Baseball Gets Set For State Schools
Feb. 5, 2002
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – The University of Miami baseball team (2-1), ranked as high as No. 2 nationally in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll begin competition against state schools as the Hurricanes travel cross town to local-rival Florida International on Wednesday and host the Florida Gators for a three-game series this weekend at Mark Light Stadium.
On Wednesday, Feb. 6, Miami will play FIU at University Park at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on the student voice of the Miami Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM.
Beginning this Friday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m., Miami will host annual rival Florida for a three-game series that continues on Saturday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.). The Friday and Sunday games will be televised by Fox Sports Net Florida. Sports Radio 560 WQAM, UM’s flagship station, will carry the Friday night game as will the Hurricanes’ Spanish flagship WACC 830 AM Radio Paz. WVUM will carry all three Florida games over the weekend.
All Miami baseball games can be heard over the Internet at www.hurricanesports.com.
The Hurricanes enter the FIU match-up having taken two of three games from 25th-ranked Tennessee this past weekend at the Light. Miami won game No. 1 and No. 3 of the series, 5-4 and 9-4, respectively. The Volunteers avoided the sweep by winning game No. 2 on Saturday night 7-4. FIU split its weekend games with Central Florida, losing the opener, 5-4, on Friday and picking up a 5-4 win on Saturday.
Miami and FIU will be meeting for the 99th time since the 1973 season, with the Hurricanes leading the series 81-18. Miami won the 2001 season series with the Golden Panthers 3-1, including a 4-3 win at University Park on Feb. 7. Since coming to Miami in 1994, Head Coach Jim Morris is 20-8 against the Golden Panthers and holds an 8-4 record in games against FIU away from Mark Light Stadium.
For the Hurricanes, freshman LHP Brandon Camardese will get the start on the mound. The Chicago White Sox drafted Camardese, a Cooper City resident who played at Chaminade-Madonna Prep, out of high school in the seventh round. The Golden Panthers will counter with sophomore RHP Josh Banks, who will also be making his season debut. Last year, Banks went 3-1 with a 4.00 ERA along with one save.
Miami is led at the plate by senior All-American shortstop Javy Rodriguez, who batted .545 over the weekend vs. Tennessee. Behind Rodriguez is senior first baseman Matt Dryer, who also had a stellar weekend hitting .417 and the season’s first home run.
Throwing out the first pitch for Saturday night’s game against Florida will be former Hurricane All-American and current Florida Marlin Charles Johnson, who will have his UM jersey number 23 retired during a pre-game ceremony.
Call 1-800-GO-CANES for season and individual game ticket information or check out UM’s official athletic website, www.hurricanesports.com, for updated information regarding the baseball team.
