Miami Baseball Enters NCBWA Top 5
March 16, 2009
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami baseball team earned its first Top 5 national ranking of the 2009 season, coming in at No. 4 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association poll released on Monday. The Hurricanes (14-3, 5-1 ACC) are coming off their fourth straight series win to open the season, taking two-of-three from Duke this past weekend at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
Winners of eight of their last nine games, the `Canes will wrap up their 12-game homestand this week with a pair of mid-week contests against cross-town foe St. Thomas on Tuesday before taking on UMBC on Wednesday. This upcoming weekend, UM will embark on its first ACC road trip of the season for a Top 10 match-up with No. 7 Virginia, March 20-22, in Charlottesville.
With series wins this seasonover Rutgers, NC State and Duke at home, in addition to a road sweep at then-No. 12 Florida, the `Canes have now won 20 of their last 21 regular season series dating back to 2007.
In addition to the `Canes No. 4 ranking in the NCBWA poll, UM is ranked seventh in the USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches poll, eighth in the Rivals.com poll, ninth in Collegiate Baseball’s poll and 11th in the latest Baseball America rankings.
The back end of Miami’s bullpen continues to thrive through the first month of the season. Miami’s closer (Kyle Bellamy) and set-up man (Taylor Wulf) have a combined ERA of just 0.72 this season, with the pair allowing just two earned runs in 24 2/3 innings (18 combined appearances). Bellamy, who leads the team in wins (3), saves (4) and ERA (0.69), has struck out 21 in 13 innings while allowing opponents to hit just .188 against him. Wulf, who has appeared in six of Miami’s last seven games, owns a 0.77 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings setting up Bellamy.
Offensively for UM, all nine regular starters have reached double-digit hits while four regulars are hitting .333 or higher. Scott Lawson, one of the team’s hottest hitters on the team as of late, leads the team in hits (23), doubles (9) and total bases (35) while Dave DiNatale continues to lead the club in batting average, coming into the St. Thomas game hitting at a .345 clip.
Jason Hagerty, who hit his second walk-off homer of the year in Sunday’s 7-6 series-clinching win over Duke, leads all hitters in slugging percentage (.630), on-base percentage (.500) and walks (17), in addition to being tied for the home run lead with fellow catcher Yasmani Grandal (4).
Both mid-week games at Alex Rodriguez Park this week are slated for 6 p.m. starts.
St. Thomas Report
The Bobcats come into Tuesday night’s game with a record of 9-17 overall but have won four of their last six games, including a 14-6 victory over Franklin Peirce University in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday in Miami Gardens. Nestor Rincon is STU’s top hitter, coming into Tuesday’s game hitting .361 with four homers and a team-high 17 RBI.
UMBC Report
The Retrievers, who are set to take on North Dakota State before playing Miami on Wednesday, opened the season with a record of 1-6. UMBC shares a common opponent with UM, having lost 12-8 to the Pittsburgh over the weekend, less than a week after UM beat the Panthers, 11-6. Shawn Retz and Bryan Russo are the team’s top power hitters, with the duo combining for five home runs in the team’s first four games of the year. Ed Bach is slated to thrown for UMBC against the `Canes. Bach, who has started just one game, is 0-1 after allowing three runs in four innings of work against Wagner College in the team’s season-opener on March 7.
Miami vs. STU & UMBC
Miami and St. Thomas have faced each other 20 times prior to Tuesday’s game, with UM holding an 18-2 advantage in the series. The `Canes lost the first two games at the start of the series in 1985 and 1986, but have since won 18 straight with the last meeting coming on April 18, 1998 when UM won 22-7. All 20 games between UM and STU have been played in Coral Gables.
The Hurricanes have only met UMBC once it their history, beating the Retrievers 3-1 on May 22, 1992 in the NCAA Coral Gables Regional.
After UMBC
This weekend’s series with Virginia will feature two Top 10 teams as the Cavaliers moved up from No. 18 to No. 7 in Collegiate Baseball’s newest poll. The Cavaliers are the only undefeated team left in the ACC, entering the week with a record of 14-0. UVa also leads the league both at the plate and on the mound, hitting a league-high .400 while holding a staff ERA of just 1.87.
