No. 5 Miami Heads to Gainesville for Three-Game Series with Florida
Feb. 15, 2007
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – – One of the biggest rivalries in college baseball takes place in Gainesville this weekend, when the fifth-ranked Miami Hurricanes hit the road for their first games away from Mark Light Field. Miami travels to Gainesville for a three-game series against the Florida Gators. First pitch at McKeethan Stadium Friday night is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The teams will play again on Saturday at 2 p.m. and close out the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.All three games will be broadcast locally by the Student Voice of UM, WVUM (90.5 FM). Sunday’s game will be televised live by SunSports. Games played on Friday and Saturday will be webcasted through www.gatorzone.com.
ABOUT THE MIAMI HURRICANES
Miami swept a three game series at home from No. 11 UCLA, 1-0, 9-8 and 7-3. Scott Maine and freshman lefty Eric Erickson combined for a four-hit shutout and Yonder Alonso drove in the eventual game-winner in the bottom of the third in game one. The Hurricanes scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win game two. In the series finale, UM exploded for four runs in the bottom of the eighth to take the series. Miami hit .286 in the series with UCLA while Hurricane pitchers posted a 3.33 ERA and struck out 25 in 27 innings over the weekend. Hurricane pitchers held UCLA to a .211 batting average. Miami out-hit UCLA, 26-20, and had seven extra-base hits including three home runs.Alonso hit .571 (4-for-7) in the UCLA series with two home runs and six RBIs. He also walked four times and owned a .615 on-base percentage. Alonso is hitting .615 (8-for-13) with six runs scored, three home runs and seven RBI. Sophomore center fielder Blake Tekotte hit .444 (4-for-9) with four runs and four RBIs against the Bruins. Tekotte has knocked in four runs going 7-for-18 with six runs and two doubles in the first five games. Maine returned to the roation last weekend and earned his first decision of the season in game one of the series as he struck out five in five innings and held UCLA to two hits.Sophomore outfielder Dave DiNatale had his first two collegiate hits as a Hurricane as he went 2-for-4 in two games hits. Erickson claimed his first career save in game one while fellow freshman David Gutierrez tossed a scoreless inning in relief to register his first collegiate win in game two against UCLA. Junior right-handed pitcher Enrique Garcia also picked up his first collegiate win for the Hurricanes while senior pitcher Danny Gil matched a career-high with eight strikeouts in five innings in the second game of the series. Junior lefty Manny Miguelez also had a strong outing against UCLA tossing seven strong innings holding UCLA to two runs on five hits.
ABOUT THE FLORIDA GATORS
Florida is coming off a home win over Florida A&M Tuesday night, 15-1. The Gators suffered a series loss at home to VMI last weekend. The Keydets won the first two games, 5-3 and 7-4. Freshman right-hander Billy Bullock led the Gators to a 7-0 shutout in the series finale. Jon Townsend, Matt LaPorta and Clayton Pisani each had three hits against FAMU. LaPorta and catcher Cody Neer each drove in three runs. LaPorta led the Gators with seven hits in the VMI series including two home runs and two RBI. He set the UF all-time career record with his 56th career home run in the series finale.The Gators are hitting .346 as a team while the pitching staff has a 2.00 ERA in holding opponents to a .202 batting average.. RHP Bryan Augenstein (0-1, 3.00 ERA) will start Friday’s series opener. LHP Stephen Locke (0-1, 10.38) will go in game two while Bullock will pitch in the series finale on Sunday.
THE UM-UF SERIES
Miami leads the all-time series, 117-90-1. UF has won the last five meetings. The two teams have met 208 times. Each of the last eight meetings between the two schools has been decided by three runs or less, dating back to the 2004 Coral Gables Super Regional. UF swept the series in Coral Gables last season, edging UM 2-1. Florida won game two, 4-1 behind a home run from Matt LaPorta. UF rallied to take the series finale, 12-11.
ALONSO PICKING UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF
Sophomore first baseman Yonder Alonso didn’t need much time to familiarize himself with the long ball. Alonso hit his first home run of the season in the first game of the Mercer series. He followed that up with a two homer game in the second game of the UCLA series. Alonso now has 13 career home runs after leading the team with 10 homers in 2006 and 69 RBI. Alonso leads the team hitting .615 with three home runs and seven RBIs.
THE MAINE STAY
Redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Scott Maine showed exactly why he is a mainstay in the Miami pitching rotation. Maine made his season debut last Friday against No. 11 UCLA. He struck out five in five innings and only surrendered two hits in earning his first win of the season.
TEEING IT UP WITH TEEKOTTE
Sophomore centerfielder Blake Tekotte is second on the team in hits (7). He had four hits in the UCLA series including matching a career-high going 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. Tekotte is tied for the team-lead in doubles. He also is tied for the team-lead with six runs scored.
DOUBLE DUTY RABEN
Sophomore outfielder Dennis Raben is adding some extra depth to the UM pitching staff in 2007. The lefty Raben has already appeared in two games for the Hurricanes. He has three strikeouts in 1.2 innings and has yet to give up a hit. Offensively, Raben is hitting .227 with five hits including three extra-base hits. He’s scored four runs for UM.
ALONSO NAMED TO COLLEGE BASEBALL FOUNDATION WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Sophomore first baseman Yonder Alonso was named to the College Baseball Foundation’s weekly honor after hitting .581 (4-for-7) with two home runs, three runs scored and six RBI. He had the game-winning RBI in the series opening win and two home runs in the second game of the UCLA series.
