March 3, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – The #6/9/11 Miami Hurricanes will play the first conference games in the 60-year history of the baseball program as they their ACC schedule with a three-game series against North Carolina State at Mark Light Field. The first pitch is set for Friday, March 4 at 7 p.m., followed by games on Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Miami head coach Jim Morris will present Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent with a commemorative coin to celebrate the Hurricanes’ inaugural season as a member of the ACC. Each Miami and N.C. State student-athlete will also receive a commemorative coin at the end of the game.
The Hurricanes and Wolfpack have met 15 times, with Miami holding an 11-4 advantage in the series. Miami has won the last three meetings between the two schools, including wins at the 2003 Coral Gables Super Regional and 2004 Coral Gables Regional to end N.C. State’s season.
Competition between the two teams will start on the pitcher’s mound. Miami’s projected starters, junior Cesar Carrillo, senior Dan Touchet and sophomore Chris Perez were dominant in their starts last week, combining to pitch 18 innings and giving up only three runs (none earned), four walks and 27 strikeouts. N.C. State’s starters are a combined 6-2 with a 3.43 ERA on the season.
Carrillo (2-0, 1.74 ERA, 1 save) will start for Miami on Friday night against Wolfpack senior right-hander Phil Davidson (1-1, 2.84 ERA). The Hurricanes are looking to run their record to 24-0 all-time when Carrillo pitches. He has struck out 26 and walked only one batter in 20.2 innings. Davidson is making his fifth start of the season and has pitched 19 innings and allowed 12 runs, six earned, on 24 hits.
Touchet (1-0, 3.00) will start Saturday’s game for Miami and is coming off the two-best starts of his career, both of which turned out to be no-decisions. In his last two starts Touchet has struck out 15, walked two and has given up one earned run in 14 innings. He will face sophomore Jeff Stallings (2-1, 5.50 ERA), who was touched up for six runs in four innings against East Carolina last week.
Perez (3-1, 4.96) will face Gib Hobson (3-0, 3.86) on Sunday in the series finale. Perez is undefeated at home (3-0) and Hobson has faced 65 hitters since issuing his last base on balls.
The Hurricanes have made a habit of starting quickly this season, scoring 25 percent (30-of-120) of their runs in the first inning this season. That trend will have to continue through the series, given the performance of N.C. State’s closer, junior right-hander Joey Devine. Devine is the Wolpack’s all-time saves leader with 24, including three this season. An appearance by him usually signals the end for the opposition. He has struck out 12 in only 6.2 innings of work and has allowed just two hits.
Miami is batting .345 as a team, with its 1-4 hitters all batting .400 or better. Sophomore leftfielder Jon Jay leads the Hurricanes’ hitting barrage with a .538 average. While Jay provides unmatched consistency at the plate, junior cleanup hitter Ryan Braun has provided unmatched power. Braun leads the team with six home runs (all at Mark Light Field), 26 RBIs, 24 runs and an .868 slugging pct. Danny Figueroa is batting .400 in the leadoff spot with a .480 on-base pct. Paco Figueroa follows in the order and is hitting .415 with 23 runs, three triples and a team-best 10 stolen bases. First baseman Danny Valencia has come on strong the last five games and is batting .377 with 16 RBIs.
The Wolfpack is led by leadoff man Matt Devine (.372) and Aaron Bates, who is hitting .435 with five doubles, two home runs and 17 RBIs. N.C. State has won seven of its last eight games.
As always, all three games will be broadcast on the Student Voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM. Friday and Saturday’s games will also be broadcast by UM’s flagship radio station, WQAM 560 AM. Spanish radio WSUA 1260 AM will broadcast Saturday and Sunday’s games.
Prior to Saturday’s game, four members of the World Softball League will participate in a pre-game home run derby, as part of their Long Haul Bombers Tour. The home run derby is scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm.
Individual tickets are on sale for $8 for adults and $6 youth/seniors. To speak with a ticket sales representative, please call (305) 284-CANES (Miami – Dade) or 1-800-GO-CANES (Broward & Palm Beach) or log on to www.hurricanesports.com.
GAME NOTES
Last Night…
Sophomore Ricky Orta pitched five solid innings of one-hit ball and junior Ryan Braun drove in two runs to lead the Hurricanes to a 5-1 win against Northeastern at Mark Light Field.
Tuesday…
Alex Garabedian drove in three runs and senior Brendan Katin hit an inside-the-park home run to lead the Hurricanes baseball team to a 9-7 win against the Florida Marlins in an exhibition game at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. It was UM’s first win against a Major League team since a 7-6 win against the Baltimore Orioles on March 10, 1982, and second win overall against a MLB club. UM tagged Florida starter Dontrelle Willis for six runs on six hits in 2.1 innings. Miami threw the whole kitchen sink at the Marlins, using eight pitchers for the win.
Last Week…
Miami took two from George Washington, but dropped the second game of the three-game series, ending a 20-game home-winning streak. The Hurricanes rebounded in the third game, setting season highs for hits and runs in a 16-3 win.
Miami 12, George Washington 1 (Feb. 25, 2005) — Miami starter Cesar Carrillo moved his record to 2-0 on the season, allowing only three hits and striking out nine in six innings of work. Carrillo retired 16 Colonials in a row after allowing the first two hitters he faced reach base on a single and an error in the first inning. Ryan Braun, was 2-3 with three runs scored, four RBI and his first career grand slam. Brendan Katin was 2-2 with two runs and two RBI.
George Washington 5, Miami 4 (Feb. 26, 2005) –The Hurricanes squandered a 4-0 lead in the eighth inning, allowing five GW runs in the final two innings to snap a 20-game home-win streak. The loss overshadowed a career day for UM starter Dan Touchet, who struck out 10 batters in seven scoreless innings.
Miami 16, George Washington 3 (Feb. 27, 2005) — Ryan Braun, Jon Jay, Danny Valencia and freshman Walter Diaz each had four hits, accounting for 16 of the Hurricanes’ season-high 19-hit performance. Braun and Valencia both hit three-run home runs, while Diaz and freshman catcher Alex Garabedian both hit the first four-baggers of their collegiate careers. Valenciawent 4-4 with a careerhigh five RBIs and two doubles in addition to his home run.
For Starters…
The starting pitching rotation of junior Cesar Carrillo, senior Dan Touchet and sophomore Chris Perez was stellar for the Hurricanes last week, combining for 27 strikeouts and no earned runs in a 18 innings of work against George Washington. Sophomore Ricky Orta earned a win in the first start of his career against Northeastern on Tuesday and pitched five innings of one-hit ball. The only extra-base hits given up by the quarter was a home run by Perez in the fifth inning last Sunday and the first pitch Orta threw on Wednesday. The four have a combined 8-2 record this season and a 3.18 ERA. Below is a summary of what the four have done for the Hurricanes in starting roles:
Date Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR W/L/ND 2/25 Carrillo 6.0 3 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 W 2/26 Touchet 7.0 3 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 ND 2/27 Perez 5.0 5 3 0 4 8 0 0 1 W 3/2 Orta 5.0 1 1 1 3 4 0 0 1 W Totals 23.0 12 4 1 7 31 0 0 2 3/0/1
23-0
An appearance by junior hurler Cesar Carrillo has meant only one thing for Miami over the last two seasons: victory. The Hurricanes are 23-0 when Carrillo pitches. He upped his career pitching record with the Hurricanes to 14-0 with a win against George Washington on Feb. 25. He picked up his first save of the season in a 7-5 win against South Florida on Saturday, Feb. 12. Although he did not earn a decision at Florida on Feb. 18, the team still won, 9-7. Carrillo is 2-0 this season with a 1.74 ERA, team-best 26 strikeouts and only one walk in 20.2 innings.
Talent Transferrable
The Hurricanes knew they were getting a talented player when Danny Valencia transferred to Miami after a stellar freshman season at UNC-Greensboro. The sophomore first baseman hit .338 and led the team with eight home runs, 16 doubles and 117 total bases on his way to earning Southern Conference Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference honors. But Valencia’s smooth transition and performance thus far has been better than anticipated. Through 13 games, Valencia is on pace to better the numbers he put up for the Spartans in 2004. He is batting .408 with three doubles, a home run and 16 RBI. Last Sunday he had arguably the best game of his career, going 4-4 with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs. Below is a comparison of Valencia’s freshman and current sophomore season :
Year Avg. GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB Slg. 2004 .338 55-54 222 39 75 16 1 8 36 117 .527 2005 .377 14-14 53 12 20 3 0 1 16 26 .491
4-for-4
Miami’s 16-3 win against George Washington last Sunday, Feb. 26, produced 2005 team highs in runs, hits and home runs. The offensive effort was headed by the quartet of Jon Jay, Ryan Braun, Danny Valencia and Walter Diaz. Each had four-hit games and accounted for 10 runs, 13 RBIs and batted a collective .889. Braun, Valencia and Diaz all hit home runs in the game. Below is a look at what the four did in UM’s most productive offensive onslaught of 2005:
vs. George Washington - 2/27/05 Player AB R H 2B HR RBI Jay 4 3 4 1 0 3 Braun 5 3 4 1 1 4 Valencia 4 2 4 2 1 5 Diaz 5 2 4 1 1 1 18 10 16 5 3 13
Old Reliable
In his relatively short career at Miami sophomore left fielder Jon Jay has become somewhat of “a given” to teammates, fans and coaches. The expectation of Jay putting the bat on the ball came about during a stellar 2004 postseason that culminated with freshman All-America honors, and has continued into 2005. Jay leads the team with a .538 average at the plate and a team-best six doubles. A 17-game hitting streak that carried into 2005 from 2004 ended against High Point on Feb. 5. Since then, Jay has hit safely in 11 straight games, and has recorded a hit in 28 of the last 29 games, dating back to May 19 of 2004. Jay has hit safely in 13-of-14 games in 2005, including 10 multi-hit games.
He was the model of reliability in UM’s 9-7 win against Florida on Feb. 18, tying the game three times with RBI base hits and scoring the go-ahead, game-winning run in the ninth inning.
Jay finished his freshman season with a .368 average, 14 doubles, a triple, six home runs and 56 RBI. His current career average sits at .384, which ranks fourth all-time at Miami.
The Figueroas, Side By Side
Danny and Paco Figueroa have played virutally their entire baseball careers together. They are identical twins and the untrained eye wouldn’t be at fault if it confused the two. Danny hits in the leadoff spot and is followed Paco. While Paco is a second baseman, he has been playing in right field, next to Danny in center, and even filled in when Danny was hampered by an early-season injury. Their statistics are even similar: Danny is batting .400 with two home runs and eight RBIs, while Paco is hitting .415 with one home run and seven RBIs. Thankfully, the rules of baseball require them to wear different uniform numbers. To clear up any identity issues, Paco wears No. 16 and Danny wears No. 2.
ESPY?
Maybe not. But college baseball highlights rarely make prime-time cable, save for great plays in Omaha in late June. Senior Brendan Katin’s fifth-inning catch against the Florida Marlins on March 1 was the exception. Katin’s leaping snare of Jason Stokes’ two-out shot over the right-field fence preserved a 9-1 lead and prevented a two-run home run. The catch debuted at No. 4 on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of March 1 and proved to be the difference in Miami’s 9-7 win. Another Katin highlight just missed the cut, a second-inning inside-the-park home run off Dontrelle Willis. Footage of junior Andrew Lane striking out Carlos Delgado on three straight pitches was also shown on SportsCenter.
Great Expectations
Miami’s first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference isn’t coming without fanfare from the Conference’s coaches. The new kid on the block received eight of the 11 first-place votes from the ACC head coaches. Miami was the top pick in the conference in 2005 with eight first-place votes and a total of 118 points. North Carolina was second with 110 points and three first-place votes. Georgia Tech (93) and Florida State (89) stand in third and fourth place, respectively.