Baseball Set To Host Series Against Elon University Phoenix
March 29, 2002
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University of Miami Hurricanes (16-11)
#36 Baseball Weekly/ESPN
vs.
Elon University Phoenix (18-4)
Friday: WQAM 560 AM, WVUM 90.5 FM
Saturday: WVUM 90.5 FM
Sunday: WVUM 90.5 FM
Game #28-30: March 29-31, 2002
Mark Light Stadium, Coral Gables, Fla.
SOUTH FLORIDA GRABS SERIES AT MIAMI — The Hurricanes were plagued with costly errors over the first two games of the series and fell in both contests, 7-6, and 13-7. UM totaled 12 errors in each of the first two losses, including a season-high seven in game No. 2. Miami picked up a win in game No. 3, 8-5, to avoid a home sweep. Jim Burt hit his second grand slam of the season to propel UM to victory in game No. 3.
Miami now leads the all-time series with USF 74-29 since the 1967 season. Additionally, Head Coach Jim Morris has an overall record of 19-6 against the Bulls, while at Miami (1994-present) and at Georgia Tech (1982-93). While at Miami, Morris’ UM clubs have gone 15-5 against the Bulls.
Of the 12 baseball playing schools in Conference USA, Miami has faced six of them forging a 91-40 record. The Hurricanes have faced South Florida (103), Tulane (17), East Carolina (5), Cincinnati (3), Memphis (2) and Houston (1). Miami has never played Charlotte, Louisville, St. Louis, Southern Mississippi, Texas Christian and UAB.
The home series loss to USF was just the fourth for Miami over the last 62 home three-game series.
MIAMI GOES 1-2 AT THE KIA BASEBALL BASH — The Hurricanes finished with a 1-2 record at the Kia Baseball Bash at Goodwin Field on the campus of Cal State Fullerton. Houston won the tournament with a 3-0 record, ahead of Miami, Cal State Fullerton and Southern California, who each went 1-2.
Two runs or less decided all three games at the Bash. The Hurricanes led the field with a .290 team batting average, while placing third with a 5.04 ERA and fourth with a .943 fielding percentage. Kevin Howard tied for third overall with a .385 batting average, while Kevin Mannix and Danny Matienzo tied for eighth with a .333 batting average. Dan Touchet tied for the top spot with his 0.00 ERA, followed Kiki Bengochea (#3, 1.80 ERA), T.J. Prunty (#6, 3.00 ERA) and Shawn Valdes-Fauli (#10, 4.91 ERA). Additionally, Howard tied for the top spot with five hits, Matt Dryer tied for the lead with six RBI and two home runs and was second with 10 total bases, Javy Rodriguez had the most triples (2) and total bases (11).
Houston’s Stuart Musslewhite was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, while UH reliever Nathan Mitchell and Cal State Fullerton starter Jordan DeJong were Co-Most Outstanding Pitchers. Musslewhite had a three-run home run vs. Miami on the final day, which wound up being the eventual game-winning hit.
Series Notes
Miami committed a season-high five errors in falling to Houston 8-6 in the tournament’s title game. Of the eight Cougar runs, only one was earned. Matt Dryer went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer in a four-run first inning, but errors allowed UH to score five in the third. UM is now 0-1 vs. Houston all-time, but still holds a 90-38 record vs. Conference USA opponents. Additionally, UM is 154-35 in first meetings.
The Hurricanes snapped a four-game losing streak to Cal State Fullerton by defeating the Titans 5-3. T.J. Prunty earned his second straight win in the game, with Shawn Valdes-Fauli and George Huguet finishing off a combined 3.0 scoreless innings. Huguet earned the save. Matt Dryer hit a home run and had two RBI. Fullerton still leads the all-time series 10-6 dating back to 1983. Additionally, UM is 15-17 against the Big West Conference.
UM closer George Huguet allowed four runs on four hits in the bottom eighth inning to allow USC to seal the rally 11-10 win over Miami. A slugfest for most of the game, a combined 10 pitchers was used allowing 21 runs (20 earned), 26 hits and 12 walks. Javy Rodriguez went 3-for-6 with two runs scored, two RBI, a triple and a home run. The loss was the first for UM against USC in the regular season, while still leading the overall series, 8-5, since the 1974 season. UM is 38-20 all-time vs. the Pac-10 Conference.
Miami has played 13 all-time games in the state of California and hold a 6-7 mark in those contests.
MIAMI SCORES 11-4 WIN OVER KANSAS STATE OF THE BIG 12 — Miami defeated Kansas State 11-4 in the two teams first meeting. UM starter T.J. Prunty earned his first win as a starter going a career-high 6.0 innings pitched. UM bats were swinging as the team pounded 17 hits, including seven players with multiple hits.
Miami is now 33-26 against the Big 12 Conference. Of the 12 teams in the Big 12 Conference, Miami has now played seven, including Texas (38), Texas A&M (8), Oklahoma State (7), Oklahoma (3), Baylor (1), Texas Tech (1) and Kansas State (1).
MIAMI REMAINS UNDEFEATED AGAINST THE INDEPENDENTS WITH 10-2 WIN OVER LIPSCOMB — Miami defeated Lipscomb, 10-2, with starter Kiki Bengochea earning his first win of 2002. Danny Matienzo hit his seventh home run of the season in the game, while the team had 16 hits. The win pushed UM’s record to 22-0 against Independent teams. The Hurricanes have also played New York Tech (10-0), Pace (7-0) and C.W. Post (4-0).
MIAMI SWEEPS MINNESOTA — The Hurricanes pulled of their first three-game sweep of the 2002 season with three victories over visiting Minnesota (10-4, 21-17 and 7-6). The three wins over the Golden Gophers pushed UM’s record to 14-3 since the 1981 season.
Series Notes
Coach Morris earned his 900th D-1 victory in game No. 1. He is among 16 current D-1 head coaches to have done so.
The Hurricanes had season-high numbers in each offensive category on Friday and again on Saturday. Saturday’s offense was the most by Miami since defeating Tennessee 21-13 on June 9, 2001 in the CWS.
The line-up took a shuffle for the weekend with Matt Dryer playing at 3B from 1B, Javy Rodriguez moving to 2B from SS, Kevin Howard moving from 3B to SS, Haas Pratt from DH to 1B, Danny Matienzo from C to DH and Erick San Pedro at C.
Danny Matienzo (5), Kevin Howard (4) and Jim Burt (3) accounted for the Hurricanes 12 home runs in the series, quadrupling the season total to 16. Matienzo had two in each of the first two games and one in the third. Howard had one in the first two games and two on Sunday, including a walk-off shot to lead off the bottom of the ninth on the first pitch. Burt had one on Friday and two on Saturday, including the season’s first grand slam.
The Hurricanes are 97-40-5 vs. the Big Ten Conference all-time. Under Jim Morris, the Hurricanes are 23-4-1 vs. the Big Ten since 1994.
FLORIDA SNAGS TWO FROM MIAMI — Florida defeated Miami twice in Coral Gables last weekend 12-9 and 6-2. The losses to UF ended a string of 13 games since 1996 that the Gators had lost at Mark Light Stadium. The middle game of the series was rained out and will not be rescheduled. The pair of wins for UF at Miami was a first since 1956, when the Gators last swept UM at home. The Hurricanes still lead the all-time series with the Gators 107-82-1, including a 68-30 mark in Coral Gables. The Florida series is the longest on-going series on the Hurricanes’ schedule. Only Miami and Florida State have met more times (220), since the 1951 season. Since the 1994 season, Jim Morris has gone 20-16 against the Gators, including a 17-4 mark in Coral Gables.
With the two losses to Florida, the Hurricanes move to 166-117-1 against SEC teams all-time. Under Jim Morris, Miami is 34-21 vs. the SEC since 1994.
MIAMI OPENS SEASON TAKING TWO OF THREE FROM TENNESSEE — Miami opened the season taking the bookend games with Tennessee at Mark Light. UM won the first game 5-4, dropped game No. 2 7-4 and won on Sunday 9-4. The 2-1 mark against Tennessee pushes UM’s record against the Volunteers to 8-5 since 1989.
Series Notes
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.
Kevin Mannix and Matt Dryer hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning of game No. 3 and added six runs in the to surge past UT.
During the sixth inning of game No. 3 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 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.
Miami holds a 38-21 overall record in season opening games. UM has not lost a season-opener at home since a 9-7 defeat to Florida on Feb. 3, 1984 (15 games).
MIAMI EVENS SEASON SERIES WITH FIU WITH 6-2 VICTORY — The Hurricanes evened their season-series with FIU with a 6-2 victory in the Homestead Challenge opener at the Homestead Sports Complex. In the game, UM starter Troy Roberson earned the win after tying a career-high with 5.0 innings pitched and a career-high eight strikeouts. Relievers Shawn Valdes-Fauli and George Huguet held FIU scoreless the remaining 4.0 innings of the game. Danny Matienzo was the offensive hero of the game going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. The RBI came off a solo home run.
Miami now leads the all-time series with FIU, 82-19, 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 13 of the past 18 meetings with FIU, including six of the past eight. Head Coach Jim Morris is 21-9 vs. FIU since coming to Miami in 1994.
Additionally, Miami has forged an all-time record of 118-36 against teams currently in the Sun Belt Conference.
