Baseball To Face Rutgers
March 10, 2000
Coral Gables, FL – The University of Miami baseball team (14-7), ranked No. 10 by Collegiate Baseball, will host BIG EAST member Rutgers (4-5) in a weekend series beginning Friday at Mark Light Stadium on the UM campus.
All three games can be listened to on the radio at WVUM 90.5 FM, while Saturday’s game can also be heard in Spanish at WACC 830 AM. Tickets for all UM baseball games can be purchased prior to gameday at the UM Ticket Box Office at the Hecht Athletic Center or one-hour before the game at Mark Light Stadium. Please call 1-800 GO CANES or 305-284-CANES in Dade County for further ticket information.
Miami and Rutgers have played 32 times since the all-time series began in the 1985 season with the Hurricanes leading 28-4. The two teams last met in the 1998 season with the UM sweeping the Scarlet Knights in all three games at Mark Light Stadium. Miami has won four straight in the series and 20 of 21. Rutgers last defeated the Hurricanes, 5-4, on March 8, 1996.
The Hurricanes enter the weekend having claimed the three-game series victory in the past 15 and 32 of the last 33. Additionally, Miami has won 38 of the last 39 three-game series at Mark Light Stadium. This season UM has swept all three games in its two series with South Florida and C.W. Post. Miami last lost a three-game series when it fell two games out of three to Florida State, May 1-3, 1998.
Miami is led offensively by its freshman shortstop Kevin Howard, who leads the team with a .452 batting average. Additionally, Howard has a team-best 14-game hitting streak at stake against the Scarlet Knights. In his last outing against Michigan State, he nearly hit for the cycle with a single, double and triple.
Starting off the series on the mound for the Hurricanes will be ace right-handed pitcher senior David Gil (3-0, 2.33 ERA). Gil, who missed his last start after fracturing his nose in an auto accident, will be looking for his 17th consecutive victory when he faces Rutgers on Friday night. His last win came in his last appearance against Villanova on February 25, striking out 10 over five innings in the UM victory. Gil, whose last loss came in the 1998 season, looks to challenge the school-record for consecutive wins by a pitcher of 18 held by Jerry Brust (1974-75).
Sophomore LHP Brian Walker (3-1, 1.38 ERA) and freshman RHP Kiki Bengochea will start on the mound for UM on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Rutgers enters the series having been swept in three games by Tulane in New Orleans, March 3-5. The Scarlet Knights are led offensively by the upperclassmen duo senior shortstop Darren Fenster (.436 batting average) and junior third baseman Jake Daubert (.439 batting average). Pitching for RU on Friday night will be sophomore lefty Buddy Gallagher (2-1, 3.43 ERA), followed by freshman RHP Bob Brownlie (0-1, 3.44 ERA) on Saturday and junior RHP Jim Wilson (1-0, 8.16 ERA) on Sunday.
Series Information
WHO: No. 10 Miami (14-7) vs. Rutgers (4-5)
WHEN: Friday @ 7 p.m., Saturday @ 7 p.m., Sunday @ 1 p.m.
WHERE: Mark Light Stadium on the UM campus
TICKETS: Call 1-800 GO CANES or 305-284-CANES in Dade County
RADIO: Student Radio WVUM 90.5 FM all three games
Spanish Radio WACC 830 AM on Saturday
