April 22, 2008
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Game 38
Friday: <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Florida International at Miami
Apr. 23, 7 p.m. (Mark Light Field)
Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM), WQAM (560AM)
Probable Starting Pitchers:
UM: 43 Anthony Nalepa, RHP (2-0, 5.00 ERA)
FIU: 31 Eric Horstmann, RHP (2-1, 6.31 ERA)
MIAMI RETURNS HOME TO HOST FIU
No. 1 Miami (33-4, 17-2 ACC) returns home to begin a seven-game homestand when the Hurricanes host Florida International Wednesday in the second meeting between the two teams this season. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. at Mark Light Field. The game will be carried on the radio by the Student Voice of UM, WVUM (90.5 FM), which can also be picked up online at www.wvum.org. WQAM (560AM) will also carry the broadcast.
ABOUT THE MIAMI HURRICANES
Miami (33-4, 17-2 ACC) is 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. The Hurricanes rank third nationally in batting average (.343) and fifth in scoring (9.5 runs per contest). UM also is fourth in the country in slugging percentage (.569) and 10th in home runs (60). Offensively, Preseason All-Americans second baseman Jemile Weeks (.404, 49 Runs, 55 Hits, 12 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 42 RBI), Tekotte (.380, 51 Runs, 54 Hits, 30 RBI, 18 SB), and Yonder Alonso (.380, 47 Runs, 46 Hits, 10 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 42 RBI) anchor the lineup, but shortstop Ryan Jackson (.380, 30 Runs, 54 Hits, 2 HR, 35 RBI), third baseman Mark Sobolewski (.352, 27 Runs, 51 Hits, 4 HR, 33 RBI) and left fielder/designated hitter Dave DiNatale (.333, 32 Runs, 40 Hits, 8 2B, 5 HR, 29 RBI) have all been swinging the bat well.
ABOUT FIU
FIU (13-29, 6-12 Sun Belt) looks to bounce back from a weekend series loss at New Orleans. The Golden Panthers won the series finale, 7-5, behind a 3-for-4 performance from Ryan Mollica. Mollica leads the team while hitting .418 with a team-high 16 doubles. Third baseman Jorge Castillo hits .394 with a team-high 67 hits and 48 RBI. Castillo also has 15 doubles and a team-best seven home runs. FIU is hitting .297 as a team while the pitching staff has a 7.52 team ERA. Senior RHP Eric Horstmann (2-1, 6.31 ERA) will start for the Golden Panthers.
HURRICANES IN THE POLLS
The Hurricanes 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. l, 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.
LAST TIME AT FIU
– Sophomore right-hander David Gutierrez no-hit Florida International for the first three innings and No. 2 Miami erupted for 11 runs during those innings as the Hurricanes cruised past the Golden Panthers, 13-2, at University Park Wednesday night. Miami improved to 23-2 matching the best start ever by a Jim Morris coached team at UM.
– Gutierrez (1-0) tossed a career-long six innings and allowed one run on three hits. Michael Rudman, Kyle Bellamy and Carlos Gutierrez each tossed an inning in relief. Jemile Weeks, Blake Tekotte, Yonder Alonso, Dennis Raben, Joey Terdoslavich and Yasmani Grandal each had a pair of hits for the Hurricanes, who posted a season-high 17 hits in the win. Weeks also had three-RBI while Terdoslavich scored three runs.
– FIU starter Corey Polizzano (3-4) took the loss as he allowed six earned runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three. Reliever James Lajiness pitched 4 1/3 innings, struck out five and gave up one earned run on three hits. Ryan Mollica went 2-for-3 for the Golden Panthers (11-20).
– Dave DiNatale’s two-run home run started a two-out rally which led to six runs in the second inning for the Hurricanes. His home run gave the Canes a 2-0 lead. After a Grandal single and a Tekotte double, Weeks two-run single to center field made it, 4-0. Alonso followed with his second career triple to put UM ahead, 5-0. Raben drove in Alonso for a 6-0 Miami lead.
– The Hurricanes used another two-out rally in the top of the third to score five runs. Tekotte ripped a two-run double to left center giving the Hurricanes an 8-0 lead. Weeks singled in Tekotte for a nine-run Miami lead. After Alonso, Weeks stole third and scored on a throwing error as the Canes built a 10-0 lead. Sobolewski then dropped in another RBI base-hit to make it, 11-0.
ALL-TIME SERIES MIAMI vs. FIU
Miami leads the all-time series, 91-23. The Hurricanes have won seven straight in the series including a 13-2 win at FIU earlier this month.