Miami Ranked No. 17 in Perfect Game Top 25 Preseason Poll
Feb. 10, 2011
Coral Gables, Fla. – The University of Miami baseball team earned its highest ranking of the 2011 preseason on Thursday, Feb. 10, collecting a No. 17 ranking in the Perfect Game USA Collegiate Baseball Preseason Top 25 Poll.
Under the direction of Jim Morris, set to begin his 18th year as head coach of the Hurricanes, the UMiami baseball program is now ranked in six preseason top 25 polls. Thursday’s No. 17 ranking is the highest of the preseason, with the `Canes ranked No. 18 in both the USA Today/ESPN and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper polls. The team ranks 20th in the NCBWA poll, and No. 24 in both the Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Lineup polls.
The University of Florida enters the Perfect Game Preseason Top 25 at No. 1, followed by UCLA, TCU, Vanderbilt and Texas to complete the top five schools. Fellow Atlantic Coast Conference schools Florida State (No. 7), Clemson (No. 10), Virginia (No. 15), North Carolina (No. 22) and Georgia Tech (No. 24) also made debuts in the top 25 listing.
Miami returns plenty of hitting power from the 2010 season in which the Hurricanes finished the year 43-20 overall, and advanced to the NCAA Gainesville [Fla.] Super Regional.
Senior outfielder Chris Pelaez is the leading hitter for average from a year ago, ending the season with a .314 mark, allowing him to finish second on the team overall in that category. Also returning is junior outfielder Nathan Melendres, who finished the year batting at a .301 average. Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America third baseman junior Harold Martinez led the team in homeruns with 21 a season ago. Sophomores Stephen Perez and Zeke DeVoss are also back for the `Canes, each posting a team-high tying 24 stolen bases in their rookie campaign.
The `Canes open the season against Rutgers at Alex Rodriguez Park for a three-game series beginning Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m.
Please click here for the complete Perfect Game USA Collegiate Baseball Top 25 poll.
For ticket information for the 2011 baseball season, call 1-800-GO-CANES or visit Hurricanesports.com.
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