Hurricanes Travel North to Take on Tennessee
March 5, 2003
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Game 13: No. (14/20/17) Miami (9-3)at No. (23/NR/22) Tennessee (10-2)Friday, March 7, 3 p.m.at Lindsey Nelson StadiumRadio: WVUM (90.5 FM
)Television: NoneProbable Starting PitchersUM: #44 J.D. Cockroft, LHP (2-0, 1.35 ERA)UT: #26 Derek Tharpe, LHP (2-0, 3.05 ERA)
Game 14: No. (14/20/17) Miamiat No. (23/NR/22) TennesseeSaturday, March 8, 2 p.m.at Lindsey Nelson StadiumRadio: WVUM (90.5 FM)Television: NoneProbable Starting PitchersUM: #34 Vince Bongiovanni (3-1, 1.48 ERA)UT: #45 Ben Riley, LHP (1-1, 2.57 ERA)
Game 15: No. (14/20/17) Miamiat No. (23/NR/22) TennesseeSunday, March 9, 1 p.m.at Lindsey Nelson StadiumRadio: WVUM (90.5 FM)Television: NoneProbable Starting PitchersUM: #18 Brandon Camardese, LHP (2-0, 1.76 ERA)UT: #19 Luke Hochevar, RHP (2-0, 0.00 ERA)
Miami Team InformationBaseball SID Josh MaxsonTeam Hotel Hilton KnoxvilleHotel Phone 865-523-2300Travel Plans: UM will depart Miami on Delta Airlines at 9:40 a.m. Miami is scheduled to arrive in Knoxville 1:46 p.m. UM will arrive back in Miami at 11:41 p.m. on Sunday, March 9th.
Hurricanes Travel North to Take on Tennessee
The University of Miami baseball team will make its second road trip of the season when they venture to Knoxville, Tenn., to face the Tennessee Volunteers.The three-game series will start on Friday with a 3 p.m. contest at UT’s Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Game two of the set is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday with the series finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday.Miami enters the series with a 9-3 record and is ranked in the top 20 in all three major college baseball polls. Tennessee (10-2) is ranked 23rd by Collegiate Baseball and 22nd in the Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches poll.The Hurricanes took two-of-three games from The Citadel this past weekend. UM once again has a complete coaching staff in place with J.D. Arteaga taking over as UM’s pitching coach on Tuesday, March 4.The Volunteers won two straight games before dropping a 6-1 decision to Louisville on Wednesday, March 5. UT completed the split with Louisville after an 18-2 win on Tuesday, March 4.Left-hander J.D. Cockroft will get the Friday start for the second straight week, as Dan Touchet nurses a torn ligament in is throwing elbow. Right-hander Vince Bongiovanni will take a 3-1 record and a 1.48 ERA to the hill for UM on Saturday, while left-hander Brandon Camardese (2-0) will get the call on Sunday.UT’s starting staff combines for a 5-1 record and will open the series with Derek Tharpe (2-0, 3.05 ERA) on the mound. The Vols will throw Ben Riley (1-1, 2.57 ERA) on Saturday with Luke Hochever getting the call in the series finale on Sunday.Tennessee is coached by Rod Delmonico, who is in his 14th season with UT.
Leading Off
The UM Rotation – Left-hander J.D. Cockroft (2-0, 1.35 ERA) will get the call on the mound in the series opener against The Citadel. Cockroft is coming off his first career start against The Citadel on Friday, Feb. 28. He picked up a no-decision after throwing five innings and allowing five hits and one earned run, while striking out four batter. Another left-hander, Vince Bongiovanni (3-1, 1.48 ERA) will take the hill in Saturday’s contest. The sophomore continues throw well, pitching a career-high 7.1 innings with five strikeouts and only one earned run in a win over the Bulldogs. Another sophomore, Brandon Camardese, will start the series finale after picking up a decision in UM’s 14-6 win over The Citadel on Sunday, March 2. He is 2-0 with a 1.76 ERA in his three starts this season. He has struck out 15 batters, while issuing only five walks.Touchet to Miss Starts – UM’s No. 1-hurler Dan Touchet missed his scheduled start on Friday, Feb. 28, and is expected to miss at least two starts before he could return to action. He partially tore the UC ligament in his throwing elbow. Touchet, who is now undergoing rehab, was 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his three starts in 2003. J.D. Cockroft will take his place in the rotation. Cockroft threw five innings in his first career start, allowing one earned run and five hits, while striking out four.Closing – With J.D. Cockroft moving into a starting role for UM. Junior George Huguet moves back into the closer’s role for the Hurricanes. Huguet, who missed the first 10 games of the season, pitched the ninth inning in Miami’s 6-1 win over the Citadel on Saturday, March 1. He retired all three batters he face, while collecting one strikeout. Huguet ranks fifth on UM’s all-time save chart (22) and ninth in appearances with 85.Braun Tearing it Up – Freshman Ryan Braun made a name for himself in the three-game series against the Citadel. Although he was already hitting .400 for the season, Braun increased his batting average to .439 with a 6-for-11 performance in the three-game set. He also hit a home run in each of the three games of the series, including tape-measure shots on Friday and Saturday night. Braun also drove in seven runs over the weekend. In a 3-for-3 outing on Sunday, March 2, Braun was a double short of hitting for the cycle when he left the game in the sixth inning.On the base paths – With speed throughout the lineup, Miami has continued its aggressive style on the base paths. Through 12 games the Hurricanes have swiped 24 bases in 28 attempts, including a perfect 7-for-7 performance in three games against The Citadel. Leadoff-hitter Danny Figueroa leads the way for Miami, going 9-for-9 on stolen base attempts with twin brother Paco having stole all three bases he’s attempted so far this season. First baseman Jim Burt is has also stolen three bases in three tries so far this season, while freshman second baseman Ryan Braun is 3-for-4 on the base paths as well.
UM Takes 2-of-3 From The Citadel
Miami dropped an emotional series opener with The Citadel Bulldogs on Friday, Feb. 28 at Mark Light Stadium, but bounced back on Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2, to win the series.The Bulldogs took advantage of five Miami errors and two passed balls to pull out an 8-7 win over the nationally ranked Hurricanes. UM took a 6-4 lead into the sixth inning, but surrendered two runs in both the sixth and seventh inning to fall behind 8-6. The Canes got one run back in the bottom of the eighth inning but it wouldn’t be enough. Ryan Bruan highlighted the UM offense with a towering home run to straight away center field. Freshman Andrew Lane took the loss after giving up an opposite field home run to The Citadel’s catcher Jason Randall. J.D. Cockroft pitched five innings in his first career start, allowing only one earned run on five hits.UM’s starter Vince Bongiovanni posted a career-best 7.1 innings to pick up his staff-high third win of the season in Miami’s 6-1 victory over The Citadel. Bongiovanni struck out five Bulldog batters, while only giving up one run and throwing 110 pitches. Braun supplied the power with his second straight monster home run, this time deep to left-center field. Jim Burt extended his hitting streak to seven games with a 2-for-4 performance, while Richard Giannotti marked his second game of the season with a 2-for-3 showing, including a double and one RBI.The Hurricanes clinched the series on Sunday, pounding out 14 runs and 13 hits in a 14-6 win over the Bulldogs. An eight run third inning put the game out of reach for UM, which was up 14-1 after four innings. Braun cracked his third home run in as many games and collected a triple and single along the way before leaving the game in the sixth inning. Brandon Camardese picked up the win with five innings of work, allowing one run on four hits and striking out three batters.
Scouting Tennessee
Tennessee enters this weekend’s series with a 10-2 record after spliting a two-game series with Louisville on Tuesday, March 4, and Wednesday, March 5. Head Coach Rod Delmonico’s Vols dropped their first game of the season to West Virginia on Saturday, March 1, 3-1. UT countered with a 13-3 win in the Sunday, March 2, series finale. The Volunteers are ranked 23rd in this week’s Collegiate Baseball poll. The Hurricanes and Vols have one common opponent this season in The Citadel. UT won at The Citadel, 9-4, on Feb. 14, while UM took two-of-three from the Bulldogs this past weekend.The Vols are hitting .344 as a team, while scoring an average of nine runs per game. From the pitching mound, UT sports a 2.52 ERA and has only given up four home runs on the season. Opponents are hitting .224 at the plate against Volunteers’ pitching.Chad LeGate is Tennessee’s second-leading hitter with a .400 batting average in his 10 starts. He has 12 hits in 30 at bats but only one extra base hit. LeGate has spent most of his time in left field. Joining him in the outfield is Jordan Czarniecki in center field and Michael Rivera in right field. Czarniecki is hitting .356 with 11 RBIs and a .483 on-base percentage. Rivera leads the club at the plate with a .412 average and 21 hits.Walter Sevilla is hitting .386 from his second base spot. He is third on the team with 11 RBIs. Third baseman Nick Crowe is the Volunteer’s third-leading hitter with a .394 average. Brian Cleveland has started all 12 games for the Vols at shortstop and has posted a .300 batting average, while leading the team with 17 RBIs. Kyle Norrid starts at first base and is hitting .286. Catcher Javi Herrera has supplied the power for Tennessee early on with a team-high two home runs.On the mound, Tennessee’s three starts are a combined 5-1 with Luke Hochevar leading the way with a 2-0 record. Hochevar boasts a 0.00 ERA in four appearances and 11.1 innings of work, but will be making his first start on Sunday, March 9, against the Hurricanes. Derek Tharpe, who will get the start on Friday, March 7, is also 2-0 with a 3.05 ERA in a team-high 20.2 innings. Ben Riley (1-1) will start on Saturday, March 8. He has a 2.57 ERA, but absorbed UT’s only loss during the 2003 season. Beau Massey and Steve Wesley have handled the closing duties for the Vols, picking up one save apiece.
Please Note Time Change on April 5
Miami’s April 5th baseball game with Oral Roberts has been changed to a 5 p.m. first pitch, rather than the originally scheduled 7 p.m. start time.
Arteaga Returns to Miami to Handle the Pitchers
University of Miami head baseball coach Jim Morris announced on Tuesday, March 4 that former Hurricane pitcher J.D. Arteaga will return to Miami as the pitching coach.”J.D. (Arteaga) is the perfect person to come in at this point and time,” Morris said. “It is a crucial time in our season and it is a tough time right in the middle of our season for this change to be made. J.D. is a guy that knows our system, played in our system, knows our players and he is going to command instant respect from our players. He has all of the things you could possibly want in the person you are bringing in.”Arteaga played for the Hurricanes from 1994-1997, helping UM reach the College World Series four straight seasons. He left Miami as the program’s all-time wins leader with 43 and the all-time starts leader with 72. Arteaga ranks second for innings pitched in a career with 458.1. He is also fifth on the all-time strikeouts chart with 343 career Ks.”It is an honor to be a part of the best program in the country,” Arteaga said. “I felt that when I played, and the same now that I’m a coach.”Arteaga fills the void left by Lazaro ‘Lazer’ Collazo, who resigned his post on Thursday, Feb. 27. He joins Morris’ staff, which also includes former Hurricanes players Gino DiMare (7th season) and Greg Lovelady (2nd season).”I’m very excited about this opportunity,” Arteaga said. “I’m jumping right in with a trip to Tennessee the first weekend, but it’s a challenge, and challenges are what I’ve always looked forward to.”A 26th round draft choice by the New York Mets, Arteaga spent the last five seasons in the Mets and Houston Astros’ organizations. He had signed on with the Texas Rangers’ organization this spring, prior to accepting his post with the Hurricanes. He spent last season with the Astros’ Triple A franchise New Orleans Zephyrs, compiling a 9-10 record with a 4.29 ERA in 15 starts.”It was a very tough decision to give up a dream (of playing in the major leagues) for a dream job,” Arteaga said. “I weighed out both options and the opportunity for me here was just too good.”The left-hander came to the Hurricanes out of Westminster Christian in Miami. He won a career best 12 (12-1) games as a junior in 1996 and came back to go 11-4 as a senior. Arteaga threw three complete games at UM and struck out career-high 11 batters on two different occasions (FSU, 4/16/95 and George Washington, 2/16/96). He posted an 11-3 record as a sophomore in 1995 and a 9-1 mark as a freshman.
A Look at the Polls
Off to a 9-3 start in the 2003 season, Miami is now ranked in the top 25 in all four college baseball polls. Miami comes in at No. 17 in this week’s Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll. However, the Hurricanes jumped two spots in Baseball America’s rankings No. 20. Collegiate Baseball dropped UM to No. 14 after spending two weeks at No. 13. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has the Hurricanes slotted at No. 17. Florida State remained No. 1 in the Collegiate Baseball and Sports Weekly/ESPN Polls with Rice remaining atop of the NCBWA poll. Georgia Tech is still the top choice by Baseball America. Cumulatively, the consensus top five teams in have won 49 straight games led by Arizona St. (15 in a row), Florida St. (11 straight), Georgia Tech. (9 consecutive), Rice (8 straight), and Cal. St. Fullerton (6 in a row). Overall, the top five teams in the nation have posted a cumulative 72-4 record with none of the schools having more than one loss this season.
Starting Pitching Solid For Hurricanes
The starting pitching for the Hurricanes early in the 2003 season has been excellent. UM has gotten at least five innings out of its starter in 11 of 13 games this season. Miami’s top three starters all have ERAs below 2.00 and have only allowed five earned runs in their last 34.1 innings of work against San Diego State and The Citadel. Dan Touchet is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in a team-high 18.2 innings of work, but is expected to miss at least the next three weeks with a partially torn elbow ligament. He picked up his first win in a seven inning outing against Florida and his second win against San Diego State. Vince Bongiovanni has been throwing in the No. 2 spot in the rotation for UM. He is 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA. He was virtually untouchable this season, allowing only four earned runs in a team-high 24.1 innings of work over four starts. He threw a career-high 7.1 innings and allowed only one run to pick up the win over The Citadel. Sophomore Brandon Camardese won his first game in a Hurricane uniform on Friday, Feb. 7, against Campbell. He threw five innings, giving up two hits and one run in the Hurricane win. Camardese won his second game at UM on Sunday, March 2, over The Citadel. He gave up only one run in five innings of work, while allowing only four hits. Camardese is 2-0 in his three starts with a 1.76 ERA.
Miami Offense Clicking Early
It hasn’t taken the Hurricane offense long to get into the swing of things early on in the 2003 season. UM is hitting .317 as a team and scoring 8.25 runs per contest. Miami is also averaging 1.42 home run per game. Sophomore Ryan Braun and junior Jim Burt are leading the Hurricanes’ with .439 and .429 batting averages, respectively. The two are also leading the team in home runs with four. Braun has homered in three straight games for UM. Danny Figueroa leads the team with 19 runs scored from his leadoff position. Brian Barton has pitched in with two home runs, while junior college transfer Adam Ricks sports a .370 average and leads the team with 14 RBIs. Freshman Gaby Sanchez, Braun and Burt lead the team with 18 hits apiece. The team as a whole is slugging .501 and has an on-base percentage of .392.
Braun Hitting a Ton as a Freshman
Freshman Ryan Braun had been one of Miami’s most consistent hitters through the first nine games of the 2002 season. He was second on the team in hitting with a .400 batting average. However, the long-ball hadn’t been his forte, managing only one home run during that stretch. But Braun found the power switch against The Citdel, hitting home runs in three consecutive games to tie him for the team lead with four, along with Jim Burt. Braun’s homers on Friday, Feb. 28, and Saturday, March 1, were tape-measure shots to center and left field, respectively. He then hit an opposite field shot to left field on Sunday. His RBI numbers also went through the roof over the weekend. Braun entered The Citadel series with five RBI and finished the series with 12 runs batted in. His 6-for-11 performance against The Citadel jumped his average to a team-high .439. He just missed hitting for the cycle in the series finale on Sunday, going 3-for-3 with a home run, single and a triple before he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the fifth inning with UM up 14-1.
D-Fig Running Wild on the Bases
Sophomore center fielder Danny Figueroa is the ignition switch at the top of the Miami lineup. He has stolen 14 straight bases without being caught, dating back to the second game of the Jacksonville series on May 18 of last season. Figueroa is 9-for-9 during the 2003 season, which leads the team. The leadoff hitter is also hitting .340. Figueroa leads the team with 19 runs scored, while his 16 hits are third on the team. He has hit safely in eight of the last 10 games, including back-to-back four hit games on Feb. 8 and Feb. 14. He has three multiple hit games this season. Figueroa reach base 10 consecutive times over a three-game stretch, beginning in his last at bat of the Friday, Feb. 7, game against Campbell, and his fourth at bat in the first game of the Florida series on Friday, Feb. 14. During that stretch, Figueroa collected seven hits, batted .875 and walked three times. By the second game of the Florida series on Saturday, Feb. 15, he had nine hits in his last 10 at bats, including three walks.
Burt Powers the UM Lineup
First baseman Jim Burt has provided the power for the Hurricanes at the plate so far in 2003. The Allendale, N.J., native and co-captain is hitting .429 (second on the team) on the year with four home runs and 10 RBI. Burt has hit safely in 10 of the Hurricanes’ 12 games this season, including a seven-game hitting streak that came to an end against The Citadel on Sunday, March 2. Burt was 4-for-8 in the two games prior to his 0-for-2 performance on Sunday against the Bulldogs. He was 7-for-10 during the three-game series with San Diego State with two home runs and three RBI. He continued to be a thorn in the side of the Florida Gators three weeks ago, crushing a solo home run that hit off the light pole behind the bleachers in left field in the ninth inning of the second game. The home run sparked a Miami rally that fell just short in Hurricanes’ 5-3 loss. Burt beat the Gators in last season’s Gainesville Regional with at two-out, two-strike double that lifted Miami to an 8-7 win.
Giannotti Returns With a Hot Bat
Richard Giannotti made his first appearance in the Hurricanes’ lineup this season against The Citadel. After sitting out UM’s first nine games with an injured shoulder, the sophomore started all three games versus the Bulldogs. He went 6-for-13 for a .462 batting average. Giannotti collected three doubles and drove in three runs, while playing a solid right field. He hit .314 as a freshman in 42 games for Miami.
Freshman Sanchez Making an Impact
True freshman Gaby Sanchez is making a big impact for the Hurricanes in 2003. Sanchez is out of Miami’s Brito Private High School where he was the 1A-4A Player of the Year in Dade County as a senior. He is hitting .360 in his 12 starts at third base for the Hurricanes. He hit safely in his first six games as a Hurricane. He has recorded at least one hit in 10-of-12 games during his short Miami career. Sanchez is tied for the team lead with 18 hits in 50 at bats, including one home run. He is second on the team with 12 RBI. Sanchez also leads the team with five mulitple RBI games and has the second most multiple hit games with five. He was instrumental in UM’s 10-3 over Campbell Friday, Feb. 7, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Sanchez also picked up three hits against Florida (2/14) and The Citadel (2/28).
Transfers Making Plays
Transfers Adam Ricks, Brian Barton, and Tom Shannon have stepped into Miami’s starting lineup and made an immediate impact for the Hurricanes. Ricks has started seven of his games at designated hitter and five games at second base. He is hitting .370 with an inside the park home run and a team-best 14 RBIs. Ricks is tied for the team lead with four doubles. He has collected a hit in 10 of 12 games during his short Hurricane career, including four straight. Ricks is tied for the team lead with six multiple hit games. He was the spark in UM’s season-opening win over FIU with five RBI and a home run. Barton has home runs with two, including a game-breaking three-run blast against Florida on Feb. 14. The starting right fielder is tied for second on the team in RBI with 11, while posting a slugging percentage of .500. Shannon started off his UM career with an injured ankle and an 0-for-11 showing at the plate. Since that he has gone 6-for-14 with two home runs and six RBIs.
San Pedro/Dini Splitting Time Behind the Plate
Sophomores Erick San Pedro and Greg Dini have split the starting catching duties so far this season. San Pedro has started seven games, while Dini has made five starts. Both have played well behind the plate and handled the pitching staff. San Pedro has thrown out three base runners and picked two more of second base. Dini handled the bat well against San Diego State, collecting two hits and two RBI in the series. San Pedro came alive at the plate in his only start against The Citadel, hitting the first two home runs of his career, while knocking in two runs and scoring three runs.
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.
Marlins Slide Past Hurricanes, 5-1
JUPITER, Fla. – The University of Miami baseball team fell to the Florida Marlins, 5-1, in exhibition action Wednesday afternoon in front of 3,387 at Roger Dean Stadium.Ryan Dixon pitched three strong innings for UM, allowing four hits and one earned run against the National League club. He also struck one and didn’t give up a walk. Eight Hurricanes followed Dixon to the mound.Dontrelle Willis pitched the first two innings for the Marlins without giving up a hit or run and striking out two Canes. Bryan Rekar picked up the win for Florida with one inning of work and one strikeout.Miami got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning as Jim Burt ripped a double down the third-base line to score Adam Ricks and tie the game at 1-1. Ricks got the first hit off Marlins’ pitching in the top of the fourth inning and promptly stole second, setting up Burt’s double.The Marlins opened the scoring in the bottom half of the first on a two-out double by Mike Lowell, scoring Juan Pierre who bunted for a single earlier in the inning.Florida took the lead for good in the fifth inning on a two-out home run backup catcher Matt Treanor to left field. Treanor entered the game in the third inning, replacing Ivan Rodriguez.The Marlins put the game out of reach with one run in the seventh and two more unearned runs in the eighth.
Captains Named for the 2003 Season
Jim Burt and J.D. Cockroft were named captains, by a vote of their teammates, prior to the Hurricanes’ annual showdown with the Alumni on Feb. 1. It is the second straight selection for Burt, who served as a captain as a sophomore on last year’s squad. He has made the move to first base on a full-time basis this season and is hitting .438 with four home runs and nine RBI. Cockroft, who has served in the closer’s role early on in 2003 is 2-0 on the season with a 1.20 ERA in 15.0 innings of work.
Hurricanes Retire J.D. Arteaga’s Number
Former Hurricanes standout J.D. Arteaga had his number 33 jersey retired Feb. 5 during a pregame ceremony, prior to throwing 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).
Renovations For Mark Light Field Expected To Begin Following 2004 Season
Changes are ahead 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.
Up Next
The Hurricanes return to the friendly confines of Mark Light Field for a two-game set with South Florida on Tuesday, March 11th, at 7 p.m. and Wednesday, March 12th, at 5 p.m. The opener will be televised live by Fox Sports Net Florida. The game will also be carried on radio by WQAM (560 AM) and WVUM (90.5 FM). Wednesday’s 5 p.m. series finale will be broadcast on WVUM (90.5 FM).
