No. 8 Miami Opens ACC Play at Home Against NC State
March 5, 2009
CORAL GABLES, Fla. —The eighth-ranked University of Miami baseball team will open Atlantic Coast Conference play this weekend when it plays host to NC State for a three-game series, March 6-8, at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
The Hurricanes (7-2) come into the series off a road sweep at No. 12 Florida and a mid-week spilt at home this past week. NC State (7-2) has won seven straight – including a 27-inning doubleheader against Villanova and Akron on Wednesday – after dropping its first two games of the 2009 season.
Miami will embark on its fifth ACC season when sophomore left-hander Chris Hernandez goes up against NC State left-hander Jimmy Gillheeney Friday night at 7 p.m. Hernandez has picked up wins in his first two starts and has struck out 12 in 11 innings of work while Gillheeney has 15 strikeouts in 13 innings and also owns a season mark of 2-0.
Freshman Harold Martinez is coming off the best game of his young career, going 2-for-3 with a homer, a double, two walks, four runs and three RBI. Martinez, who owns a team-high 12 RBI, is also tied for the team-lead in runs (9) and hits (12) and is hitting at a .375 clip. Dave DiNatale has arguably been the team’s best offensive threat, hitting a team-best .414 to go along with a homer, seven RBI, nine runs, 12 hits and a team-high three steals. He is also one of just two players on the UM roster, along with junior Jason Hagerty, that has an on-base percentage and slugging percentage both over .500.
Junior right-hander and ACC Pitcher of the Week David Gutierrez has opened the season off to a strong start, allowing just one earned run in two starts. Gutierrez, coming off a career-best seven shut-out innings in a 2-1 UM win in Gainesville this past Saturday, has a record of 1-0 with a miniscule 0.75 ERA heading into the weekend. Sophomore left-hander Iden Nazario has also pitched well early on and owns a 2-0 record with a team-high 15 strikeouts in 11 innings.
Miami’s bullpen has been the team’s strength as of late, allowing just one earned run in 21 combined innings over the last five games. Junior closer Kyle Bellamy, who is a perfect 3-for-3 in save opportunities, has struck out nine and has yet to allow a run in 4 1/3 innings of work.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
GAME 1: FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 7 P.M.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – LHP Chris Hernandez (2-0, 4.09 ERA) vs. NC STATE – LHP Jimmy Gillheeney (2-0, 2.08 ERA)
RADIO: 560 WQAM, 90.5 WVUM
GAME 2: SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 7 P.M.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – RHP David Gutierrez (1-0, 0.75 ERA) vs. NC STATE – RHP Jake Buchanan (1-0, 1.64 ERA)
RADIO: 560 WQAM, 90.5 WVUM
GAME 3: SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 1 P.M.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – LHP Iden Nazario (2-0, 4.09 ERA) vs. NC STATE – TBA (N/A)
RADIO: 560 WQAM, 90.5 WVUM, 1450 ESPN DEPORTES
NC STATE REPORT
The Wolfpack come into the weekend having won seven straight – including two in a split-opponent doubleheader that totaled 27 innings Wednesday night in Lake Worth. NC State crushed Villanova, 15-0, in game one of the doubleheader before edging out Akron, 5-4, in an 18-inning affair in the second game. The Wolfpack set an NCAA record in recording 31 strikeouts (11 pitchers) against the Zips, five more than the previous mark of 26 set by Murray State on April 12, 1987 against Austin Peay.
Pratt Maynard is NC State’s top offensive threat, leading all regulars in average (.367), runs (10), home runs (3), slugging percentage (.700) and on-base percentage (.472). Kyle Wilson (.263) leads the team in RBI with 12 while Drew Martin (.357) and Chris Schaeffer (.333) each have 10. Wilson is the team’s top speed threat, having swiped six bases already this season.
Zak Sinclair, Jake Buchanan and Sam Brown have all tossed at least eight innings and have an ERA under 2.00. Buchanan, who is slated to start on Saturday, is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two starts, having allowed just two earned runs in 12 innings of work. Friday’s starter – Jimmy Gillheeney – is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA, and a struck out a team-high 15 batters in 13 innings.
The Wolfpack bullpen is anchored by Joey Cutler. Cutler, whose six innings this year have all come in relief, has a 1.50 ERA and leads all relievers with nine strikeouts.
MIAMI VS. NC STATE
Miami has a 19-10 edge in the all-time series between UM and NC State. The `Canes took three-of-four last year from the Wolfpack, winning two-of-three in Raleigh and another at the ACC Tournament in Jacksonville. The last time the two teams met in Coral Gables, the Wolfpack won two-of-three games against the `Canes in 2007. The series between the two schools opened in 1989 when Miami defeated NC State, 7-4, in Chapel Hill, N.C.
AFTER NC STATE
The `Canes will return to non-conference play with a pair of mid-week games after this weekend’s series against the Wolfpack. Saint Joseph’s (Pa.) visits Alex Rodriguez Park on Tuesday, March 10 before Pittsburgh comes to town on Wednesday. Both games are slated for 6 p.m.
BELLAMY NAMED TO ELITE CLOSER LIST
In addition to earning numerous All-American accolades, junior closer Kyle Bellamy has also been named one of 40 relievers nationally to the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association’s 2009 Stopper of the Year Watch List. Bellamy, who already has three saves and nine strikeouts this season, owns a perfect ERA in 4 1/3 innings through the season’s first nine games.
`CANES MOVING UP IN POLLS
After sweeping the Gators this past weekend, the `Canes made major jumps in the top college baseball polls released on Monday, moving from No. 14 to No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll, No. 14 to No. 10 in the Collegiate Baseball poll and No. 20 to No. 14 in the Rivals.com poll. Baseball America also jumped the `Canes from being unranked to No. 15 in its most recent poll while UM moved up one spot in the NCBWA poll to No. 9.
