Notes For Florida State Baseball Series

April 5, 2000

Complete Release in PDF Form

Up Next: #12 Miami (24-9-1) vs. #1 Florida State
Game #35-37, April 7-9, 2000, Dick Howser Stadium – Tallahassee, FL

MIAMI VS. FLORIDA STATE: UM’s 2000 series with Florida State, beginning in Tallahassee and ending in Coral Gables, marks the 206th through 212th meetings in the all-time series dating back to the 1951 season. FSU holds the lead over Miami, 106-96-3, but has lost in its last six. Miami defeated FSU, 6-5, to win the 1999 National Championship on Omaha, NE.

Series Extras:

UM has won 20 of the last 27 meetings dating back to the final two games of the 1995 games. Under Coach Jim Morris, Miami is 23-15 vs. FSU. Under Coach Mike Martin, FSU is 55-67-1 vs. Miami and 23-37 vs. Miami at Mark Light Stadium. Miami has won nine of the last 12 games over FSU at Mark Light Stadium, including a sweep in 1999 and ’96. Miami has won seven of the last nine games over FSU at Dick Howser Stadium. UM swept FSU during the 1998 season in Tallahassee marking the second ever road three-game sweep in the series. A series sweep by either team has not happened since 1970 and never happened in a four or six-game series. FSU has never recorded a three-game sweep at UM.

2000 Game Notes

MIAMI INJURY REPORT:

#38 Kevin Brown – Bruised Left Shin
Sustained a deep bruise to his left shin after fouling a ball of it in the Michigan State game. Has missed 13 games.

#34 Chris Sheffield – Bruised Right Shoulder
Has missed the past 22 games with a bruised collarbone.

#43 Vince Vazquez – Right Elbow
Will have “Tommy John” elbow surgery. Will miss entire 2000 season.

Pitching Rotation

NOTE: Earned a win his last start against Harvard on March 30, pitching a one-hitter over 6.0 innings with eight strikeouts…credited with a loss in his previous outing against Dartmouth after two UM defensive errors led to a three unearned runs in a 6-5 loss…the loss halted Gil’s win streak at 17 games, one shy of the school record…leads the team with 66 strikeouts.

NOTE: Started against the Florida Marlins in an exhibition game on April 1, allowing four hits and five earned runs…earned his fifth consecutive win against Dartmouth on March 25, pitching 6.0 innings with three hits, four runs, three earned, one walk and eight strikeouts…had a no-hitter through five complete innings in that game.

NOTE: Earned his fifth consecutive win in his last start against Dartmouth on March 26, pitching a career-best one-hitter over a season-high eight innings with eight strikeouts…had a no-hitter through four complete innings in that game.

PROJECTED LINE-UP (2000 STATS):

By Position

Assistant Coach: Lazaro Collazo (15th Season, Miami, ’88)
Assistant Coach: Gino DiMare (4th Season, Miami, ’92)
Assistant Coach: Mark Kingston (1st Season, North Carolina, ’92)

HURRICANES GET OFFENSIVE IN LOSS TO THE FLORIDA MARLINS (L, 12-6): In the Hurricanes 12-6 exhibition loss to the Florida Marlins on April 1, Miami tallied nine hits and three extra-base hits. Seven UM players had hits off of “Big League” pitching, including the freshman duo of Kevin Howard and Danny Matienzo, who each had two against the Marlins. Howard and Matienzo each had two hits and two RBI, while Howard scored a run and had a walk.

Offensive production against the Marlins:

Mike Rodriguez: 1-4, had an RBI double off Florida starter Jesus Sanchez, drew a walk off Sanchez and scored another run in the ninth with Jared Camp pitching.

Kevin Howard: 2-4, two singles and two RBI came against Sanchez, drew a walk off Camp and later scored.

Charlton Jimerson: 1-1, Singled off Florida closer Antonio Alfonseca, drew a walk off of Camp.

Danny Matienzo: 2-5, doubled off Sanchez and had a two-RBI single off Camp.

Mark Walker: 1-2, doubled off Sanchez and later scored.

Marcus Nettles: 1-2, reached base with a bunt single to Florida pitcher Dan Miceli.

Mike DiRosa: 0-1, drew a walk off Sanchez and later scored.

Javy Rodriguez: 1-2, had an RBI single off Sanchez and drew a walk off of Camp.

MIAMI EARNS THE CHANCE TO FACE BIG LEAGUE COMPETITION: What has become an annual affair, the Florida Marlins came to Mark Light Stadium for an exhibition game against Miami on April 1. 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.

UM AND THE BIG LEAGUES: The Hurricanes have played a total of 21 exhibition games vs. Major League Baseball clubs (not including minor league teams). Miami is 1-20 against the “Big Leagues”, having defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 7-6, in 1982.

2000 Team Notes

HURRICANES HARD TO NO-HIT: Entering the at Florida State series, Miami has not been -no-hit in 2,147 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 OPEN 2000 HOMESTEAD CHALLENGE: The Hurricanes opened up play in the three-month-long 2000 Homestead Challenge vs. Eastern Michigan on February 26. Festivities included Head Coach Jim Morris throwing out the first pitch, as well as a proclomation announcing that February 26 was “University of Miami Baseball Day” in the City of Homestead. According to Homestead Challenge’s Diamond Notes, among the 10 Players To Watch in this season’s Challenge, four are from the University of Miami: David Gil, Manny Crespo, Kevin Brown and Vince Vazquez. Over 50 Division I teams will compete in this year’s challenge, along with 60 more teams from lower divisions.

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.