No. 9 Miami Preparing for Top 10 Showdown with No. 6 FSU
April 22, 2010
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The ninth-ranked University of Miami baseball team heads to Tallahassee this weekend for a Top 10 series with No. 6 Florida State at Dick Howser Stadium, April 23-25. Game one of the three-game series is slated for Friday at 6 p.m.
Miami (28-9) enters the weekend ranked second in the ACC Coastal Division with a league record of 14-4 – a game back of first-place Georgia Tech – while FSU (29-9) sits atop the Atlantic Division at 12-6.
The Hurricanes have won five straight and 13 of their last 15 coming into this weekend’s series with FSU, while the Seminoles have won eight of their last 10.
Junior catcher Yasmani Grandal leads all ACC hitters in batting average (.429), on-base percentage (.534) and slugging percentage (.734). The Miami native has seven more hits in league play than any other ACC hitter (35) while he also leads the league in doubles (10) and RBI (25) in conference play.
All three of Miami’s weekend starters rank in the Top 10 in ERA in league play, led by Saturday starter Eric Erickson who is 3-0 with an ACC-low 2.27 ERA in six conference starts. Sunday starter Jason Santana (3-1, 3.51 ACC) and Friday starter Chris Hernandez (4-1, 3.58 ACC) rank seventh and ninth respectively.
The Hurricanes’ bullpen is coming off another strong ACC weekend, holding No. 21 UNC scoreless in 18 combined innings. Middle reliever E.J. Encinosa (1-0) continues to lead the staff with a 1.91 ERA, while closer Daniel Miranda (3-1) is 3-for-3 in save opportunities and also owns an ERA under two at 1.93. Lefty specialist Sam Robinson has also been a bright spot for the `Canes, having yet to allow a run in 15 appearances (12 IP) this year.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
GAME 38: FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 6 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
FSU – LHP Sean Gilmartin (6-2, 3.09) @ MIAMI – LHP Chris Hernandez (5-2, 3.29)
RADIO: 90.5 WVUM
GAME 39: SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
FSU – LHP Brian Busch (4-0, 2.55) @ MIAMI – LHP Eric Erickson (4-1, 2.51)
TV: FS FLORIDA
RADIO: 90.5 WVUM
GAME 40: SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 11 a.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
FSU – RHP Scott Sitz (3-0, 1.69) @ MIAMI – RHP Jason Santana (3-2, 5.05)
RADIO: 90.5 WVUM
FLORIDA STATE REPORT
Florida State (29-9, 19-5 ACC) comes in having won eight of its last 10 games – including taking two-of-three from Duke this past weekend in Cary, N.C. before winning 12-4 over Charleston Southern on Wednesday in Tallahassee. Tyler Holt leads the FSU offense in average (.375), hits (54), doubles (15), homers (9), run scored (55), slugging percentage (.708) and on-base percentage (.489). He is joined offensively by Stuart Tapley (.360, 5 HR, 28 RBI), Sherman Johnson (.350, 3 HR, 33 RBI) and Mike McGee (.312, 6 HR, 26 RBI). Stephen Cardullo (.267) has a team-high 14 stolen bases, while Holt has 12. The pitching staff is anchored by Sean Gilmartin and Brian Busch, who are a combined 10-2 on the year. Busch (4-0, 2.55 ERA) will be making just his second start of the season against the `Canes this weekend, while Gilmartin (6-2, 3.09) will be making his team-leading 10th. McGee (2-0, 0.59) also serves as the team’s closer, picking up seven saves in nine relief appearances thus far.
MIAMI-FLORIDA STATE ALL-TIME SERIES
Florida State owns a 132-118-4 advantage all-time in the series between Miami and FSU, but the `Canes have won seven of the last 10 meetings coming into this weekend. The `Canes have claimed regular season series wins the last two years against the Seminoles, taking two-of-three last year in Coral Gables and two-of-three in 2008 in Tallahassee. The series started in 1951 and the two teams have met annually since 1965.
AFTER FSU
The Hurricanes will return to Alex Rodriguez Park for a seven-game homestand, beginning with a pair of mid-week games against St. Thomas at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and USF at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Following those games, UM will host ACC foe Maryland in a three-game series beginning Friday, April 30.
`CANES VS. FSU
Harold Martinez’s most productive series as a Hurricane came last year against FSU, when as a freshman he went 7-for-14 with three homers, seven RBI and five runs scored in four games against the Seminoles. Yasmani Grandal also had two homers and six RBI last year against the `Noles. Eric Erickson is 4-0 in his career against FSU, winning two games in 2007 and two more in 2008 while Chris Hernandez has beaten FSU twice – once last year and once in 2008.
YAZ IN THE ACC
Junior catcher Yasmani Grandal is having to one of the most productive seasons for an ACC hitter in league play in quite some time. Through 18 ACC games, Grandal is hitting an impressive .479 in conference play, going 35-for-73. He is currently hitting 43 points higher than the next-highest hitter (Georgia Tech’s Thomas Nichols is second at .436) and has seven more hits in league play than any other hitter. Grandal has hit safely in 16 of 18 ACC games and has recorded multiple hits in 11 of those games.
COASTAL DIVISION UPDATE
Miami is currently in a battle with Georgia Tech for the lead in the ACC’s Coastal Division. The Yellow Jackets currently sit in first at 15-3, followed by the `Canes just a game back at 14-4. From there, Virginia is third at 12-6, Virginia Tech is fourth at 9-9 and Duke and North Carolina are tied for fifth at 6-12. This upcoming weekend, the `Canes travel to Florida State (who leads the Atlantic Division at 12-6), Georgia Tech plays host to Virginia Tech, Duke goes to Wake Forest and North Carolina visits Clemson.
