No. 12 Miami Returns Home To Host UCF Tuesday Night
March 22, 2010
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Two days after clinching its second straight Atlantic Coast Conference series with a sweep at Duke, the 12th-ranked University of Miami baseball team returns home to host UCF in a mid-week contest on Tuesday, March 23 at 6 p.m. at Alex Rodriguez Park.
The Hurricanes (14-5, 5-1 ACC) – winners of six of their last seven games – will send freshman right-hander E.J. Encinosa to the mound for his first career start at Miami. Today’s game will mark the second meeting between UM and UCF this season after the Hurricanes recorded season-highs for runs and hits in a 19-2 rout of the Knights in Orlando on March 9. Freshman shortstop Stephen Perez led the `Canes in the first meeting, going 4-for-6 with a grand slam and six RBI in the 17-run win for UM.
This past weekend in Durham, Miami swept the Blue Devils at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. In the series opener, left-hander Chris Hernandez tossed his first career complete game and the first for a UM pitcher in a true road game since J.D. Cockcroft accomplished the feat during the 2003 season. UM’s offense came alive on Saturday against the Blue Devils, scoring 11 runs on 15 hits, before edging Duke 7-6 on Sunday with a Yasmani Grandal RBI double in the ninth.
Grandal, who leads the team with a .368 average, has been the Hurricanes’ hottest hitter as of late, going 14 for his last 32. Frankie Ratcliff has a team-high 12 runs in UM’s last 10 games while Harold Martinez has a team-high six homers – including hitting two this past weekend over the DBAP’s famous “Blue Monster”.
Miami’s bullpen continues to thrive in the early going and is anchored by senior closer David Gutierrez, sophomore Daniel Miranda and a pair of freshman right-handers in Eric Whaley and E.J. Encinosa. Gutierrez (1-0, 2.89 ERA) leads the team with four saves, Miranda (1-0, 2.93) tossed 2 1/3 against the Blue Devils on Saturday, Encinosa (0-0, 2.16) has allowed just one hit over his last seven innings while Whaley (3-0, 2.93) has a scoreless streak of 8 2/3 innings coming into Tuesday night’s game.
GAME 20: TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 6 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Knights – LHP Johnny Sedlock (1-1, 5.19 ERA) at Hurricanes – RHP E.J. Encinosa (0-0, 2.16 ERA)
RADIO: 1450 ESPN DEPORTES, 90.5 WVUM
UCF REPORT
After opening the year 7-6 in its first 13 games, UCF has gone 6-2 since Miami’s 19-2 win over the Knights in Orlando on March 9. Tuesday’s game marks only the third road game for UCF this year, with the Knights falling at Florida on Feb. 24 while winning last week at Stetson. Chris Duffy continues to lead the Knights in nearly every offensive category, including average (.538), runs (26), hits (42), doubles (11), homers (12), RBI (39), total bases (91), slugging percentage (1.167) and on-base percentage (.594). Darnell Sweeney is the team’s top threat on the base paths, having successfully stolen 9-of-12 bases thus far. Left-hander Johnny Sedlock (1-1, 5.19 ERA) is slated to start on Tuesday. In five appearances (three starts) this season, Sedlock has allowed 10 earned on 26 hits while walking six and striking out 15 in 17 1/3 innings. Joe Rogers has been the team’s best pitcher in the early going, coming in with a 3-0 record and a 1.08 ERA in 16 2/3 innings.
MIAMI-UCF ALL-TIME SERIES
The Hurricanes own a 22-4 advantage all-time against UCF. The series began in 1973, when at the time UCF went under the name Florida Tech. The `Canes went 8-2 in the series until the school changed its name to Central Florida. Since that time, UM is 14-2 against the Knights. Prior to Miami’s 19-2 win at UCF on March 9 this year, the two teams last met in 1995, when Miami won three of four meetings – winning two games in Kissimmee before splitting in Coral Gables later that season.
AFTER UCF
Miami will return to North Carolina for the second straight weekend – this time to face NC State in Raleigh, March 26-28. The Hurricanes own a 22-10 advantage over NC State all-time, including a series sweep against the Wolfpack last season in Coral Gables. The two teams have met seven times over the last two seasons, with Miami coming out on top in six of those seven meetings. Game times for this weekend’s series at Doak Field are set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
FAST AND FASTER
This year’s University of Miami baseball team might be one of the fastest in recent memory in Coral Gables. Through 19 games, the Hurricanes have successfully stolen 37 bases and recorded 11 triples. To give you an idea of just how fast the 2010 team is, the 2009 `Canes had recorded just 13 steals and four triples through 19 games just a season ago. In addition to returning two of its fastest players in Nathan Melendres and Scott Lawson, four speedy freshmen – Stephen Perez, Zeke DeVoss, Frankie Ratcliff and Michael Broad – have now joined the regular line-up, making the Hurricanes one of the quickest teams in the country. Perez leads UM with eight steals, DeVoss and Ratcliff have six, Melendres has five while Broad and Lawson each have four. Lawson leads the team with three triples while DeVoss, Broad and Ratcliff all have two.
BULLPEN IS THE STORY
While Miami’s entire pitching staff has performed well this season, it’s the Hurricanes’ bullpen that has really thrived in the season’s first month. Eight UM relievers have combined to allow just six earned runs in 38 2/3 innings (1.39 ERA) over Miami’s last 10 games. In fact, the UM bullpen has yet to allow an earned run through six Atlantic Coast Conference games (18 1/3 innings).
HERNANDEZ EARNS WEEKLY HONOR
Junior left-hander Chris Hernandez was named Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week on Monday. The award is the second for Hernandez in his career and the first for a Miami player this season. He was recognized after tossing his first career complete game in Miami’s 3-1 win against Duke on Friday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. He allowed one run on just two hits while walking one and striking out six to earn his second win of the season. The outing also marked the fourth time in his first five starts this year that Hernandez allowed just one earned run – including both of his starts to open ACC play. On the year, Hernandez owns a 1.97 ERA, allowing just seven earned runs while striking out 33 in 32 innings of work.
TICKET INFO
Single game and season tickets are currently available for the 2010 University of Miami season. Single game prices start as low as $10, while season tickets start at $100. Group packages are also available. For more information or to order your tickets for Hurricanes baseball, visit www.hurricanesports.com or call 1-800-GO-CANES.
