Baseball Prepares For Mid-Week Meeting With FIU
Feb. 5, 2002
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University of Miami Hurricanes (2-1)#2 Baseball Weekly/ESPN, #3 Baseball America, #5 NCBWA, and #7 Collegiate Baseball
vs.
Florida International Golden Panthers (1-1)
Wednesday:
WVUM 90.5 FM
Game #4,
February 6, 2002
University Park – Miami, FL
MID-WEEK MEETING WITH FIU, ONE OF THREE ON THE YEAR —
The Hurricanes will face FIU three times during the 2002 regular season with Wednesday, Feb. 6 at University Park starting it off. The two teams will also open up the Homestead Challenge on Feb. 2, followed by a game at Mark Light Stadium on May 2.
Miami leads the all-time series with FIU, 81-18, dating back to the 1973 season. The series is the third-longest on-going rivalry on the UM baseball schedule behind Florida (1940) and Florida State (1951).
Miami has won 12 of the past 16 meetings with FIU, including five of the past six. Last season, Miami took three of four meetings. Head Coach Jim Morris is 20-8 vs. FIU since coming to Miami in 1994, including a 8-4 mark away from Mark Light Stadium. At University Park, Miami has forged a 27-7 record and won last season’s meeting 4-3.
HURRICANES OPEN 2002 WITH SERIES WIN OVER TENNESSEE —
Miami won two of three games against Tennessee during the season opening weekend at Mark Light Stadium to move to 8-5 all-time against the Volunteers. Miami opened the season with a 5-4 victory over UT to move to 38-21 all-time in season-openers. UT pulled out a 7-4 win on Saturday evening to even up the weekend series. In the deciding game on Sunday, UM rallied with eight runs over the seventh and eighth innings for the 9-4 win.
Miami 5, Tennessee 4 – After a near-two-year absence due to injury Troy Roberson earned the opening day start for the Hurricanes on the mound. Roberson pitched 4.1 innings with one earned run along with five strikeouts. UM broke open the game with a four-run fourth inning, while the bullpen, led by Vince Vazquez, held on to the win. Matt Dryer had a two-RBI hit in the fourth to pace the offense.
Tennessee 7, Miami 4 – Tennessee scored four runs in the third inning to take control of the game from UM starter Kiki Bengochea.
Miami 9, Tennessee 4 – Tennessee jumped out to a 4-1 lead and held on to it until Kevin Mannix and Matt Dryer hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning. Miami scored six runs in the eighth inning on four UT pitchers. Kevin Howard, who had three RBI including the eventual game-winning hit, also had two putouts and an assist on a rare triple play during the UT sixth. Freshman Greg Dini also had a three-RBI single during the eighth.
KEVIN HOWARD PUT TOGETHER FIRST TRIPLE PLAY IN 20 YEARS IN SUNDAY TENNESSEE GAME –
During the sixth inning with bases loaded and no outs, UT’s Ryan Moffett lined-out at third baseman Kevin Howard (first out). Howard stepped on third base to force Javi Herrera out (#2) and the threw to first to force out Hal Bibee (#3). It was the first triple play at Miami since a 1982 game against Lewis College. Additionally, it was just the fifth triple play ever recorded at Miami and first ever in Head Coach Jim Morris’ career.
VS. THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE —
The Hurricanes enter the Florida series next weekend with an all-time record of 163-115-1 against SEC teams. Under Head Coach Jim Morris, Miami is 36-22 vs. the SEC since 1994. The Hurricanes have won nine of the last 10 games played against SEC over the past two seasons.
MIAMI IN SEASON OPENERS —
Miami holds a 38-21 overall record in season opening games. The Hurricanes defeated Tennessee, 5-4, in the 2002 season-opener on Feb. 1. The last loss in a season-opener for the Hurricanes was Jan. 16, 1997, a 3-2 loss at Hawaii. UM has not lost a season-opener at home since a 9-7 defeat to Florida on Feb. 3, 1984 (15 games).
BASEBALL AMERICA’S COLLEGE PREVIEW RECOGNIZES MIAMI —
Baseball America’s Allen Simpson rated junior RHP Kiki Bengochea No. 6 among the top 100 college prospects for the 2002 draft. Also making Simpson’s list were Kevin Howard (#23), T.J. Prunty (#56) and Javy Rodriguez (#72).
Baseball America listed the top 50 players by class, which consisted of seven Hurricanes in each of the four classes. Danny Figueroa (#32), Ryan Dixon (#34) and Rich Giannotti (#43) were among the freshmen listed. T.J. Prunty (#30) was the lone UM sophomore listed and was rated the No. 2 draft eligible sophomore. Kiki Bengochea (#6) and Kevin Howard (#22) were among the juniors and Javy Rodriguez (#6) was listed among seniors.
Miami was selected the top independent school heading into 2002, while Bengochea, Howard, Rodriguez, Prunty and Troy Roberson were the top five independent prospects. Figueroa, Dixon and Brandon Camardese were the top three independent newcomers.
MIAMI EARNS THE CHANCE TO FACE BIG LEAGUE COMPETITION —
What has become nearly an annual affair, the Florida Marlins will come to Mark Light Stadium for an exhibition game against Miami tentatively scheduled for March 31. The Hurricanes earned the right to play Florida in exhibition play, due to finishing the 2001 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 other than 2000. That season FSU played the Marlins.
UM has 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.
HURRICANES HARD TO NO-HIT —
Entering the 2002 season Miami has not been no-hit in 2,243 games. The last time the Hurricanes were no-hit was by Ken Huebner of Florida Southern on April 18, 1964 in Lakeland.
HAROLD REYNOLDS HIGHLIGHTS PRESEASON “FIRST PITCH” BANQUET —
ESPN Baseball Tonight analyst and College World Series broadcaster Harold Reynolds served as the keynote speaker at the annual “First Pitch” Banquet at the Omni Colonnade Hotel in Coral Gables. The switch-hitting second baseman played a total 14 seasons in the Major Leagues with Seattle, Anaheim and Baltimore. He was selected three times (1988-1990) as the American League Gold Glove winner while he playing for Seattle.
CHARLES JOHNSON INDUCTED INTO THE ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME —
At the annual Hall of Fame Banquet held on March 14 at the Downtown Miami Hyatt Regency, former Hurricane catcher Charles Johnson (1990-92) will be among eight 2002 inductees into the University of Miami Athletics Hall of Fame. Johnson joins Horace Copeland (track and football), Carlos Huerta (football), George Mira, Jr. (football), Art Kehoe (football), Isabella Hutchinson (women’s athletics), Frances Savage (women’s basketball) and Al Besselink (men’s golf).
50-40-30 PLATEAU —
Miami has won at least 50 games in five of the past six seasons under Head Coach Jim Morris. UM has won at least 40 games for eight straight years, 13 of the last 14 years and 27 of the last 29 years. Miami has won 30 or more games for 31 consecutive years. The last time UM failed to win 30 games was 1970 when the Hurricanes finished 28-15-1. Morris’ lowest single-season total at Miami was 41 in 2000.
2002 HURRICANES DEFEAT ALUMNI TEAM 20-3 —
Forty-five former Hurricanes spanning seven decades returned to Mark Light Stadium on Jan. 26 to take part in the annual alumni game against the 2002 squad. The current Hurricanes were able to use efficient pitching and defense plus effective power to cruise to the 20-3 victory over the former Hurricanes that included, Orlando Palmeiro (1990), J.D. Arteaga (1994-97), Danny Buxbaum (1994-95), Tom Farmer (1998-01), David Gil (1997-00), Joe Grahe (1987-89), Charlton Jimerson (1998-01), Ross Jones (1979-80), Mike Rodriguez (1999-01), Alex Santos (1997-99) and Jose Trujillo (1986-89).
HURRICANES HAVE TOUGH 2002 SCHEDULE–
The Hurricanes 2002 schedule features 39 games against opponents who qualified for the 2002 postseason. Additionally, five opponents played in the Super Regionals and three in the College World Series.
Of the four polls combined, Miami has 11 opponents nationally ranked and play a total of 30 games against these teams.
THE JIM MORRIS SHOW —
The 2002 season marks the sixth season of the Jim Morris Show, a weekly half-hour television program featuring the head coach of the Hurricanes. The show airs on WPLG-Channel 10 and on Fox Sports Net Florida. Hosted by WPLG-Channel 10 Sportscaster Frank Forte, the show features Hurricane players, coaches and special guests.
VISIT THE MIAMI BASEBALL HOMEPAGE AT HURRICANESPORTS.COM —
The University of Miami Athletics has teamed with FansOnly for a comprehensive website dedicated to Hurricane sports. Current baseball news, stats and information can be found year-round at www.hurricanesports.com.
STUDENT RADIO WVUM 90.5 FM CARRIES EVERY GAME — ON THE INTERNET —
The student station of the Miami Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM, will continue its voice into the 2002 season with coverage of all Miami’s games in Coral Gables Regional, as well as road games. Additionally, WVUM broadcasted games can be listened to at the WVUM website, which can be linked through the UM athletics homepage at www.hurricanesports.com.
15 GAMES AIR ON FOX SPORTS NET FLORIDA, MIAMI APPEARS ON TV 20 TIMES IN 2002 —
Fox Sports Net Florida will carry 15 regular season Hurricane baseball games in 2002. WPLG-Channel 10 Sportscaster Frank Forte will be joined in the booth by Fox Sports Net Florida and WQAM personality Joe Zagacki. Former Hurricane Luis “Wicho” Hernandez (1991-94) will enter his second season as a color analyst.
Miami will also appear on Fox Sports Net South in two of the three games at Georgia Tech and on the Sunshine Network for all three games at Florida State.
HURRICANE BROADCASTED ON SPORTSRADIO 560 WQAM —
Sports Radio 560 WQAM will continue its coverage of the Miami Hurricanes into the 2002 season. The Hurricanes have 13 regular season baseball games broadcast live by WQAM in 2002, along with coverage in the postseason. WQAM is in its third season as the flagship station for University of Miami Athletics, serving the football, men’s basketball and baseball radio broadcasts. Marc Vandermeer (play-by-play) and Joe Zagacki (analysis) serve as UM’s WQAM broadcast team.
UM’S SPANISH RADIO BROADCAST ON WACC 830 AM RADIO PAZ–
WACC 830 AM Radio Paz will once again serve as the Hurricanes’ Spanish-designated AM station for 10 regular season broadcasts, as well as the 2002 postseason. Jerry del Castillo, Pepe Campos and Joe Martinez comprise UM’s Spanish broadcasting team. In 1999, the UM Spanish radio broadcast was the first-ever to broadcast from a College World Series game.
