Defending Champs Take On The Florida Marlins
March 5, 2002
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – The 2001 College World Series Champion Miami Hurricanes will host an exhibition game against the Major League Florida Marlins at Mark Light Stadium on the UM campus, Wednesday, March 6 at 3:05 p.m.
Throwing out the ceremonial first pitch will be new Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.
The game can be heard on the student voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM. Call the Hurricane ticket box office at 1-800 GO CANES for all ticket information. 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 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.
Among the players representing the Florida Marlins are former Hurricane All-American Charles Johnson, Cliff Floyd, Preston Wilson, Mike Lowell and Kevin Millar. Rookie RHP Claudio Vargas is slated to start for the Marlins on the mound. The Florida relievers look to be LHP Benito Baez, RHP Brian Edmondson, RHP Hansel Izquierdo and RHP Kennie Stienstra. Miami will start freshman RHP Vince Bongiovanni (0-0, 3.86 ERA).
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 victory coming against the Baltimore Orioles, 7-6, in 1982. The Hurricanes are 0-5 against the Marlins since the 1995 season.
In the two programs last meeting on April 1, 2000, Florida handed the 1999 Defending National Champion Miami Hurricanes a 12-6 defeat in front of 4,022 fans at Mark Light Stadium. Five current Hurricanes saw action in that 2000 game, including Troy Roberson, Javy Rodriguez, Kevin Howard, Danny Matienzo and Kiki Bengochea.
Roberson pitched the final inning allowing just one hit in four batters faced. Bengochea saw 4.0 innings of relief work, allowing five hits, four runs (one earned), two walks and one strikeout. At the plate, Howard (2-for-4, run scored) and Matienzo (2-for-5) both led the team with two-hit performances, while each had two RBI. Rodriguez went 1-for-2 with a run scored, one RBI and a stolen base.
The Hurricanes return to NCAA action this weekend when they host the University of South Florida for a three-game series beginning Friday, March 8. The Miami/USF games are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. The student voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM will air all three games against South Florida. The Sunday game against USF will also be televised by Fox Sports Net Florida.
Game InformationWHAT: Miami Hurricanes vs. Florida Marlins (exhibition)WHERE: Mark Light Stadium on the UM campusWHEN: Wednesday, March 6 at 3:05 p.m.TICKETS: $15 chairback, $8 adult GA, $6 youth/senior GACall 1-800 GO CANES or 305-284-CANES in Dade CountyRADIO: Student - WVUM 90.5 FMPROBABLE PITCHERS: UM: Vince Bongiovanni/FR/RHP/6-2/205/Barrington, Illinois FLA: Claudio Vargas/RHP/6-3/210/Santiago/Dominican Republic
