NO. 1 MIAMI VISITS HOKIES FOR FINAL ACC ROAD TEST
May 9, 2008
Game 45
Friday: Miami at Virginia Tech
May 9, 5:30 p.m. (English Field)
Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM)
Webcast: ACC Select
Probable Starting Pitchers:
VT: 33 Rhett Ballard, RHP (4-2, 4.10 ERA)
UM: 27 Chris Hernandez, LHP (8-0, 2.70 ERA)
Game 46
Saturday: Miami at Virginia Teche
May 10, 5:30 p.m. (English Field)
Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM)
Webcast: ACC Select
Probable Starting Pitchers:
VT: TBA
UM: 17 Eric Erickson, LHP (7-0, 2.83 ERA)
Game 47
Sunday: Miami at Virginia Tech
May 11, 11 a.m. (English Field)
Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM)
Webcast: ACC Select
Probable Starting Pitchers:
VT: TBA
UM: 31 Enrique Garcia, RHP (4-1, 5.26 ERA)
No. 1 Miami (39-5, 20-2 ACC) travels to Blacksburg, Va. to face Virginia Tech (20-28, 4-20 ACC) in the Hurricanes final regular season road trip. Game times are 5:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 11a.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. All three games can also be seen via the internet at ACCSelect.com.
ABOUT THE MIAMI HURRICANES
Miami (39-5, 20-2 ACC) stepped out of conference last weekend and swept a three-game series from Saint Mary’s (Calif.), which was Miami’s sixth three-game sweep this season. UM scored double-digit runs for the 20th time on the season in Sunday’s finale. Junior second baseman Jemile Weeks hit his 18th career triple in the series opener to become UM’s all–time leader in triples. Junior right fielder Dennis Raben tied career-high marks in hits (4) and RBI (4). Raben hit .538 (7-for-13) with five runs scored in the series one double and one home run while driving in six runs. He slugged .846. Miami hit .378 in the series against the Gaels. UM’s pitching staff posted a 3.00 team ERA on the weekend. Junior first baseman Yonder Alonso hit .667 (4-for-6) last weekend with six runs scored, two home runs and six RBI. He walked three times and slugged 1.667. Junior left fielder Adan Severino also had a good weekend hitting .556 with two doubles and six RBI.
Sophomore lefty Eric Erickson was named ACC Pitcher of the Week becoming the second straight Hurricane to earn the honor and the fourth straight Hurricane to earn ACC weekly honors. Erickson two-hit Saint Mary’s (Calif.) through seven scoreless innings in leading No. 1 Miami to its fifth shutout win of the season and third shutout in its last six games
The Hurricanes enter the week ranked ninth nationally in batting average (.337) and eighth in scoring (9.1 runs per game). UM also is sixth in the country in slugging percentage (.554), 15th in home runs (67), ninth in hits allowed per nine innings (8.1) and sixth in fielding percentage(.976) and first in overall winning percentage (.886).
Offensively, second baseman Jemile Weeks (.390, 58 Runs, 62 Hits, 13 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 45 RBI), center fielder Blake Tekotte (.369, 57 Runs, 62 Hits, 32 RBI, 20 SB), and Yonder Alonso (.384, 57 Runs, 53 Hits, 10 2B, 1 3B, 14 HR, 50 RBI) anchor the lineup, but shortstop Ryan Jackson (.365, 32 Runs, 61 Hits, 2 HR, 39 RBI), third baseman Mark Sobolewski (.353, 32 Runs, 60 Hits, 5 HR, 41 RBI) and left fielder Adan Severino (.336, 21 Runs, 38 Hits, 5 2B, 4 HR, 20 RBI) have all been swinging the bat well.
ABOUT THE VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
The Hokies (20-28, 4-20 ACC) have won two of their last three games, but suffered a one-run loss to Liberty – Virginia Tech’s 11th one-run loss of the season. First baseman Sean O’Brien leads the team hitting .335 with a team-high 41 runs, 16 doubles and 33 RBI. Second baseman Austin Wates hits .332 and has swiped 15 bases. Virginia Tech is hitting .296 on the season. Redshirt junior Rhett Ballard (3-6, 4.53 ERA) anchors the staff after making the switch from closer. Ballard has a team-high 24 appearances. He has 63 strikeouts in 59 innings. As a team, the Hokies have a 5.76 team ERA.
THE MIAMI-VIRGINIA TECH SERIES
Miami leads the all-time series 9-0. UM swept a three-game series in Blacksburg last season. This weekends’ meeting is the third visit to Virginia Tech for Miami since joining the league in 2005.
