 season. The No. 8 ranking marked the 23rd straight season that UM has placed among the nation’s top 10.
HURRICANES SUCCEED VS. FIRST ROUND PITCHERS: The Hurricanes have faired very well in their past 20 outings against pitchers who were first round picks in the Major League Draft, going 14-6 since May, 1995.
UM vs. First Round Pitchers
Date Pitcher Team Line Result
6/4/99 Mike MacDougal Wake Forest L, 6.1 IP, 5 H, 7 R UM, 10-2
4/25/99 Nick Stocks Florida State ND, 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R UM, 9-8
4/17/99 Nick Stocks Florida State ND, 6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R UM, 4-3
4/3/99 Mike Paradis Clemson ND, 6.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R CU, 7-5
5/31/98 Ryan Mills Arizona State W, 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R ASU, 9-2
5/24/98 Mike Bynum North Carolina ND, 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R UM, 7-4
5/22/98 Mike Bynum Norh Carolina ND, 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R UNC, 6-5
5/3/98 Nick Stocks Florida State W, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R FSU, 5-4
4/4/98 Nick Stocks Florida State L, 4.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R UM, 8-2
3/22/98 Mike Bynum North Carolina ND, 4.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R UM, 4-2
3/21/98 Kyle Snyder North Carolina L, 7 IP, 8 H, 7 R UM, 8-2
2/14/98 Brad Wilkerson Florida W, 7.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R UF, 19-5
2/7/98 Brad Wilkerson Florida ND, 4.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R UM, 11-8
5/31/97 Jim Parque UCLA ND, 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R UM, 7-3*
2/21/97 Brad Wilkerson Florida ND, 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R Miami, 8-7
2/15/97 Brad Wilkerson Florida W, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R UF, 2-1
6/5/96 Kris Benson Clemson L, 7 IP, 13 H, 9 R UM, 7-3*
5/31/96 Kris Benson Clemson L, 7.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R UM, 14-5*
2/3/96 Brad Wilkerson Florida L, 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R UM, 5-1
5/15/95 Kris Benson Clemson L, 2.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R UM, 8-4
* College World Series
ONE MARK FALLS IN 1999, NEW ONE BEGINS IN 2000: The Hurricanes streak of not being shut out in a game ended at a school-record 248 last season when Notre Dame defeated UM 1-0 (5/12/99) in the second game of a two-game series in South Bend, IN. The 249 games is good for ninth best all-time heading into the 2000 season. Prior to Notre Dame, UM was last shut out against Texas A&M (4-0, 5/29/95) in an Atlantic II Regional game. Under Jim Morris, UM has been shut out a total of five games since 1994 or once every 77.4 games.
Longest UM streaks without being shut out
Games Span
248 5/29/95 – 5/12/99
205 4/13/79 – 4/11/82
193 5/6/84 – 3/27/87
HURRICANES AMONG THE BEST ALL-TIME: Research conducted by the NCBWA has shown that the University of Miami baseball program has the third-best overall winning percentage in the history of collegiate baseball. Entering the 2000 season, UM has won 72 percent of its all-time games (1,808-698-15). The 72 percent places behind Texas’ 76.4 percent and Florida State’s 72.7 percent. Miami has been playing varsity level baseball for 55 seasons, including 2000, and has forged a total of 1,810 wins. The win total places UM 29th overall.
HURRICANES FINISH ’90’S DECADE AMONG NATION’S BEST:
Top Winning Percentage in the ’90’s
# School Record Pct.
1. Wichita State 543-144 .790
2. MIAMI 488-150 .764
3. Florida State 527-175 .750
4. Delaware 380-138 .734
5. Louisiana State 503-179-2 .735
Overall Wins in the ’90’s
# School Record
1. Wichita State 543-144
2. Florida State 527-175
3. Louisiana State 503-179-2
4. MIAMI 488-150
5. Clemson 486-182
ROY FIRESTONE PERFORMS AT PRESEASON “FIRST PITCH” BANQUET: Roy Firestone returned to Miami during the preseason, to serve as keynote speaker at the annual “First Pitch” Banquet at the Biscayne Bay Marriott. Firestone spoke about his memories of his days as a UM baseball broadcaster as well as provide a night full of entertainment. The event, which benefited the University of Miami Baseball Building Fund, featured Firestone performing a mixture song, stand-up and video bloopers.
ESPN’S ROY FIRESTONE FIRES UP CANES: ESPN Primetime Up Close host Roy Firestone visited the Hurricanes in their locker room following their 9-7 win at Long Beach State on May 21, 1999. Firestone, UM Class of 1975, was a former broadcaster on UM’s student radio station (WVUM) and remains close with longtime P.A. Announcer Jay Rokeach. Following his pep talk, UM Head Coach Jim Morris presented Firestone with a team jacket. Miami proceeded to finish the season on an 11-game win streak and a CWS title.
HURRICANES HAVE POSTSEASON SUCCESS:
Consecutive Regional Appearances
27 MIAMI 1973-present
22 Florida State 1978-present
18 Texas 1979-95
18 Oklahoma State 1981-present
15 Northern Colorado 1952-66
Leaders by CWS Appearances
27 Texas
19 Southern California
19 Oklahoma State
18 MIAMI
18 Arizona State
17 Florida State
Consecutive CWS Appearances
7 Oklahoma State 1981-87
6 MIAMI 1994-99
6 Northern Colorado 1957-62
5 MIAMI 1978-82
5 Oklahoma 1972-76
5 Southern California 1970-74
5 Texas 1981-85
Leaders by CWS Wins
Wins Losses Team Last CWS
72 22 Southern California 1998
64 47 Texas 1992
55 30 Arizona State 1998
39 30 MIAMI 1999
38 36 Oklahoma State 1999
32 25 Arizona 1986
25 13 Louisiana State 1998
25 20 Stanford 1999
23 16 Cal St. Fullerton 1999
23 34 Florida State 1999
UM’S 1999 CWS TITLE PUTS HURRICANES IN SELECT COMPANY: With their 1999 College World Series championship, the Hurricanes became the eighth program all-time to win at least three National Championships (1982, ’85 and ’99).
School CWS titles Last titles
Southern California 12 1998
Arizona State 5 1981
Louisiana State 4 1997
Texas 4 1983
MIAMI 3 1999
Minnesota 3 1964
Arizona 3 1986
Cal-State Fullerton 3 1995
HURRICANE ROSTER HAS MAJOR LEAGUE TALENT: The 2000 Hurricanes have a total of 17 players who have been selected in the Major League Draft. Freshman pitcher Kiki Bengochea is the highest drafted player on the UM roster (3rd Rd./Kansas City Royals). Additionally, 17 of UM’s 29 rostered players or 58.6 percent have been drafted by the pros.
Player Pos. Round Year MLB Team
Kiki Bengochea RHP 3 1999 Kansas City Royals
*David Gil RHP 7 1999 Philadelphia Phillies
Vince Vazquez RHP 8 1998 New York Mets
Manny Crespo RF 12 1997 Atlanta Braves
Mike Rodriguez CF 17 1998 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Mike DiRosa C 21 1998 Cleveland Indians
Kevin Howard SS 22 1999 San Diego Padres
Danny Matienzo C/IF 24 1999 Minnesota Twins
Charlton Jimerson CF 24 1997 Houston Astros
Javy Rodriguez SS 26 1998 New York Yankees
Chris Sheffield RHP 28 1998 Houston Astros
Kris Clute 2B 31 1997 Houston Astros
Troy Roberson RHP 32 1998 Baltimore Orioles
Marcus Nettles LF 33 1998 Pittsburgh Pirates
Kevin Brown 1B 41 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates
Brian Walker RHP 44 1998 Pittsburgh Pirates
Ryan Channell LHP 50 1995 Houston Astros
* David Gil was not selected out of high school, but this past season following his junior season.
FIVE HURRICANES SELECTED IN 1999 DRAFT, TWO MORE SIGN CONTRACTS: Five Hurricanes from the 1999 National Championship team were drafted in last summer’s Major League Baseball Draft.
Player Pos. Round MLB Team
Bobby Hill SS 2nd Chicago White Sox
Russ Jacobson C 3rd Philadelphia Phillies
Alex Santos RHP 4th Tampa Bay Devil Rays
David Gil RHP 7th Philadelphia Phillies
Michael Neu RHP 29th Cincinnati Reds
Daryl Roque RHP FA Montreal Expos
Brian Seever OF FA Anaheim Angels
Head Coach Jim Morris Notes
MORRIS MAKING HISTORY: In his seventh season at Miami, Head Coach Jim Morris is establishing himself amongst the elite college baseball coaches in the nation.
- is the only coach in NCAA history to take a school to the CWS in each of his first six years at a program.
- was named National Coach of the Year in 1994 and 1999.
- has never posted a losing record as a head coach.
- has sent over 100 players to professional baseball including Kevin Brown of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Nomar Garciaparra of the Boston Red Sox.
MORRIS EARNS WIN NO. 300 AT MIAMI: Head Coach Jim Morris has recorded an overall record of 304-93 during his sevens seasons in Miami. Morris earned UM win No. 300 against Lynn, 5-4, in the Hurricanes’ 2000 season-opener on Jan. 26. Morris’ 300 victories in Coral Gables are second-most to former head coach Ron Fraser’s 1,271 wins from 1963-92. He became UM’s second all-time coaching wins leader in his second season in Miami, when his Hurricanes defeated Jacksonville, 12-4, on April 30, 1995 for his 83rd UM win, surpassing Eddie Dunn (82 wins, 1946-54).
MORRIS INDUCTION: University of Miami head baseball coach Jim Morris was inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame during the 1999 season. Morris was Georgia Tech’s head baseball coach for a 12-year period from 1982-93. At Tech, Morris rebuilt the Yellow Jacket baseball program into a prominent program nationally, which won four ACC championships and earned nine NCAA Tournament appearances. With a 504-244-1 (.674) record, Morris became Georgia Tech’s winningest coach in any sport in the school’s history.
SHORTSTOPS AND MORRIS: Jim Morris, who played shortstop during his playing days at Elon College and in the Boston Red Sox organization, has had great success developing shortstops in recent years. Most recently, Bobby Hill, a first-team All-American was a second round draft pick by the Chicago White Sox. Before Hill, each of the last three shortstops to play under Morris were Major Leaguers during the 1998 season. Alex Cora and Mike Metcalfe each played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. All-Star Nomar Garciaparra of the Boston Red Sox played for Morris from 1992-93 at Georgia Tech. UM’s top two shortstop prospects for the 2000 season are Javy Rodriguez, drafted by the New York Yankees out of high school, and Kevin Howard, a San Diego Padres draft pick.
MORRIS GOES SIX IN SIX: Morris is the only coach in college baseball history to appear in the College World Series in each of his first six years at a program. The ‘Canes, under Morris, advanced to Omaha in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. The record was actually established when the Hurricanes advanced in Morris’ fourth season in 1997.
MORRIS IN SELECT COMPANY: Head Coach Jim Morris is only the third coach in NCAA history to lead a team to the CWS in six consecutive seasons. Former UM coach Ron Fraser, who led the ‘Canes to the CWS 12 years, took UM to Omaha five straight seasons from 1978 to 1982.
Consecutive Trips to the College World Series
Gary Ward, Oklahoma State (7) 81-82-83-84-85-86-87
Jim Morris, MIAMI (6) 94-95-96-97-98-99
Pete Butler, Northern Colorado(6) 57-58-59-60-61-62
Clif Gustafson, Texas (5) 81-82-83-84-85
Ron Fraser, Miami (5) 78-79-80-81-82
Rod Dedeaux, Southern Cal (5) 70-71-72-73-74
MORRIS NAMED 1999 NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR: Head Coach Jim Morris was named National Coach of the Year in 1999, by the ABCA and Collegiate Baseball newspaper. The top coaching honors mark the second time Morris was named National Coach of the Year after winning the designation from Baseball America in his first season at Miami in 1994. Morris guided the 1999 Hurricanes to the CWS title in his sixth straight trip to Omaha, NE and a 50-13 overall record.
MORRIS IS A REGIONAL REGULAR: Jim Morris has led a team to a NCAA Regional berth for 15 consecutive years. He has guided the Hurricanes to the NCAA Regionals in each of his six previous seasons at UM. While at Georgia Tech, Morris took the Yellow Jackets to the regionals for a total of nine years (1985-1993).
THE JIM MORRIS SHOW: The 2000 season marks the fourth season of the Jim Morris Show, a weekly half-hour television program featuring the head coach of the Hurricanes. Beginning in late March, the show airs on WPLG-Channel 10 and on SportsChannel Florida. Hosted by WPLG-Channel 10 Sportscaster Frank Forte, the show featured Hurricane players, coaches and special guests from the world of baseball.
Miami’s Record When…
Scoring 1-4 runs 0-2
Scoring 5+ runs 5-1
Opp. 6 or less runs 4-2
Opp. 7 or more 2-2
UM scores first 4-1
Opp. scores first 1-4
Leading after 6 innings 5-0
Trailing after 6 innings 0-5
Tied after 6 innings 0-0
Leading after 8 innings 5-1
Trailing after 8 innings 0-4
Tied after 8 innings 0-0
Last at bat wins 0-0
Collecting 1-3 hits 0-1
Collecting 4-6 hits 1-1
Collecting 7-9 hits 2-3
Collecting 10+ hits 2-0
Out-hitting opponents 3-0
Out-hit by opponents 2-5
Hits are tied 0-0
UM is errorless 0-0
Committing one error 1-2
Committing multiple errors 4-3
Opponent is errorless 1-1
Opponent commits one error 1-2
Opp. commits mult. errors 3-2
UM starter gets decision 3-2
UM bullpen gets decision 2-3
One-run games 1-1
Two-run games 1-0
UM hits home run 3-3
Opp. hits home run 2-4
Day games 1-3
Night games 4-2
Extra innings 0-0
Doubleheaders 0-0
vs. Ranked opps. 3-5
vs. Top 10 opps. 0-0
At home 4-1
On the road 0-2
At neutral site 1-2
Days of the Week
Sunday 0-2
Monday 0-0
Tuesday 1-0
Wednesday 1-1
Thursday 0-0
Friday 2-0
Saturday 1-2
By the Month
January 2-2
February 3-3
vs. In-state opponents 4-3
