No. 12 Miami Returns to North Carolina to Face NC State
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – After back-to-back series wins over Boston College and Duke to open Atlantic Coast Conference play, the 12th-ranked University of Miami baseball team will look to make it three straight this weekend when the Hurricanes travel to Raleigh to take on NC State, March 26-28, at Doak Field at Dail Park. The series marks Miami’s second straight weekend in “The Triangle”, after the `Canes swept Duke last weekend at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham.
Miami (14-6) has won five of its first six ACC games this year and is a perfect 5-0 on the road in 2010. The UM pitching staff has been the story for the `Canes in league play, coming into this weekend with a 2.00 ERA in 54 innings. UM’s three weekend starters – Chris Hernandez, Jason Santana and Eric Erickson – have yet to allow more than three earned runs in any start in league play while Miami’s bullpen still hasn’t allowed an earned run in ACC play (18 1/3 straight scoreless).
Hernandez – the ACC’s reigning Pitcher of the Week after tossing a two-hit complete game at Duke last Friday – leads the staff in both ERA (1.97) and strikeouts (33) this year. Relievers E.J. Encinosa and Daniel Miranda both boast ERAs under 3.00, while closer David Gutierrez (1-0, 2.89 ERA) has successfully converted all four of his save attempts thus far.
Six regulars enter the NC State series with an average over .320 – including Chris Pelaez (.348), Michael Broad (.348) and Yasmani Grandal (.347). Grandal has been the team’s hottest hitter in league play, going a combined 11-for-24 in UM’s first two ACC series. After a slow start to the year, Scott Lawson has really come on as of late, going nine for his last 16 – including three multi-hit games in UM’s last four contests.
Harold Martinez has blossomed into one of the league’s top power hitters, having hit six home runs – including two last weekend against the Blue Devils. The key to Miami’s offense might be speed however, as the Hurricanes lead the league in triples (12) and rank second in stolen bases (40). Five `Canes have at least five steals thus far, led by Stephen Perez’s eight and Frankie Ratcliff’s seven.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
GAME 21: FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 6:30 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – LHP Chris Hernandez (2-2, 1.97) vs. NC STATE – RHP Jake Buchanan (3-1, 3.58)
RADIO: 90.5 WVUM
GAME 22: SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 6:30 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – RHP Jason Santana (2-1, 6.20) vs. NC STATE – RHP Cory Mazzoni (3-1, 5.00)
RADIO: 90.5 WVUM
GAME 23: SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 1 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI -LHP Eric Erickson (1-1, 4.12) vs. NC STATE – LHP Eric Sogard (0-0, 4.91)
RADIO: 90.5 WVUM
NC STATE REPORT
NC State boasts a record of 14-7 overall and 2-4 in ACC play. This past weekend, the Wolfpack took two-of-three at Wake Forest before dropping a mid-week game at Campbell on Tuesday. Kyle Wilson leads the club in hitting, coming into the series with a .430 average. Chris Schaeffer is also off to a fast start, hitting .400. Dallas Poulk is the team’s most productive hitter however, hitting .398 while leading the Pack in runs (35), doubles (9), homers (6), RBI (34), total bases (62) and slugging percentage (.747). Wilson leads the team in on-base percentage (.545) and has 10 of NC State’s 26 steals thus far. Jake Buchanan (3-1, 3.58 ERA) leads pitching staff in starts (6) and innings pitched (32 2/3) while Cory Mazzoni (3-1, 5.00 ERA) has a team-high 29 strikeouts. Rob Chamra (3-0, 2.19 ERA) anchors the Wolfpack bullpen, allowing just three runs in 12 1/3 innings.
AFTER NC STATE
The `Canes will return to Coral Gables to host FAU in a mid-week game on Wednesday, March 31 at 6 p.m. before playing host to Wake Forest for a three-game ACC series, April 2-4. The series against the Demon Deacons will be Miami’s fourth league series overall and second at Alex Rodriguez Park.
FAST AND FASTER
This year’s University of Miami baseball team might be one of the fastest in recent memory in Coral Gables. Through 20 games, the Hurricanes have successfully stolen 40 bases and recorded 12 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 20 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, while Ratcliff has seven, DeVoss has six, Melendres and Lawson have five and Broad has four. Lawson leads the team with three triples while DeVoss, Broad and Ratcliff all have two.
SWING AND A MISS
Miami’s pitching staff has been striking out batters at an impressive rate in the early going, collecting 187 Ks in 180 innings as a staff. Eight UM pitchers have as many – if not more – strikeouts than walks, including Chris Hernandez (who has a staff-high 33 strikeouts in 32 IP) and E.J. Encinosa (27 Ks in 19.2 IP). Eric Erickson has the team’s best strikeout to walk ratio (23 Ks and 3 BBs in 24 IP).
