Miami Looks to Extend Home Winning Streak Versus Maryland
April 29, 2010
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The 11th-ranked University of Miami baseball team will bring its 11-game home winning streak into a three-game series against ACC opponent Maryland this weekend at Alex Rodriguez Park. The Hurricanes (31-11, 15-6 ACC) and Terrapins (15-30, 4-7 ACC) will open the series on Friday, April 30 at 7 p.m.
The `Canes – who haven’t lost a home game in over a month – are coming off a pair of mid-week wins over St. Thomas (Tuesday) and USF (Wednesday) this week. Despite dropping 2-of-3 this past weekend at then-No. 6 Florida State, Miami still sits just a game back of ACC-leader Georgia Tech in the Coastal Division race. Miami is 8-1 in ACC home games this year, including sweeps of Wake Forest and No. 21 North Carolina most recently.
Yasmani Grandal will continue his campaign for ACC Player of the Year this weekend against the Terrapins. The junior catcher boasts a .481 average (39-for-81) in league play, which is nearly 100 points higher the next-highest ACC hitter – Georgia Tech’s Thomas Nichols (.385). Grandal is hitting .510 with seven homers 22 RBI and 52 total bases over Miami’s last 15 games.
Chris Pelaez has been the team’s hottest hitter over the last week however, going 11-for-23 with eight RBI in the Hurricanes’ last five games. On Wednesday against USF, Pelaez recorded his second career four-hit game, going 4-for-5 with four RBI against the Bulls.
Home runs have been the story offensively as of late, as Miami hashit 24 over its last 10 games – including seven last weekend at FSU and seven more in the mid-week. Ryan Perry has homered in each of Miami’s last five home games, while Harold Martinez hit his team-leading 14th on Wednesday.
Miami’s weekend rotation changes slightly this weekend, with lefty Chris Hernandez (5-2, 3.57 ERA) throwing Friday, righty Jason Santana (3-2, 5.16 ERA) going Saturday and lefty Eric Erickson (4-1, 2.66 ERA) taking the ball on Sunday. Daniel Miranda (3-2, 2.57 ERA) and E.J. Encinosa (1-0, 1.75 ERA) headline UM’s bullpen.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
GAME 43: FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 7 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MARYLAND – RHP Brett Harman (4-6, 4.26 ERA) @ MIAMI – LHP Chris Hernandez (5-2, 3.57)
RADIO: 560 WQAM, 90.5 WVUM
GAME 44: SATURDAY, MAY 1, 7 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MARYLAND – LHP Eric Potter (2-8, 8.40 ERA) @ MIAMI – RHP Jason Santana (3-2, 5.16)
RADIO: 560 WQAM, 90.5 WVUM
GAME 45: SUNDAY, MAY 2, 12 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MARYLAND – RHP Sander Beck (0-7, 7.84 ERA) @ MIAMI – LHP Eric Erickson (4-1, 2.66)
RADIO: 560 WQAM, 90.5 WVUM
MARYLAND REPORT
The Terrapins (15-30, 4-17 ACC) enter the weekend having lost nine of their last 10 – including six straight coming in. This past week at home, Maryland was swept by Virginia before dropping a pair of mid-week contests to George Mason and James Madison. Brandon Padula is one of the top hitters in the ACC but he is the only Terp hitting better than .300. Padula is hitting .363 with four homers, 30 RBI, 21 runs scored and eight stolen bases. Jack Cleary (.293) is the only other Terrapin hitting better than .271. Maryland does however lead the ACC in stolen bases, having successfully swiped 103-of-142 attempts thus far. Alfredo Rodriguez has a team-high 23, while nine others have stolen at least five. Friday starter Brett Harman (4-6, 4.26 ERA) is the ace of the Maryland staff, leading the team in innings pitched (69.2) and strikeouts (70) while closer Dan Gentzler (1-2, 4.61 ERA) is tied for second in the ACC with seven saves.
MIAMI-MARYLAND ALL-TIME SERIES
The Hurricanes and Terrapins have only met nine times on the diamond, with Miami holding a 6-3 advantage all-time. The teams met in weekend series each of Miami’s first three years in the league – 2005, 2006 and 2007 – before missing each other on scheduling each of the last two seasons. The `Canes have taken two-of-three in all three series against Maryland, including the last time the two teams got together in 2007 in Coral Gables. AFTER MARYLAND The Hurricanes will take a break from games during the mid-week to focus on final exams before returning to Alex Rodriguez Park for a pair of games against Barry on Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8. Both games against the Buccaneers are slated for 7 p.m.
`CANES VS. MARYLAND
Only three current players on Miami’s roster have played against Maryland – pitchers Eric Erickson, David Gutierrez and Michael Rudman. Erickson started against the Terps as a freshman in 2007, tossing seven shut-out innings while striking out 11 to earn the win in a 13-3 Miami victory. Gutierrez and Rudman each made a relief appearance in the series.
JAY MAKES IT EIGHT
When former University of Miami outfielder Jon Jay was called up to the St. Louis Cardinals active roster this week, he became the eighth former `Cane to make a 2010 big league roster. Jay joined Ryan Braun, Pat Burrell, Alex Cora, Aubrey Huff, Jason Michaels, Chris Perez and Gaby Sanchez in the bigs. He also became the sixth player to have reached the big leagues from the 2004 Miami team.
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 16-5, followed by Miami and Virginia just a game back at 15-6. From there, Virginia Tech is fourth at 11-10, UNC is fifth at 8-13 and Duke is sixth at 7-14. This upcoming weekend, the `Canes will host Maryland (currently tied for fifth in the Atlantic Division at 4-17) while Georgia Tech visits NC State and Virginia travels to Durham to take on Duke.
TICKET INFO
To order tickets to any of the nine remaining regular season home games left on Miami’s schedule, visit www.hurricanesports.com or call 1-800-GO-CANES.
