UM Baseball Puts Seven-Game Win Streak on the Line
March 21, 2011
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The 29th-ranked Miami Hurricanes step out of conference play putting their seven-game win streak on the line in a pair of midweek games against UCF (March 22) and Florida Gulf Coast (March 23) in the first two of a five-game week at Alex Rodriguez Park, beginning Tuesday, March 23. Both games will begin at 6 p.m.
Miami (12-8, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won a season-long seven games entering the week, and is a winner in eight of their last nine overall. The Hurricanes swept ACC opponent Wake Forest over the weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C., giving them their first trio of road wins on the year.
UMiami jumped back into the national polls this week after a two-week absence, debuting at No. 29 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 30. UM was not present in the other three polls while receiving votes in all of them.
Junior first baseman Harold Martinez has moved up in the batting order, increasing his average 108 points – now sitting at .277 on the year. Over the weekend, Martinez batted in the game-winning runs twice, including a clutch RBI single through the right side scoring Nathan Melendres in UM’s ninth inning rally to defeat the Deacs, 4-3.
Sophomore outfielder Zeke DeVoss leads the `Canes in several areas offensively, including average (.296), hits (21), runs scored (21), walks (16) and stolen bases (10). DeVoss was 3-for-4 in the series finale against Wake Forest, while beginning the series 2-for-3 with a walk.
Rony Rodriguez is third on the team in batting average, carrying a .276 average into the week – while leading the team in home runs with three. His .500 slugging percentage is tops on the team, and he has stolen two bases in three attempts from his designated hitter position.
The Miami pitching staff has been solid the past two weeks, especially the bullpen. The combination of Adam Sargent, Sam Robinson and Daniel Miranda has surrendered just a single earned run during the current win streak. Robinson, a junior left-hander, has yet to allow a run this season in 12 appearances and 14 innings tossed. He has two saves on the year, while Miranda leads the team in that category with five. Miranda earned three consecutive at Wake Forest over the weekend.
Starting pitchers Steven Ewing and AJ Salcines will toe the rubber for the `Canes during the week. Ewing picked up his first win of the year a week ago against Florida Atlantic, now staking a 2.91 ERA and an even 1-1 record. He will get the start against UCF in a lefty versus lefty meeting – with UCF using Ewing’s old high school teammate from Orlando’s University High School, Brian Adkins. Adkins carries a perfect 3-0 record into Tuesday’s game and an ERA of just 1.59.
On Wednesday, UMiami freshman AJ Salcines takes the ball in his second collegiate start after going three innings and allowing a single earned run on one hit and striking out three in his first against Illinois State on March 8. Salcines failed to factor into the decision in that game, as closer Daniel Miranda earned the win out of the bullpen in a Miami walk-off win off a Rony Rodriguez solo homer to left in the 11th inning.
Florida Gulf Coast has yet to name a starter for the game.
For Miami, this is the first time the Hurricanes have started an ACC season 6-0 since 2006 – and their first six-game conference winning streak since 2008. The 2006 team began the ACC slate 7-0, before advancing to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The 2008 team, ranked atop almost every major poll for two-thirds of the season, rolled off 11 consecutive ACC wins (including four two-game series sweeps) from March 21 through April 18.
For ticket information for the 2011 baseball season, call 1-800-GO-CANES or visit Hurricanesports.com.
Live stats for the game will be provided through Game Tracker at HurricaneSports.com. Fans can also join the live chat, provided by Cover It Live, by visiting HurricaneSports.com as well.
For more information on the University of Miami baseball team, please log on to HurricaneSports.com. To follow the UM Baseball Team via twitter, please navigate to Twitter.com/CanesBaseball. You can also access the official UMiami Baseball blog at TheUBaseball.com.
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WEEKDAY SCHEDULE
GAME 1: TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 6 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – LHP Steven Ewing vs. UCF – LHP Brian Adkins
RADIO: 90.5 WVUM
VIDEO: Canes All-Access
GAME 2: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 6 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – LHP AJ Salcines vs. Florida Gulf Coast – TBA
RADIO: 90.5 WVUM
VIDEO: Canes All-Access
Scouting UCF…
The UCF Knights coming into Tuesday’s game streaking at the right time. They have claimed victory in seven of their last eight games, including a three-game win streak in a series sweep of Columbia over the weekend. UCF prepares for a tough week at No. 29 Miami and No. 25 Rice. The Knights are second in Conference USA with a .321 team batting average, as well as first in runs (164), RBI (143), doubles (57) and stolen bases (40). On the mound, UCF ranks third with a 2.54 ERA, second with 180 strikeouts and first for fewest walks allowed (39). The Knights have one of the nation’s toughest schedules, holding an RPI in the Top 30. The UCF pitching staff is highlighted by Ben Lively (4-0, 1.00 ERA) and closer Nick Cicio and a 0.60 ERA with a team-leading three saves.
UM vs. UCF Series…
Miami owns a 14-3 record lifetime against UCF. The two teams split a pair of games last year, with the road team winning each time. UCF took the last contest by a 6-3 count – and has won two of the last three overall. From 1995 until last year’s contests, the Knights and Hurricanes failed to play each other, with UM winning 13 consecutive from 1985 until 1995.
Scouting Florida Gulf Coast…
Florida Gulf Coast enters the week with an 11-9 overall record after sweeping conference opponent Campbell over the weekend. They are led offensively by two players batting above .340, using the bat of Zach Maxfield for a majority of the hitting, leading the team in average (.354), hits (29), doubles (8), home runs (4) and RBI (22). Behind him is Javi Sujo, toting a .345 average at the dish, adding four doubles. However, the Eagles bat just .263 as a team. The pitching staff has an ERA of 4.34 with opponents batting .272 against them.
UM vs. FGCU Series…
Miami owns a 4-0 record against Florida Gulf Coast in a short series that dates back to 2008. FGCU moved to the Division I ranks and the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2006, while being a Division II power in baseball for years on the NCAA Division II level. Miami took both games against the Eagles last year; including the Hurricanes first-ever trip to Fort Myers on April 14 – claiming a 9-0 victory.
