Hurricanes Open Season with Four-Game Homestand
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Feb. 4, 2003
Game 1: Miami (0-0) vs.Florida International (5-0)
Wednesday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m. (Mark Light Field)Radio: WNMA (1210 AM); WVUM (90.5 FM)Television: NoneProbable Starting PitchersUM: #31 Dan Touchet, RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)FIU: #20 Frank Gonzalez, RHP, (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game 2: Miami (0-0) vs.Campbell (0-0)
Thursday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m. (Mark Light Field)Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM)Television: NoneProbable Starting PitchersUM: #34 Vince Bongiovanni, RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)CU: #27 Rob Finch, RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game 3: Miami vs.Campbell
Friday, Feb. 7 7 p.m. (Mark Light Field)Radio: WQAM (560 AM); WVUM (90.5 FM)Television: Fox Sports Net FloridaProbable Starting Pitchers:UM: #18 Brandon Camardese, LHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)CU: # 17 Jeff Stovall (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game 4: Miami vs.Campbell
Saturday, Feb. 8, 4 p.m. (Mark Light Field)Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM)Television: NoneProbable Starting Pitchers:UM: #47 Ryan Dixon, RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)CU: #33 Matt Kleweno (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Hurricanes Open Season with Four-Game Homestand
The Miami (14/NR/20) baseball team opens the 2003 regular season with a four-game homestand. Crosstown rival Florida International (5-0) gets things started on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Field. The Campbell University Fighting Camels will then visit ‘The Light’ for a three-game series that opens Thursday at 7 p.m. Friday’s game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. first pitch, while the series finale will get underway at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The student voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM, will broadcast all four games. Spanish radio WNMA (1210 AM) will broadcast Wednesday’s opener against FIU, while WQAM (560 AM) will carry the second game of the Campbell series on Friday night. Fox Sports Net Florida kicks off its coverage of the Hurricanes on Friday night as well with a live broadcast, beginning at 7 p.m. Frank Forte will once again call the action for Hurricane baseball with Luis Hernandez providing color commentary. Florida International is expected to start right-handed pitcher Frank Gonzalez. The freshman out of Monsignor Pace High School in Miami worked 3.1 innings in the Golden Panthers’ 13-5 win over Eastern Michigan on Jan. 31. At the plate, FIU is led by Adam Summerell, who is hitting .500 with a home run and five RBI in his three starts. Skipton Adams leads the Golden Panthers with six RBI, while hitting. 250 with a home run and a triple in five starts. Campbell will open its 2003 season on Thursday against the Hurricanes. The Fighting Camels are coming off of a 22-29 campaign in 2002, including an 11-19 record in the Atlantic Sun Conference. CU returns five starting position players and five pitchers.
Leading Off
The UM Rotation – Dan Touchet will take the ball as the Hurricanes’ No. 1 starter to open the season against FIU on Wednesday night. The right-hander went 6-2 a year ago with a 4.41 ERA, while making 15 starts. He led the team in strikeouts (78) and innings (98.0) last season. Sophomore left-hander Vince Bongiovanni will take the hill in the opening game of the Campbell series. He pitched 39.0 innings in 2002, striking out 39 while compiling a 1-4 record in 14 appearances and four starts. Miami will send sophomore Brandon Camardese to the mound on Friday in front of a Fox Sports Net Florida audience. The right-hander made 13 appearances last season, including one start in 26.0 innings of work. Sophomore Ryan Dixon will pitch the series finale against the Fighting Camels. The left-hander turned in the second-best ERA (3.86) on the team in his nine appearances last season. Dixon didn’t pick up a decision, but did strikeout 12, while holding hitters to a .261 batting average.
Closing – J.D. Cockroft will handle the closer’s role during the first portion of the season with junior George Huguet out with a sore throwing elbow. The Cockroft won the Ron Fraser Award, as chosen by the coaching staff, as the Hurricane’s top pitcher a year ago. Cockroft went 5-0 with a team-best 2.22 ERA in 24.1 innings of work. He made 28 appearances, striking out 15 and holding the opponent’s batting average to a team-low .190.
Captains Named – Jim Burt and J.D. Cockroft were named captains, by a vote of their teammates, prior to the Hurricanes’ annual showdown with the Alumni this past Saturday night. It is the second straight selection for Burt, who served as a captain as a sophomore on last year’s squad. He will make the move to first base on a permanent basis this season after spending most of last season in the outfield where he hit .322. Cockroft, a junior, went 5-0 last season with a team-best 2.22 ERA.
Figueroa X2 – Identical twins Danny and Paco Figueroa return for their sophomore campaigns, slotted to start in centerfield and at shortstop, respectively, for the second straight year. The duo hit an identical .300 as freshman, while Danny collected 57 hits and Paco compiled 60. The pair also had an almost identical on-base percentage with Danny at .401 and Paco at .397. Paco cut his hair this year to make it a little easier for everyone to tell them apart, while Danny still sports the longer locks in center.
It’s 1,000 Games and Counting – Wednesday’s opener marks the 1,000th Hurricanes’ baseball game since Kevin Sheary’s perfect game against Southern Illinois on March 14, 1987. Miami won the game 7-0 over the Salukis.
Scouting FIU
Florida International comes into Wednesday night’s opener with a 5-0 record behind series sweeps of Florida A&M and Eastern Michigan. The Golden Panthers are hitting .265 as a team with 13 extra base hits in their five outings. The pitching staff has been almost dominant with a 2.30 ERA, while holding opponents to a .197 batting average. FIU is receiving votes in the Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches’ Poll. Joshua Banks leads the pitching staff with 14.0 innings pitched. He has went 7.0 innings in two starts, while not giving up a single run and only three hits. Banks has also recorded 22 strikeouts against only three walks. Freshman Frank Gonzales is set to take the mound against UM on Wednesday. He worked 3.1 innings of scoreless relief in the Golden Panthers’ 13-5 win over Eastern Michigan on Jan. 31, picking up the win. Carlos Sanchez and Manuel Monreal have also been spectacular for FIU on the hill with both sporting a 0.00 ERA. At the plate, FIU is led by Adam Summerell, who is hitting .500 with a home run and five RBI in his three starts. Solomon Frieder is batting .385 in four starts this season. He has five hits and has scored five runs. Frieder boasts a on-base percentage of .529. Skipton Adams leads the Golden Panthers with six RBI, while hitting. 250 with a home run and a triple in five starts. Florida International went 41-20 in 2002, advancing to the Gainesville Regional that was won by Miami. The Hurricanes hold a 83-20 edge in the all-time series. FIU and UM split last season with both teams winning a pair of games.
Scouting Campbell
Campbell will open its 2003 season Thursday night at Mark Light Stadium. The Fighting Camels went 22-29 last season, including a 11-19 mark in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Campbell is led by head coach Chip Smith, who is starting his eighth year with CU. Smith returns five starting position players and five pitchers from last year’s team. This is the first meeting between Miami and Campbell. The pitching staff is eight deep with experienced starters and a deep bullpen. Junior right-hander Pat Murray leads the starting rotation. He went 7-6 last season with a 3.80 ERA. Left-handers Matt Kleweno and Jeff Stovall anchor the back end of the Fighting Camel’s staff. Campbell returns all four starters in the infield with seniors Derek Barrows and Sal Deanda leading the way at shortstop and second base, respectively. Tom Rispoli with play third base with Chris Wiley at first base. The outfield is a question mark for Campbell after losing two starters. Senior Kyle Ellenz will start in right field with freshman Alston Hatch starting in left field. Jeff Blick and Nic Ewing could see action in center field.
A look at the Polls
Miami enters the 2003 season ranked in the top 20 in three of four college baseball polls. Collegiate Baseball has UM ranked the highest at No. 14. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has the Hurricanes slotted at No. 17, while the Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches’ Poll has Miami at No. 20. Defending national champion Texas leads the list, being tabbed the top choice by Collegiate Baseball, Sports Weekly/ESPN and the NCBWA. Georgia Tech was the top choice by Baseball America. UT, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Rice and Southern California were a consensus among the top five.
Hurricanes To Retire J.D. Arteaga’s Number
Former Hurricanes standout J.D. Arteaga will have his number retired Wednesday night during a pregame ceremony and will be on hand to throw out the first pitch. Arteaga pitched from 1994-1997 for UM. He spent last year with the Houston Astros triple-A affiliation the New Orleans Zephyrs. Arteaga will be looking to make the Astros’ squad when he reports for spring training later this month. He is the Hurricanes’ all-time leader in wins (43) and starts (72). Arteaga is also second in all-time innings pitched, throwing 458.1 innings while at UM. Other Hurricanes to have their baseball jerseys retired are Orlando Gonzalez (#20), Charles Johnson (#23), Stan Jakubowski (#29), Randy Guerra (#25), Neal Heaton (#26), Skip Bertman (#15), Mike Fiore (#12), Doug Shields (#5) and legendary head coach Ron Fraser (#1).UM-San Diego State Game Moved The series finale between Miami and San Diego State on Sunday, Feb. 23 has been moved from 1 p.m. to noon. The move was made to accommodate the Aztecs’ travel plans. San Diego State is under the first-year direction of former perennial major league All-Star Tony Gwynn. The series will open on Friday, Feb. 21, with a 7 p.m. contest at Mark Light Field. Saturday’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m. first pitch, as well.
Parking for Fans and Media
– A note to media and fans that the city of Coral Gables is now ticketing parking meters along San Amaro Drive. There are a limited number of media parking spots just outside Mark Light Stadium and in the parking lot along side Cobb Stadium. However, fans and any overflow media is encouraged to park for free inside the Ponce DeLeon Parking Garage just beyond the right field fence.
Hurricanes Look for Return Trip to College World Series in 2003
The 2003 Hurricanes baseball team once again has its sight set on Omaha and the College World Series. Miami will be looking for its eighth trip to the CWS since Head Coach Jim Morris took over the Miami program in 1994. Youth and inexperience on the mound are the main concern for the Miami coaching staff headed into the season. Dan Touchet is the Hurricanes’ only returning starting pitcher from a team that went 34-29 a year ago. The bullpen will feature 2001 All-American George Huguet, who will look to once again establish himself as one of the country’s most dominate closers. “First of all the game starts with pitching,” Morris said. “You have to pitch well to win big games. You have to pitch to go to Omaha and win. We have to establish our starting rotation. We only have one returning starter in Dan Touchet, so the two, three and four spots in the rotation are open. We have to have consistency in our bullpen, particularly late with George Huguet, and whoever else is down there with him.” The Hurricanes struggled through the regular season in 2002, but as Morris’s teams always do, Miami turned it on in the postseason. UM finished one win short of reaching the College World Series, as South Carolina used late inning heroics to advance.
Pitching – Touchet, a junior left-hander, will take the ball as the Canes’ No. 1 starter in 2003. He is coming off of a 6-2 record last year, starting 15 games and posting a 4.41 ERA, while leading the team in innings pitched with 98.0 and strikeouts with 78. Brandon Camardese, Vince Bongiovanni, Ryan Dixon and J.D. Cockroft will challenge for a spot in the UM starting rotation. Camardese spent his freshman year in the bullpen, but in 2003 the Hurricanes will need him to step into a starting role. The left-hander threw 26.1 innings last year, but recorded 20 strikeouts while on the hill. Bongiovanni, a hard-throwing right-hander, also worked out of the bullpen in 2002 but is now competing for a spot in the rotation. Dixon made only nine appearances for the Canes last season, but proved very effective in his 18.2 innings of work. The sophomore right-hander posted UM’s second-best ERA at 3.86, while holding opposing hitters to a .261 batting average. Cockroft could work out of the starting rotation or the bullpen in 2003. The left-handed junior went 5-0 out of the bullpen last season, posting a team-best 2.22 ERA in 24.1 innings of work. Opposing teams managed only a .190 clip at the plate. Miami also has the services junior college All-American Alex Perez, who joined the team at the semester. The left-hander will have a chance to push for a spot in the starting rotation. Huguet will resume his closer role out the UM bullpen. The junior has 22 saves in his first two years with the Canes. From a setup and long relief role out of the bullpen, Miami will look to Tom King, Cockroft, Andrew Cohn and Shawn Valdes-Fauli.
Infielders – Miami returns four starters, but will have to replace the loss of All-Americans Javy Rodriguez and Kevin Howard. Paco Figueroa is expected to handle the starting role at shortstop, while true freshman Gaby Sanchez will get the start at third base. Sanchez was a high round draft choice by the Seattle Mariners. Senior Jim Burt leads the way offensively and anchors the right side of the infield at first base for the Hurricanes. The first baseman, who spent a large portion of last season in the outfield, hit .322 last season with nine home runs, while driving in 48 runs and cranking out 19 doubles. Joey Hooft and junior college transfer Adam Ricks are battling for the starting nod a second base. Hooft hit .250 for the Hurricanes last season, while making 15 starts. Ricks can play three positions in the infield (second base, third base and shortstop) and could also fill the designated hitter role for UM. Behind the plate, talented sophomore Erick San Pedro might be the Hurricanes’ most improved player over the off season. San Pedro’s strong, accurate arm should limit the opponent’s running game and prove to be a dangerous weapon for the Miami defense. Junior college transfer Ornan Reinoso, along with freshman Ryan Braun, will provide depth for the Hurricanes in the infield with both possibly cracking the lineup in the designated hitter spot.
Outfielders – The outfield will be anchored by returning center fielder Paco Figueroa. Newcomers Tom Shannon and Brian Barton have the inside track on the starting spots in left and right field, respectively. Sophomore Richard Giannoti will also push for a starting spot in the outfield. Figueroa hit .300 last season, while seeing action in 58 games. He also sparked the Canes on the base paths with 16 stole bases, the best of any returnee. Shannon was a junior college All-American at Fresno City College and is expected to start in left field for the Hurricanes. Barton is a transfer from Loyola Marymount, who sat out last season and had an excellent fall camp. He is competing for the starting nod with Giannoti, who hit .314 for UM last season, seeing action in 42 games, while starting 11 games.
Ninth-Inning Rally Propels 2003 Squad Past Alumni
The University of Miami baseball team mounted a four-run ninth inning comeback to defeat the Alumni in the annual Alumni game, 9-8, Saturday night at Mark Light Stadium in Coral Gables. Sophomore transfer T.J. Hacker knocked in the game-winning two-run double scoring Ryan Braun and Israel Chirino, giving the Hurricanes the victory. Adam Ricks led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk, advanced to second on a walk to Gaby Sanchez and scored on an error by the catcher. After Ryan Braun walked, Chirino doubled scoring Sanchez. Tampa Bay Devil Ray Aubrey Huff got the Alumni on the scoreboard first with a home run to right centerfield in the fourth inning off UM sophomore Brandon Camardese. The 2003 Hurricanes struck back in the bottom of the fifth inning, tying the score at 1-1. A leadoff walk to reserve catcher Greg Dini started the rally. Centerfielder Danny Figueroa followed with a double over the rightfielder’s head to drive in Dini. Junior captain Jim Burt opened the bottom of the sixth with a single up the middle. Brian Barton a walk before Chirino grounded into a double play that scored Burt to put UM on top, 2-1. Dini followed with a single to right that scored Barton, giving the Hurricanes a two-run cushion at 3-1. The Alumni struck back in the top of the seventh inning, racking up two runs on four hits to tie the game at 3-3. Chris Anderson highlighted the inning with a two-RBI double down the left field line. Freshman Gaby Sanchez ripped a two-out double over the centerfielder’s head, but the threat was ended as Burt grounded out to third. Juan Llanes lined a single to center off J.D. Cockroft to leadoff the eighth. UM assistant coach Greg Lovelady followed with a bunt single down the third base line. Cockroft loaded the bases with one out, walking Rey Noriega. Chris Anderson then doubled under the glove of diving right-fielder Chirino to give the Alumni a 5-3 lead. Barton lined a single between shortstop and third base to leadoff the eighth inning, advancing to second on a error by left-fielder Kenard Lang. Barton stole third before freshman Ryan Braun blasted a 2-1 pitch over the left-field fence to tie the game at 5-5. The Alumni took an 8-5 lead in the ninth, which was highlighted by Rey Noriega’s two-run home run over the right-field wall. Lang broke the tie with an RBI double scoring Jose Trujillo.
Renovations For Mark Light Field Expected To Begin Following 2004 Season
Changes are head for Mark Light Field in the coming years. A $3.9 million donation by Texas Ranger’s all-star shortstop Alex Rodriguez officially kicked off the athletic department’s fund-raising effort to renovate Mark Light Field. Preliminary plans are to begin renovation following the 2004 season. The lead gift to the stadium renovation campaign represents the largest contribution ever to the University of Miami baseball program. The University will name the newly renovated facility Alex Rodriguez Park upon its construction. The naming will serve as a daily reminder to all who visit the Park of the impact Rodriguez has had on his hometown. The Hurricanes started playing baseball in Mark Light Stadium in 1973. UM has hosted 18 NCAA Regionals and two NCAA Super Regional, as the Hurricanes made 30 consecutive postseason appearances.
