NO. 1 MIAMI STEPS OUT OF CONFERENCE TO HOST GAELS
May 2, 2008
Game 42
Friday: Saint Mary’s (Calif.) at Miami
May 2, 7 p.m. (Mark Light Field)
Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM)
Webcast: ACC Select
Probable Starting Pitchers:
SMC: 22 Brian Justice, RHP (4-2, 4.10 ERA)
UM: 27 Chris Hernandez, LHP (7-0, 2.77 ERA)<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Game 43
Saturday: Saint Mary’s (Calif.) at Miami
May 3, 7 p.m. (Mark Light Field)
Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM), WQAM 560 AM
Probable Starting Pitchers:
SMC: 33 Brandon Berl, RHP (3-4, 7.02 ERA)
UM: 17 Eric Erickson, LHP (6-0, 3.32 ERA)
Game 44
Sunday: Saint Mary’s (Calif.) at Miami
May 4, 1 p.m. (Mark Light Field)
Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM), WQAM 560 AM
Probable Starting Pitchers:
SMC: 17 Justin Kuks, RHP (0-3, 5.22 ERA)
UM: 31 Enrique Garcia, RHP (3-1, 5.24 ERA)
MIAMI STEPS OUT OF CONFERENCE TO HOST GAELS
No. 1 Miami (36-5, 20-2 ACC) wraps up its seven-game homestand when the Hurricanes host Saint Mary’s (Calif.) for a three-game nonconference set at Mark Light Field. Game times are 7 p.m., 7 p.m. and 1 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All three games 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 on Saturday and Sunday. Friday’s game can also be seen via the internet on ACCSelect.com.
ABOUT THE MIAMI HURRICANES
No. 1 Miami (36-5, 20-2 ACC) swept No. 16 Virginia last weekend at home to improve to 20-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 8-0 in the ACC Coastal Division. UM went 3-1 last week which included two shutouts against Virginia. The last time the Hurricanes recorded two shutouts in a three-game series was during the 1998 season when UM defeated Harvard in the series opener, 7-0, and won 10-0 in game two of the series. Miami’s pitching staff had a dominant weekend against the Cavaliers compiling a 0.64 ERA. Hurricane pitchers combined to strike out 30 in 28 innings and held the Cavaliers to a .144 batting average.
Freshman lefty Chris Hernandez was named the NCBWA Pro-Line National Pitcher of the Week and ACC Pitcher of the Week. Hernandez matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts in a career-long eight innings. The rookie southpaw struck out eight of the first 11 batters he faced and retired 11 of the final 13 batters, giving up only two hits and one walk. Hernandez improved to 7-0 on the season with a 2.77 ERA. The Hurricanes enter the week ranking 10th nationally in batting average (.335) and fifth in scoring (9.0 runs per game). UM also is eighth in the country in slugging percentage and 13th in home runs (63).
ABOUT THE SAINT MARY’S (CALIF.) GAELS
The Gaels bring a 22-19-1 overall record into the weekend series after defeating Division II No. 5 ranked Sonoma State, 10-3, Tuesday. A member of the West Coast Conference, the Gaels are led by left fielder Kyle Jensen who is hitting .416, which ranks in the top 30 nationally. Jensen leads the team with 41 RBI, 11 doubles and 12 home runs. He is slugging .745. As a team, Saint Mary’s hits .317. On the mound, junior college transfer RHP Brian Justice leads the staff while posting a 4-2 record with a 4.10 ERA in 10 starts. Justice is the Friday starter followed by RHP Brandon Berl (3-4, 7.02 ERA) Saturday and RHP Justin Kuks (0-3, 5.22 ERA) on Sunday.
THE MIAMI- SAINT MARY’S (CALIF.) SERIES
Miami and Saint Mary’s (Calif.) have never met on the baseball diamond. The Hurricanes and Gaels faced off earlier this year in men’s basketball as UM defeated SMC in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 78-64.
