Hurricanes Defeat Alumni 10-1 in Exhibition

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami baseball team hosted its 2012 Fanfest and Alumni Game on Saturday night at Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park.

World Series champion outfielder Jon Jay, Minnesota Twins third baseman Danny Valencia, Oakland Athletics infielder Jemile Weeks and Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez were among the star-studded ProCanes alumni group in attendance.

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“The Alumni Game is great,” Coach Jim Morris said. “It’s great to see the fans back out. It’s great to see some former players and alumni just laughing and telling stories from the old days when they were playing.”

The day began at 3:15 with an autograph session by players and coaching staff for fans of all ages. Face painting and inflatables were also favorites among the younger fans taking part in festivities.

After season ticket holders took turns taking batting practice, the warmup began for the most anticipated event of the day: the UBaseball Home Run Derby.

Current seniors Peter O’Brien and Rony Rodriguez took on Valencia and Weeks, with O’Brien and Valencia advancing to the finals after a tight first-round battle. Valencia, who hit 15 homeruns for the Minnesota Twins in 2011, earned the title with five homeruns. O’Brien, one of the most powerful bats in the Canes lineup, fell just short with four of his own.

“It’s awesome,” Valencia said during the derby. “What I remember from playing here are some of the best times of my life. It’s a joy to be able to take part in this.”

Over 60 alumni were then introduced to the crowd, including former pitcher Larry Adams (1948-49) celebrating his 85th birthday. Recent Hurricane legends like Kevin Brown (1997-01), Robbie Morrison (1996-98) and current pitching coach J.D. Arteaga (1994-97) earned some of the loudest ovations from the crowd.

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The day’s main attraction, the battle between the Canes and Miami alumni, ended in a lopsided 10-1 affair in favor of the current squad.

Though the 2012 Hurricanes entered the game as heavy favorites, Arteaga showed fans the alumni haven’t lost their touch quite yet. The Canes’ pitching coach dazzled the fans with an impressive repertoire early on as the alumni starter.

The Canes would strike first, however, scoring runs in three straight innings beginning with a Brad Fieger two-RBI double in the bottom of the second.

With lefty captain Eric Erickson pitching well in his return (3.0 IP, 2H, 0R, 2K), Miami would record three more runs over the third and fourth to increase their lead to 5-0.

O’Brien finished 2-for-3 with a triple and his first RBI in a Canes uniform, while derby counterpart Rodriguez ended the game 1-for-3 with one run scored.

Senior righty Eric Whaley would match Erickson in his three-inning stint, finishing with only three hits allowed and three strikeouts.

Some poor fielding from the alumni, who finished with four errors on the night, led to more production for the Canes. E.J. Encinosa, Eric Nedeljkovic and AJ Salcines all pitched single innings for the Canes to seal the win.

The Hurricanes offiically open their season on Friday night against Rutgers at 7 p.m.