Miami Baseball Takes Over as Consensus No. 1
April 21, 2008
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CORAL GABLES, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes Baseball team (33-4, 17-2 ACC) remained at No. 1 in the latest USA Today/ESPN Top 25, Baseball America, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) polls and took over the top spot in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll making UM the consensus No. 1 in all of the major college baseball polls released Monday.
The Atlantic Coast Conference has the top three teams ranked in all three major college baseball polls as North Carolina (No. 2 in Baseball America and No. 3 in the NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball, USA Today/ESPN Top25) and Florida State (No. 3 in Baseball America and No. 2 in the NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball, USA Today/ESPN Top25) also represent the conference. It’s the first time that three teams from the same conference have ever occupied the top three spots in the 27 years of the BA rankings.
Miami also held the top spot in the Rivals.com, PingBaseball, Perfect Game Crosschecker and CollegeBaseballhub.com polls.
The Hurricanes are coming off a 3-1 week which saw UM rally with two outs in the top of the ninth to defeat Florida Atlantic on the road, 12-10, last Wednesday. UM capped off the week winning a series at No. 2 Florida State in which the Hurricanes posted a 10-run sixth inning to win the series opener and used two home runs from first baseman Yonder Alonso including his first career grand slam to take the rubber game.
Alonso was named the ACC Player of the Week after hitting .556 (8-for-15) with 10 runs scored, nine RBI and homering twice while slugging 1.333 and posting a .714 on-base percentage. On the week, Alonso hit .533 slugged 1.267 and owned a .650 on-base percentage. He also added four walks extending his national lead to 45 walks on the season. He now is hitting .380 on the season with 10 doubles and 11 home runs tying for a team-high 42 RBI. In ACC play, Alonso is hitting .373 with nine home runs and 25 RBI, 29 walks and a .593 on-base percentage.
As a team, Miami hit .330 in the FloridaState series.
The Hurricanes return to Mark Light Field Wednesday to begin a seven-game homestand when UM hosts Florida International at 7 p.m. Miami hosts Virginia this weekend for a three game series.
-UM-
