Baseball Hosts The Florida Marlins, Saturday At 7 pm
March 31, 2000
Coral Gables, FL – The University of Miami baseball team (24-9-1), ranked No. 13 in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches’ Poll, take on the Major League Florida Marlins in an exhibition game on Saturday, April 1 at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Stadium on the UM campus.
UM’s Spanish station WACC 830 AM and student radio WVUM 90.5 FM will broadcast the game live. For ticket information call the UM Ticket Box Office at 1-800 GO CANES or 305-284-CANES in Dade County. Tickets can also be purchased prior to the game at the Hecht Athletic Center at 5821 San Amaro Drive on the UM campus or one-hour before the game at Mark Light Stadium. To find out more information on Hurricane athletics check www.hurricanesports.com, UM’s official athletics website.
The Hurricanes are riding a four-game win streak and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. Miami is led by freshman third baseman Kevin Howard, who leads the team with a .427 batting average and 44 hits. Sophomore LHP Brian Walker (5-1, 2.53 ERA) will get the start for the Hurricanes on the mound.
The Florida Marlins will start left-handed Jesus Sanchez against Miami. The Marlins have gone 10-19 during the 2000 Spring Training with their Grapefruit League finale against the Kansas City Royals in Viera, FL on March 31, prior to playing the Hurricanes.
Then-freshman Brian Walker started on the mound for the Hurricanes in last season’s meeting with the Florida Marlins. Walker proceeded to hold the Major League Florida Marlins to one hit over four innings with no runs scored. In the game, Miami led Florida 3-0 threw four innings and all the way into the sixth until the Marlins tied the score. Florida proceeded to burn UM relief pitching with nine more runs to win 12-3.
The Hurricanes earned the right to play Florida in exhibition play, due to finishing the 1999 season as the top-ranked team in the state of Florida. The Marlins will play one exhibition game per spring training season against the state’s highest-ranked college program the previous season. Florida did not play any school in the 1994 strike season, while meeting the Hurricanes every year since.
Miami has played 21 exhibition games against Major League ball clubs 1950, not including professional minor league clubs. UM is 1-20 in those games with its lone win coming against the Baltimore Orioles, 7-6, in 1982. The Hurricanes are 0-5 against the Marlins since the 1995 season.
Miami returns to NCAA action next weekend when the Hurricanes travel to No. 1 Florida State to begin its annual six-game back-to-back weekend series with the Seminoles. After playing Friday through Sunday, April 7-9, at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee, Miami will host FSU at Mark Light Stadium, Friday through Sunday, April 14-16.
Game Information
WHAT: #13 Miami (24-9-1) vs. Florida Marlins (exhibition)
WHERE: Mark Light Stadium on the UM campus
WHEN: 7:00 p.m.
TICKETS: Call 1-800 GO CANES or 305-284-CANES in Dade County
RADIO: Spanish – WACC 830 AM, Student – WVUM 90.5 FM
PROBABLE PITCHERS:
UM: Brian Walker/SO/LHP/5-1/2.53 ERA/Miami, FL
FLA: Jesus Sanchez/LHP/5-10/165/Nizao Bani/Dominican Republic
