Q & A with Baseball Coach Jim Morris
Nov. 14, 2002
Order your baseball gear here!
Coral Gables, Fla (www.hurricanesports.com) — –
Earlier today, University of Miami baseball Head Coach Jim Morris took time out of his practice preparation to answer a few questions about University of Miami fall practice.
Hurricanesports.com: Coach Morris, thanks for taking the time out of the day to sit down with us:
Jim Morris: You’re welcome. It’s always a pleasure.
Hurricanesports.com: We know that fall practice is important to the overall success of the team. What do you look to accomplish with fall practice?
Jim Morris: Well, there are three things that are important to accomplish with fall practice. First, we want to cut down the roster size to the number we’ll carry during the regular season. Second, we would like to get an idea as to a possible roster for our spring lineup. Lastly, we want to work on our individual and team fundamentals.
Hurricanesports.com: With that said, how is practice going?
Jim Morris: Practice is going well. After only 5 days of fall practice, we’ve emphasized team oriented fundamental drills, such as fly ball communication, single cut off drills, etc. We’ve also been playing intra-squad games each day, so see who can play. When scouting a player, there is an important column to fill out…CHP. It stands for Can He Play, that’s the most important thing. Will this player be productive on the field?
Hurricanesports.com: So, who would you say has been the biggest surprise?
Jim Morris: I would have to say that the guy who has improved most since last year is Erick San Pedro. He has improved noticeably, in both offensively and defensively. Joey Hooft has been doing a great job offensively. Adam Ricks has shown that he can play three positions…2nd base, 3rd base and catcher. Alex Blanco has been swinging the bat well. Also, Gaby Sanchez has shown that he can play anywhere in the infield. He’s coming along better than any freshman so far. Brian Barton, who red-shirted last year, has been playing well, along with Tom Shannon and George Huguet. Both are progressing nicely.
Hurricanesports.com: At this point of fall practice, who would you say are ahead…the hitters or the pitchers?
Jim Morris: At this point, I would have to say the hitters. It’s a bit unusual. At this point, you’d expect the pitchers to be ahead. But it doesn’t matter much for me, I’ll worry either way. If our pitchers are ahead, I’m worried about our hitters. If our hitters are ahead, then I’m worried about our pitchers. Either way, I never get much sleep this time of year.
Hurricanesports.com: What would you say looks to be the biggest strength for the 2003 Hurricanes?
Jim Morris: At this point, it’s too early to tell. Right now, I’d have to say that it’s our hitters, as well as our defense. But we’ve got a strong pitching staff and I know that it will be a major focal point for our season. Hopefully, all three will come along during the season and make us tough to beat.
Hurricanesports.com: Ok, coach. We’ll let you get back to practice. Thanks for taking the time out of the day to answer a few questions.
Jim Morris: You’re welcome, and we hope all of our fans will continue to come on our and watch fall practice. All of our practice are open to the public and will run through Thursday, November 23rd.
