No. 2 Miami Hosts Ohio State, Travels to FAU This Week
March 23, 2009
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami baseball team, ranked second in the nation in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assocation poll released today, is set to host Ohio State on Tuesday before making the short trip north to play FAU in Boca Raton on Wednesday.
The Hurricanes (18-4, 7-2 ACC) are coming off their fifth-straight series win of the season and second over a Top 15 opponent on the road, taking two-of-three at No. 7 Virginia over the weekend. With the series win over UVa, the `Canes have now won 21 of their last 22 regular season series and 14 of their last 15 ACC series dating back to 2007.
Miami will play nine of its next 10 games at home, including Tuesday’s 6 p.m. game against OSU and this upcoming weekend’s three-game series against No. 3 Georgia Tech. The team’s lone road game the next two weeks is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and pits a pair of teams that will face each other three times in a span of 21 days.
UM’s bullpen continues to be the story through the first half of the season, as UM relievers have a combined 1.67 ERA (16 earned runs in 86 1/3 innings) through the first 22 games. All-American closer Kyle Bellamy and set-up man Taylor Wulf anchor the bullpen, with the pair combining to allow just two earned runs in 29 2/3 innings. Bellamy has proven to be one of the nation’s top closers through the first month of the season, coming into the week with a perfect 3-0 record to go along with a league-high six saves. In 16 innings this season, the Davie, Fla. native has allowed just one run on 10 hits while striking out 25.
After hitting .250 in the month of February, Yasmani Grandal has turned it around in March, hitting a team-best .365 over the last 16 games. He has brought his season average up to .338 as a result, and after hitting two homers in Sunday’s win over UVa, now leads the team in both home runs (6) and slugging percentage (.662).
Scott Lawson continues to lead the team in hitting, coming into the week at .360. Since head coach Jim Morris moved Lawson to the lead-off spot and Ryan Jackson into the No. 2 hole on March 17 against St. Thomas, both players have seen a jump in their offensive production. Lawson is 8-for-19 with two walks and a team-high six runs over the last five games in the lead-off spot, while Jackson hit his first three homers of the season and has a team-high 11 RBI since the move.
Starter David Gutierrez (2-1) has proven to be one of the league’s top starters thus far, having yet to allow more than one earned run in any of his five starts this season. In 30 2/3 innings, Gutierrez has allowed just three earned runs while he is holding his opponents to just a .196 batting average against him.
OHIO STATE REPORT
The Buckeyes are 17-2 overall and ride a nine-game winning streak into their game Monday night against Rollins College in Orlando. Zach Hurley and Michael Arp both enter the week hitting over .400. Hurley leads the team in most offensive categories, including hits (35), average (.407), doubles (4), RBI (28), total bases (55) and on-base percentage (.443). Alex Wimmers (4-0, 1.85 ERA) is the team’s ace, having struck out 47 in 34 innings of work to go along with the team’s only two complete games. Jake Hale (0-0, 2.25 ERA) has four of the team’s seven saves.
FAU REPORT
The Owls are 13-6 overall heading into their game Monday night against North Dakota State. Travis Ozga has been FAU’s top hitter this season, hitting .391 with a homer, a team-high 20 RBI and 15 runs. Troy Bubley (.373), who leads the team with seven stolen bases, is one of three Owls along with Tom Hatcher and William Block with three homers. Barry Rooks (3-0, 3.03 ERA) and Chris Schmitt (3-0, 3.93 ERA) have been the team’s top two starters while Alex Pepe (3.18, 10 appearances) is the top arm out of the bullpen.
MIAMI vs. OSU & FAU
Miami trails the all-time series with the Buckeyes, 12-14-1, but the Hurricanes have won five straight and eight of the last nine meetings dating back to 1971. The last time Miami met Ohio State on the diamond, the `Canes won 23-3 in Coral Gables on March 6, 1999.
The Hurricanes lead FAU, 41-8, in the series between the two South Florida programs. UM has won five of the last six meetings with the Owls, including two of three last season. The last time the two teams met, Miami came away with a 12-10 win on March 16, 2008 in Boca Raton.
AFTER FAU
The Hurricanes will return to Alex Rodriguez Park this weekend for its third ACC home series as No. 3 Georgia Tech visits Coral Gables, March 27-29. The three-game series opens Friday night at 7 p.m., with games two and three set for 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
`CANES IN TOP 5 IN THREE POLLS
After taking two-of-three at No. 7 Virginia over the weekend, the University of Miami baseball team is now ranked in the Top 5 in three of five major college baseball polls, including as high as No. 2 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association. The `Canes also moved up to from No. 7 to No. 4 in the USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches poll and from No. 8 to No. 5 in the Rivals.com poll. UM also jumped from No. 9 to No. 6 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, while Baseball America moved the `Canes up from No. 11 to No. 7 this week.
