No. 7 Miami To Host Barry For First Time Since 2000
March 31, 2009
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The seventh-ranked University of Miami baseball team will play host to Barry University Wednesday night at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. The 6 p.m. match-up of the two South Florida schools will be the first since 2000.
The Hurricanes (20-7) will send senior Jason Santana (4-0) to the mound against the Buccaneers (27-3). Santana leads the staff in both wins and opponent’s batting average against (.160) and in seven appearances this season, has already tossed a career-high 22 2/3 innings. The last two Wednesdays, Santana has led UM to victories, beating UMBC two weeks ago before picking up the win at FAU last week.
Second baseman Scott Lawson is coming off a solid week, having went 7-for-14 with a homer, two doubles, nine RBI and 10 runs scored in the last five games. Lawson, who finished the week with a .720 on-base percentage, drew 10 walks while striking out just once. In UM’s 6-2 win on Sunday over No. 3 Georgia Tech, Lawson hit what would prove to be the game-winning hit as his three-run homer in the fourth put the `Canes ahead for good. On the year, he leads the team in a number of offensive categories, including average (.380), runs (27), doubles (12) and on-base percentage (.480).
With 27 games in the books, the Hurricanes have officially reached the mid-way point of the team’s 54-game regular season schedule. The remainder of the season features 15 home games and 12 away contests.
BARRY REPORT
The Buccaneers have won five in a row and 19 of their last 20 and will play Palm Beach Atlantic Tuesday night before making the short trip down to Coral Gables. Danny Lima is the team’s top hitter and base-stealing threat, coming in with a .435 average and a team-high 12 steals. Yan Gomes and Yudelmis Hernandez share the team-lead in home runs with 12. Gomes leads the team in nearly every other offensive category, including RBI (53), total bases (87) and slugging percentage (.784).
Scott Sexton (3-1, 2.61 ERA), T.J. Mullins (2-1, 2.81) and Brian Milanes (2-0, 3.12) are the team’s top arms out of the bullpen. Milanes, who has appeared in a team-high 13 games, has three of the team’s five saves and has struck out 23 in 17 1/3 innings.
MIAMI VS. BARRY
The Hurricanes are a perfect 16-0 against Barry all-time. The last meeting between the two schools was on Feb. 15, 2000, when the Hurricanes defeated the Bucs, 5-3. All 16 games in the history of the series have been played in Coral Gables.
FOLLOWING BARRY
Following Wednesday’s game, the Hurricanes will remain at home this weekend as No. 23 Florida State visits Alex Rodriguez Park for a three-game series, April 3-5. Game one of the series is slated for Friday night at 7 p.m.
`CANES IN TOP 10 IN FOUR POLLS
Despite losing two-of-three versus No. 3 Georgia Tech over the weekend, the University of Miami baseball team is still ranked in the Top 10 in four of five major college baseball polls, including as high as No. 7 in both the USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Poll and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll. In addition to those two polls, UM is ranked No.9 in both the Rivals.com poll and Collegiate Baseball poll, while Baseball America has the `Canes at No. 11 this week.
COMEBACK CANES
Thirteen of UM’s 20 wins this season have been come-from-behind victories. Miami also has three wins in walk-off fashion, with Jason Hagerty hitting two walk-off homers (3/6 vs. NC State, 3/15 vs. Duke) and Scott Lawson recording a walk-off double (3/13 vs. Duke).
