Miami Baseball Set To Begin Fall Season Thursday

Oct. 7, 2008

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami head baseball coach Jim Morris announced the team’s 2008 fall schedule on Tuesday, with the start of fall practice just two days away. Ten intrasquad scrimmages, the annual alumni game, scrimmages against Miami Dade College and Indian River Community College, the Orange-Green World Series and the team’s Pro Scout Day highlight UM’s fall schedule over the next two months.

The Hurricanes, who open fall practice on Thursday, Oct. 9, will hold five intrasquad scrimmages from Oct. 10-18 leading up to the team’s annual alumni game at Mark Light Field on Oct. 24. Following the alumni game, the Hurricanes will hold four more scrimmages before hosting Miami Dade College and Indian River on back-to-back days, Nov. 6-7. From there, the team’s Orange-Green Fall World Series will take place Nov. 12-15, a week before UM hosts its Pro Scout Day on Nov. 22.

The 2009 UM baseball team will feature 19 returning players – including 16 letterwinners – from last year’s team that reached the College World Series and finished with an overall record of 53-11.

Among the players returning this season include left-handers Chris Hernandez, Collegiate Baseball’s National Freshman Pitcher of the Year, and Eric Erickson, a two-time All-ACC performer, as well as shortstop Ryan Jackson, a first-team All-ACC selection in 2008.

Joining the program this year is a 13-member signing class that was ranked as the No. 7 class nationally by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s annual evaluation of NCAA Division I baseball classes.

Five pitchers and eight position players make up the class that includes nine players from South Florida, one from Central Florida and three from the state of Texas. All three players from the state of Texas enter the program via junior colleges, while nine of the 10 freshmen hail from either Dade, Broward or Palm Beach counties.