Hurricanes Host Phoenix At The Light
Feb. 15, 2001
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University of Miami Hurricanes (6-2-0)
#4 Baseball America, #7 ESPN/Baseball Weekly, #8 Collegiate Baseball
vs.
Elon College Phoenix (5-1-0)
Friday – WACC 830 AM Radio Paz, WVUM 90.5 FM
Saturday – WVUM 90.5 FM
Sunday – Fox Sports Net Florida, Sports Radio 560 WQAM, WACC 830 AM Radio Paz, WVUM 90.5 FM
February 16-18, 2001
Mark Light Stadium – Coral Gables, FL
MIAMI TAKES ON ELON IN THREE-GAME SERIES — Miami leads the all-time series with Elon College, 2-1, having met the Phoenix in a three-game series at Mark Light Stadium during UM’s National Championship season in 1999. Elon started the series strong, winning the first game, 13-6, paced behind three four-run innings and 15 total hits. Miami bounced back nicely in the second two games with scores of 11-0 and 24-5 to take the series.
BASEBALL AMERICA RATES TOP 100 COLLEGE PROSPECTS — Baseball America has rated three UM players among its top 100 college prospects in the next MLB draft in its latest Early Draft Preview edition: #39 Mike Rodriguez, #86 Brian Walker and #93 Marcus Nettles. In addition, Rodriguez and Nettles are listed as two of the fastest outfielders in the country.
OKLAHOMA STATE ENDS PERFECT WEEK, 9-3 — Miami finished the week 3-1 after Oklahoma State left-handed ace Josh Merrigan contributed 12 strikeouts in leading a rally win over UM, 9-3, at Mark Light Stadium on February 11. UM took an early 3-0 lead on Kevin Brown’s first home run of the season, a three-run shot, in the second. The Cowboys tied the game by the fourth and remained that way until a one-run seventh and eighth for OSU. The UM bullpen allowed four runs in the top of the ninth. Additionally, UM starter Chris Sheffield threw a career-best eight strikeouts.
UM EXTENDS HOME DOMINANCE OVER FLORIDA TO 12 STRAIGHT SINCE 1996 WITH THRILLING TWO-GAME SERIES — With wins in both games against Florida at Mark Light Stadium, Miami pulled off the season-sweep of the 13th-ranked Gators for the first time since winning all four games in 1991, including the 14-5 win in Gainesville on February 3.
The two wins at home also extends UM’s win streak over Florida in Coral Gables to 12 straight games since the 1996 season. The earlier win in Gainesville snapped a 10-game losing streak for UM at McKethan Stadium.
Additionally, the three-game sweep of UF marks the the eighth straight overall series won by the Hurricanes dating back to 2000. A total of 9,694 fans came for the two-game series at the Light, marking a two-game high in the series since 11,342 came in 1989.
Miami brings its all-time series total to 105-80-1 vs. Florida since the 1940 season. The UF series is the longest on-going series on the Hurricanes’ schedule. Only Miami and Florida State have met more times (214), since the 1951 season. Since the 1994 season, Head Coach Jim Morris has gone 19-14 against the Gators, including a 16-2 mark in Coral Gables. Against the Southeastern Conference while at Miami, Morris is 35-25 since 1994.
Game #2 (Coral Gables), Miami 8, Florida 7 — Mike DiRosa had sat out nearly the entire game resting a bruised shoulder suffered in the Friday win over UF, and in his lone at bat in the bottom of the ninth he came up with a walk-off single to score Charlton Jimerson for the winning margin. It was his second career walk-off hit. UM fell behind, 4-0, early, but rallied behind a Mike Rodriguez two-run home run, a Danny Matienzo home run and a Kris Clute two-RBI single. UM tied a season-best with 14 hits in the game.
Game #1 (Coral Gables), Miami 10, Florida 4 — UM received an all-around effort in the victory with 10 runs and 13 hits from its offense, no errors and 11 Gators left on base from its defense and just one earned run off a balk from the bullpen. After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the second, Kris Clute hit a three-run home run deep to left field to put UM ahead for good in the bottom of the second. Clute tied his career-best in the game with four RBI.
Game #1 (Gainesville), Miami 14, Florida 5 — UM defeated Florida on the Gators’ opening day at McKethan Stadium-Perry Field on February 3 to end a string of 20 straight wins by the home team in the series. Miami last defeated UF in Gainesville, 10-2, on February 2, 1995. The nine-run margin of victory was the largest for UM in Gainesville since the 1985 season. Miami was paced in the game by a solid effort from the bullpen and timely hitting by the offense. The bullpen allowed just three hits and one run over the final 5.1 innings. The UM offense produced a season-best 14 hits and 14 runs. Six UM batters had multiple hits, including Kevin Mannix and Mike DiRosa, who each had three RBI.
HURRICANES DEFEAT CROSS-TOWN RIVAL FIU 4-3 — Of the 96 overall meetings with Florida International since the 1973 season the Hurricanes are 14-10 in one run games, including a 4-3 decision on February 7 in front of a sell-out crowd at University Park. UM starter Kiki Bengochea went 5.1 innings before he surrendered his lone hit of the game, a three-run home run that moved the Golden Panthers within one run, 4-3. From that point, the UM bullpen, consisting of T.J. Prunty, Alex Prendes and Luke DeBold, took the final 3.2 innings in stride with just three hits and seven strikeouts. DeBold earned the save, while Bengochea received the win.
The Hurricanes lead the overall series with FIU 79-17. The Miami/FIU series is the third-longest on the UM schedule behind Florida (1940) and Florida State (1951).
The Hurricanes now hold a three-game win streak against the Golden Panthers and have won 10 of the past 13 meetings. Head Coach Jim Morris is 18-7 vs. FIU since coming to UM in 1994 and is 6-4 against the Golden Panthers away from Mark Light Stadium.
HURRICANES START 2001 WITH SERIES WIN OVER FAU — Miami took its first series of the 2001 season by winning two of three games with Florida Atlantic. With the 2-1 mark against the Owls, Miami moves to 35-6 against FAU since the 1982 season, including wins in 17 of the last 19 meetings.
Game #1, Miami 9, FAU 3 — Miami broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth with three runs to take a hold of the game. UM then put the game out of reach in the eighth with four more runs. UM had five extra base hits, led by catcher Mike DiRosa’s home run. Starter Brian Walker earned the win, along with a strong relief effort from Chris Sheffield.
Game #2, FAU 11, Miami 10 — The Owls turned a 10-9 deficit in the ninth into an 11-10 victory in Boca Raton after UM closer Luke DeBold allowed three hits, one walk and two earned runs for the loss. Six lead changes occured in the contest, including a late three-run rally by the Hurricanes to tie the game 9-9 in the eighth.
Game #3, Miami 4, FAU 2 — The Hurricanes never trailed, as starter Tom Farmer earned the victory. Farmer had six strikeouts, along with the save by DeBold and a solid relief effort from Alex Prendes. Kevin Howard had a two-run homer in the third to give UM the winning margin.
MIAMI IN SEASON OPENERS — Miami holds a 36-21 overall record in season opening games. The Hurricanes defeated FAU, 9-3, in the 2001 season-opener at Mark Light Stadium on February 25. 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 (14 games).
RODRIGUEZ, HOWARD EARN BASEBALL AMERICA PRESEASON THIRD-TEAM HONORS — Junior centerfielder Mike Rodriguez and sophomore third baseman Kevin Howard were each named to the Baseball America 2001 Preseaosn Third-Team All-America list, as selected by the Major League Scouting Directors. Rodriguez was last a freshman all-american two seasons ago, while Howard was arguably the highest decorated freshman player in the nation last season. Howard was the Baseball America National Freshman of the Year as well as first-team freshman All-American.
WALKER EARN NCBWA PRESEASON THIRD-TEAM HONORS — Junior ace Brian Walker was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association preseason third-team. Walker led the pitching staff in 2000 with a 12-2 record at the No. 2 position in the rotation.
WALKER, HOWARD EARN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL PRESEASON THIRD-TEAM HONORS — Junior ace Brian Walker and sophomore third baseman Kevin Howard were each named to Collegiate Baseball’s TPX Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American third-team. Howard was the Co-Freshman of the Year by Collegiate Baseball in 2000.
BASEBALL AMERICA RANKS MIAMI FOURTH IN PRESEASON POLL — The Hurricanes were ranked fourth in Baseball America’s annual preseason top 25 poll. UM was selected behind Georgia Tech, Southern California and Louisiana State. Of Miami’s 56 regular season games, UM play 17 or 30.4% of its schedule against team’s ranked in Baseball America’s preseason top 25 poll (#7 FSU, 6, #13 Florida, 4, #15 Cal State Fullerton, 3, #23 East Carolina, 3, #24 Minnesota, 1).
BASEBALL WEEKLY/ESPN RANKS MIAMI EIGHTH IN PRESEASON POLL — The Hurricanes were ranked eighth in Baseball Weekly/ESPN annual preseason top 25 poll. UM was selected behind Georgia Tech, Louisiana State, Southern California, Florida State, Clemson, Arizona State and Nebraska. Of Miami’s 56 regular season games, UM play 12 or 21.4% of its schedule against team’s ranked in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN preseason top 25 poll (#4 FSU, 6, #12 Cal State Fullerton, 3, #14 Florida, 4).
COLLEGIATE BASEBALL RANKS MIAMI NINTH IN PRESEASON POLL — The Hurricanes were ranked ninth in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper annual preseason top 40 poll. UM was selected behind Georgia Tech, Southern California, Louisiana State, Nebraska, Clemson, Arizona State, Rice and Florida State. Of Miami’s 56 regular season games, UM play 22 or 39.3% of its schedule against team’s ranked in the Collegiate Baseball preseason top 40 poll (#8 FSU, 6, #12 Cal State Fullerton, 3, #13 Florida, 4, #30 East Carolina, 3, #31 FIU, 4, #35 Oklahoma State, 1, #39 Minnesota, 1).
