Miami Baseball Hosts NC State on Celebratory Weekend
April 7, 2011
Complete Series Notes in PDF Format 
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Miami and NC State are set to meet on the diamond this weekend for a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference baseball series inside Alex Rodriguez Park in Coral Gables, Fla., beginning on Friday, April 8, at 7 p.m.
The Hurricanes (18-11, 8-3 ACC) are returning home after a three-game road stretch at Boston College and Florida Gulf Coast. Beginning the season 0-5 in games away from Alex Rodriguez Park, the `Canes have now won six consecutive road games since falling at top-ranked Florida on March 6.
Miami is 3-3 in home conference games this year, sweeping Virginia Tech and falling in three in its last home series against 12th-ranked Georgia Tech. Overall, the `Canes have won three consecutive games – taking victories in 13 of their last 16 games.
The Hurricanes are led by the play of this week’s ACC Co-Player of the Week first baseman Rony Rodriguez. The Miami native tops the team in batting average (.329), slugging percentage (.553) and home runs (4). In his last game against Florida Gulf Coast, the Miami native was 3-for-3 at the plate – posting his first triple of the season – and collecting two RBI and scoring once.
Rodriguez has hit safely in his last four games.
Behind him offensively is infielder Harold Martinez, playing shortstop as of late for the injured Stephen Perez. Martinez has raised his average 147 points over the course of the last month, toting a .297 average into the weekend with a team-leading 30 hits and 22 RBI.
Also swinging the bat well of late is freshman Dale Carey, now batting .250 with hits in each of his last four games, including seven of his last eight overall. In that span, Carey has collected multi-hit games three times, while tallying multi-RBI games on four occasions.
The Miami pitching staff for the weekend will see a slight switch, with sophomores Eric Whaley and E.J. Encinosa swapping days on the hill. Freshman southpaw Bryan Radziewski (4-2, 3.47 ERA) will toe the rubber in the opener, and righty Whaley (5-1, 2.79 ERA) will appear in his first Saturday game of the season – typically serving on Sunday’s for the Hurricanes. Right-hander Encinosa (1-2, 3.38 ERA) will close the series on the mound Sunday.
Last weekend against Boston College, Whaley began the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, going four innings on the mound in collecting the win, with Encinosa tossing three innings in his first relief action of the year. Encinosa didn’t allow a single hit in his time on the bump against the Eagles.
NC State (18-12, 5-7 ACC) enters the weekend working on a three-game win streak of its own, picking up victories in the final two games of last weekend’s Wake Forest series (dropping the opener on Friday night), and fellow in-state opponent East Carolina, respectively. The Wolfpack have won eight of their last 10 overall, including a series victory over Clemson to close-out the month of March.
The Pack uses Pratt Maynard as one of three players to hit above a .300 clip on the campaign. Maynard leads the team with a .357 average, using a team-leading 41 hits – riding a team-best 12-game hitting streak into the series in Coral Gables. Maynard also ties for the team lead in doubles (8), in addition to leading the Pack in RBI (23) and slugging percentage (.496).
Behind him offensively is Chris Diaz who carries a .333 average at the dish into the weekend, registering 35 hits and scoring 21 times with a team-best five stolen bases on seven attempts. Brett Williams also bats above .300, currently batting .307 with 31 hits, eight doubles, three homers and 15 runs driven in.
The Wolfpack will send junior Cory Mazzoni (2-3, 3.97 ERA) to the mound to pitch the se¬ries opener Friday evening. Senior Rob Chamra (4-0, 3.75 ERA) will start the middle game of the series Saturday. Chamra has made eight appearances this season, six of them out of the bullpen. He is 3-0 with a 3.31 ERA as a reliever, and 1-0 and 4.70 in his two starts.
In four starts from March 4 versus Penn State through March 25 against Clemson, Mazzoni had a 1.27 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings.
The Sunday starter for the Pack has yet to be announced.
The Hurricanes lead the Wolfpack by a 24-11 margin in a series that dates back 21 years. The two first met in the 1990 NCAA Atlantic Regional in Coral Gables. NC State and Miami have faced one another five times in NCAA Tournament play, with the Hurricanes winning all five, and 20 times since the Canes joined the ACC for the 2004-05 school year.
Overall in the series, Miami has won six of the last seven games, with a lone loss being a 7-6 setback in an 11-inning affair during last year’s ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
The University of Miami Department of Athletics and baseball program will pay tribute to the 2001 NCAA Baseball College World Series title team on Saturday, April 9, prior to the Hurricanes’ Atlantic Coast Conference game with NC State.
The on-field recognition for the 2001 CWS title team will be followed by a short moment of silence for Luke DeBold, who was a member of the team and passed away last spring.
For 2011 baseball ticket information, please 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.
Fans 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.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
GAME 1: FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 7 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – LHP Bryan Radziewski (4-2, 3.47) vs. NC State – RHP Cory Mazzoni (2-3, 3.97)
RADIO: 90.5 WVUM
TWITTER: HurricaneSports | CanesBaseball
GAME 2: SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 7 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – RHP Eric Whaley (5-1, 2.79) vs. NC State – RHP Rob Chamra (4-0, 3.75)
RADIO: 90.5 WVUM
TWITTER: HurricaneSports | CanesBaseball
GAME 3: SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 1 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – RHP E.J. Encinosa (1-2, 3.38) vs. NC State – TBA
RADIO: 90.5 WVUM | 560 WQAM
TWITTER: HurricaneSports | CanesBaseball
