Baseball Concludes Six-Game Homestand with FGCU
March 28, 2011
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – For the second time in as many weeks, the University of Miami baseball team will face Florida Gulf Coast University – concluding a six-game homestand – on Tuesday, March 29, inside Alex Rodriguez Park at 6 p.m.
Miami (14-11) will play just the one midweek contest on Tuesday, looking to snap a three-game skid in which the Hurricanes were swept in an Atlantic Coast Conference series over the weekend by 12th-ranked Georgia Tech. Having their nine-game win streak snapped, the `Canes are still tied for fourth overall in the ACC (fourth in the Coastal Division).
The Hurricanes have won 10 of their last 14 games overall, including three consecutive nonconference contests – the last against Florida Gulf Coast in a 5-2 contest last Wednesday.
In its Atlantic Sun Conference series against USC-Upstate over the weekend, FGCU (13-12) lost two-of-three to the Spartans in Fort Myers, Fla. The Eagles raised their batting average as a team over the weekend, now hitting .271 as a squad. However, opponents are batting .278 against them – with the ERA for FGCU and opponents sitting at an even 4.50 tilt.
In last week’s matchup with FGCU, UMiami junior hurler Travis Miller picked up his first win in nearly a year, taking over on the mound in the fifth inning in relief of freshman starter AJ Salcines. Miller tossed two innings, striking out two without allowing a single hit. The loss went to the Eagles’ reliever Austin Gaines – pitching two innings as well in relief action – allowing the `Canes two runs on two hits and walking three batters with two strikeouts.
The Hurricanes own a 5-0 record all-time against Florida Gulf Coast in a series that goes back to 2008. All but one of the five games played to date have taken place at Alex Rodriguez Park.
Miami is led by five batters hitting above the .250 mark, with junior Nathan Melendres raising his average to a team-leading .286 mark over the weekend. Melendres, one of five Hurricanes hindered with injury, has been nursing a wrist injury since the second series of the year against Appalachian State, taking a fastball to the hand while standing at the plate. In the field, Melendres holds a perfect 1.000 percentage, as well as swiping seven bases and knocking a team second-best tying five doubles and team-best two triples.
Fellow outfielder junior Zeke DeVoss – moving to center field over the weekend in place of the injured Melendres – totes a .270 average into Tuesday’s game, stealing a team-best 15 bases; a team-best 24 hits; and a team-high tying five doubles.
Harold Martinez moved to shortstop over the weekend in place of the injured Stephen Perez, who is hindered with a bruise on his right quad. Martinez had his nine-game hitting streak snapped over the weekend, but is still third on the team in hitting with 22 hits and an average of .262 on the campaign. He also holds two steals in two attempts, while also owning one of the team’s five home runs.
The Eagles of FGCU are led at the plate by Zach Maxfield with a .366 average, leading the team in hits (37), doubles (10) and home runs (5). Behind him are two other players batting above .300, including Javi Sujo with 23 hits for a .319 average, four doubles and a perfect fielding percentage at his position.
On the rubber, UM will use sophomore left-hander Steven Ewing (2-1, 2.48 ERA), while FGCU will counter with freshman left-hander Brandon Bixler (0-2, 8.74 ERA). Ewing has won his last two starts on the hill against Florida Atlantic (March 15) and UCF (March 22).
After the Hurricanes take on the Eagles, the battle against the birds will continue, as UMiami travels to Boston College for a three-game ACC stint this weekend in Chestnut Hill. For BC, this will be the Eagles first home games of the season – playing a “home” series over the weekend in Rhode Island, with BC’s home field under water due to snow and driving rains in and around the Boston area.
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.
You can keep up-to-date with all UM Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/HurricaneSports. You can also become a fan of the ‘Canes on Facebook at Facebook.com/MiamiHurricanes.
