2002 Senior Class To Be Honored
May 24, 2002
Baseball fans, Senior Night will be held on Saturday, May 25th vs. New YorkTech. Come on out and say thanks to the 2002 senior class. All six seniorsplayed an essential role in last season’s National Championship, the 4th inUniversity of Miami baseball history.
2002 Senior Class
At Miami
Will finish his collegiate career ranked among the top players all-time at the University of Miami…entered the final weekend of the regular season ranked in hits (303, #2), stolen bases (130, #2), at bats (829, #5), total sacrifices (38, #5), total bases (400, #6) and runs scored (193, #7)…was named a 2002 Preseason First-Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, a second-team selection by Louisville Slugger and a third-team pick by Baseball America…was listed on the 2002 Smith Award watch list…rated #50 on Baseball America’s mid-season top 50 college prospects and was rated #72 entering the season…had a career-long 17-game hit streak in 2002 from 3/3 to 4.5, tying for the ninth-longest streak at UM…along with Vince Vazquez, are currently the only two players in the country to have participated and won two College World Series titles…is nearing his degree in Criminology…led the nation in 2001 with a school-record 66 stolen bases and a 1.05 per game percentage…is the only player in Miami history to be in the 60-60 club (66 SB and 64 RBI in 2001)…was selected the team’s Most Valuable Player in 2001 and has led the team in most offensive categories in 2001 and 2002…was the second-half of an infield combination that produced an NCAA-best 81 double-plays in 2001…named to the 2001 Coral Gables Regional All-Tournament team…selected to the 2001 Louisville Slugger and NCBWA second-team All-American lists…chosen to the 2001 ABCA South Region Team …was also chosen MVP of the 2001 Hormel Foods Baseball Classic…took part in the Red Ribbon Day Assembly at Gulliver Academy…was a former All-Tournament Team pick at the 2000 ACC/Disney Baseball Blast…was drafted out of high school in the 26th round by the New York Yankees.
As a Senior in 2002
Enters the final weekend of the season leading the team in batting average (.362), runs scored (49), hits (81), triples (2), stolen bases (32) and sac flies (3)…also places among the team leaders in slugging percentage (.482, #5), doubles (11, #4), home runs (4, #4), total bases (108, #3) and sac bunts (5, #3)…also leads the team in total plate appearances (248), at bats (224), games played (53) and games started (53)…defensively, leads the team with 161 assists and 39 double plays fielded…has a team-best 24 multi-hit games, including three four-hit games…has seven multi-RBI games, including a three-RBI game against Minnesota (2/16)…has made 20 starts at shortstop and 33 at second base…his four runs scored at Georgia Tech (5/11) tied for the team-season-high…also had team-season bests in sac flies (2 at GT 5/12), stolen bases (3 vs. FIU 2/22) and assists (7 vs. Rutgers 3/16)…has game winning plays vs. FIU (2/22), Elon (3/31) and FAU (4/24)…two of his game winners were stealing home for the deciding run vs. FIU and FAU…along with his 17-game hit streak, also had a 14-game streak from 4/20 to 5/17…batted a season-high .583 at Georgia Tech, including a 4-for-6 outing in game No. 2 with a career-high four runs scored, one double and two stolen bases…went 3-for-4 in game No. 1 at North Carolina with an RBI…went 3-for-4 in game No. 2 vs. Long Beach State with three runs scored, two RBI, a home run, a walk, a IBB and a stolen base…went 4-for-5 in game No. 3 vs. Florida State with three runs scored, two RBI and two home runs…had two hits in each of the final two games vs. Rutgers with a combined five runs scored…went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in game No. 3 vs. South Florida…went 3-for-6 vs. Southern California with two runs scored, two RBI, one triple and one home run…went 3-for-4 vs. Lipscomb…went 2-for-2 vs. Kansas State…batted .571 in the Minnesota series, including a 4-for-5 outing in game No. 2 with a run scored, three RBI, a double and a walk…went 3-for-5 at FIU (2/6) with a run scored…batted .545 in the Tennessee series with two hits in each of the three games.
1B Matt Dryer
At Miami
A second-year Hurricane after transferring from Indian River Community College in 2001…entered the final weekend of the regular season with 42 starts in 43 games played…has made 32 starts in 2002 at first base and 10 at third…had a career and season long hit streak at 17 games from 2/8 to 3/16, tying the ninth-longest hitting streak at UM…successfully hit in 20 of his first 21 games played and had a season-high batting average of .439 in late February…was a 35th round pick out of national-power McQuaid Jesuit High School by the San Francisco Giants in 1999…spent his freshman season at UNC-Charlotte.
As a Senior in 2002
Places among the teams’ top five in several offensive categories, including runs scored (31, #5), RBI (29, #5), home runs (4, #4), walks (20, #4), HBP (6, #1) and sac flies (3, #1)…had three-game winning hits in the season-opener over Tennessee and UM’s 11th and 12th wins over Rutgers (3/16) and UW-Milwaukee (3/20)…has a team-high 315 fielding chances and 257 putouts…has fourth-most assists (48)…tied for the season-high with 17 putouts vs. Northwestern (3/26)…has 10 multi-hit games, including two three-hit outings against Minnesota (2/17) and Lipscomb (2/24)…has eight multi-RBI games, including two three-RBI games against Houston (3/3) and Rutgers (3/16)…hit home runs against Tennessee (2/3), Cal State Fullerton (3/2), Houston (3/3) and Northwestern (3/26)…tied a career-high with three walks vs. Bethune-Cookman (5/3)…had a RBI single in game No. 3 at North Carolina…hit a two-RBI single to tie the score in the 8th inning of game No. 2 at UNC…batted 2-for-4 in game No. 2 vs. Rutgers with a run scored, three RBI, two doubles and a walk…went 2-for-5 vs. Houston with a run scored, three RBI and a home run…went 1-for-3 vs. Cal State Fullerton with a two-run home run…batted 3-for-4 vs. Lipscomb with two runs scored, one RBI, one double and one stolen base…batted .556 in the Minnesota series, including 3-for-4 in game No. 3 with two runs scored, one RBI, one triple and one stolen base…hit .416 in the season-opening series vs. Tennessee including two hits in each of game No. 2 and 3…his three runs scored vs. Minnesota (2/16) tied his career-high.
OF Brad Safchik
At Miami
A second-year Hurricane after transferring from the University of Tampa in 2001…entered the final weekend of the regular season with 38 starts in 43 games played…the majority of his 2002 starts have been in left field (26)…had a career and season long hit streak at 14 games from 3/9 to 4/5…nearing a degree in Finance…had the second-most game-winning hits on the season (4)…had the game-winners vs. UCLA (3/25), Northwestern (3/26), North Carolina (4/27) and Bethune-Cookman (5/3)…hit a two-RBI triple in the 8th to defeat Northwestern…had a RBI single in the 9th to win at North Carolina…lone career Division I home run was a grand slam at Florida State (4/7)…played baseball at Gulliver Prep with UM teammate Javy Rodriguez.
As a Senior in 2002
Enters the final weekend of the regular season among the team leaders in RBI (34, #4), doubles (16, #3), triples (2, #1), total bases (70, #5), sac bunts (5, #3), sac flies (3, #1) and stolen bases (11, #2)…had 13 multi-RBI games, including two three-hit games vs. Florida State (4/14) and at Georgia Tech (5/12)…had six multi-RBI games, including a four-RBI game at Florida State (4/7)…drew a career-high three walks in game No. 3 vs. Jacksonville…batted a season-high .400 at Georgia Tech…went 3-for-5 in game No. 3 at GT with two runs scored, one RBI and one double…went 2-for-5 with two RBI in game No . 1 at GT…had a hit in each Bethune-Cookman game…went 2-for-4 vs. FIU (5/2) with two runs scored, three RBI, one double and one triple…lone hit in game No. 2 at UNC was the game-winning RBI single in the 9th…went 2-for-4 in game No. 1 at UNC with two runs scored, two RBI, two doubles, a walk and a stolen base…had a hit in each Long Beach State game, including two hits in game No. 2 and 3 each…went 3-for-6 in game No. 3 vs. FSU (4/14) with three RBI and two doubles…went 2-for-5 in game No. 1 vs. FSU (4/12) with a run scored and a stolen base…went 2-for-5 in game No. 3 at FSU (4/7) with a grand slam, a run scored, four RBI and a double…hit safely in all three Elon games…went 2-for-5 vs. Northwestern with three RBI, a triple and two stolen bases…had at least one hit and one RBI in each of the UCLA and Rutgers games…batted 2-for-4 vs. Kansas State with two runs scored and a RBI in his first start of the season.
RHP Luke DeBold
At Miami
Will finish his collegiate career ranked No. 3 in overall pitching appearances, as well as appearances in relief…entered the New York Tech series tied with Danny Graves (1992-94) with 99 relief appearances…Robbie Morrison (1996-98) sits in second in both categories with 112 career appearances with 110 in relief…was limited to just nine appearances in 2002 following an elbow strain to his pitching arm…he had appeared in over 40 games in each of the two previous seasons…recently earned his degree in Systems Analysis on May 10th…was a 2002 Preseason Second-Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association…one of the top relievers in 2001, threw 67 strikeouts to just seven walks…holds the school-record for consecutive appearances with a 13-game span in 2000…appeared in all four College World Series games in 2001 with a 1.42 ERA along with a .182 opponent batting average to rank among the CWS leaders…a former high school Valedictorian, who has annually maintained status on various University Honor Rolls…has earned two College World Serues titles with the Hurricanes.
As a Senior in 2002
Entered the final weekend of the regular season with 8.0 innings pitched over nine appearances…has allowed seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits, two walks (one IBB) with seven strikeouts…since his return on 5/2, has had six appearances, five of which he held the opponent off the scoreboard…prior to May, DeBold had made just three appearances…had solid back-to-back outings in the Jacksonville series pitching the final inning in game No. 2, striking out the side in the ninth and 1.1 innings in game No. 1 with two hits and one strikeout…allowed Georgia Tech’s final three runs in a seven-run seventh inning of game No. 3…pitched 1.0 scoreless inning in game No. 2 vs. Bethune-Cookman…went 0.2 innings vs. FIU (5/2)…in game No. 3 at FSU allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits in 0.1 inning of work…went 1.0 scoreless inning in game No. 1 vs. Minnesota…gave up one earned run in 0.2 innings at FIU (2/6) on three hits.
RHP, Troy Roberson
At Miami
Was the opening day starter for the Hurricanes in the 2002 season-opener vs. Tennessee (2/1)…had previously missed the 2001 season and the majority of 2000 after elbow surgery…despite not playing in 2001, the Texas Rangers selected him in the 28th round last season…was previously drafted out of King’s Academy by the Baltimore Orioles in the 32nd round in 1999…recently earned his degree in Liberal Arts on 5/10…has been limited in the number of innings pitched per start in 2002…missed parts of March and nearly all of April resting his throwing arm…has pitched in every spot in the rotation this season…has junior athletic eligibility due to a medical redshirt…has earned two College World Series titles with the Hurricanes.
As a Junior in 2002
Entered the final weekend of the regular season having started 10 of 11 games…places among the staff’s top five in innings pitched (42.2, #5), strikeouts (38, #5) and games started (10, #4)…tied his career-high in innings pitched this season three times with 5.0 inning outings vs. UCLA (3/23), FIU (2/22) and Florida (2/8)…had a season-low one walk in his season-opener vs. Tennessee (2/1)…threw a career-high eight strikeouts vs. FIU (2/22) in his first victory of the season…in his lone relief appearance at North Carolina (4/28) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings with one hit and two walks…responded with a 4.0 inning outing in game No. 3 vs. Bethune-Cookman where he earned the win allowing one earned run on two hits…had a 2.84 ERA over his first four starts in February, then had a combined 8.53 ERA in three starts during March…has had a 6.55 ERA over his last four starts.
RHP Vince Vasquez
At Miami
Redshirt junior who recently earned his degree in Finance on 5/10…a two-time Team Captain…along with Javy Rodriguez, are currently the only two players in the country to have participated and won two College World Series titles…was the 2001 team captain with Greg Lovelady and was once again named the team captain…redshirted the 2000 season after elbow surgery and saw limited action as a sophomore in 2001…was a preseason Third Team All-American by the NCBWA heading into 2000…drafted out of high school in the eighth round by the New York Mets.
As a Junior in 2002
Enters the New York Tech series having appeared in 19 games…took the loss at North Carolina (4/28) after allowing one earned run on three walks…went 1.2 innings in game No. 3 vs. Long Beach State with no hits or runs allowed…pitched a season-high 3.0 innings at Florida State (4/5) with three hits, two earned runs, two walks and one strikeout…pitched one scoreless inning vs. Elon (3/29)…held UW-Milwaukee and Rutgers scoreless in back-to-back outings of 1.0 inning each…had back-to-back outings with three strikeouts each vs. Ball State (3/13) and South Florida (3/9)…saw action in both Florida games, scoring his first loss in game No. 1…starred in the season-opening series vs. Tennessee…pitched 1.0 inning in game No. 3 vs. UT with one hit, two walks and one strikeout…pitched 1.1 innings in game No. 1 vs. UT with two strikeouts to earn the save.
