No. 13 Miami Opens Season Against Rutgers

Miami 0-0 (0-0 ACC)
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Rutgers 0-0 (0-0 BIG EAST)
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami baseball team kicks off their 2012 season with an opening series against Rutgers at home beginning Friday, Feb. 17.

The No. 13 Hurricanes cracked a number of Top-25 polls in preseason build-up to First Pitch 2012, and will finally get their much anticipated season underway beginning with a three-game set against the Scarlet Knights.

Catching a Break
The Hurricanes chances of success improved greatly with the late addition of two veterans to the squad via clearances from the NCAA: sixth-year starter Eric Erickson and senior catcher Peter O’Brien.

Erickson, who sat out 2011 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was named the Friday night starter by Head Coach Jim Morris on Wednesday. O’Brien, considered by many the premier catcher in the nation, hit .304 with 14 home runs and 69 RBI last season with the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman.

Canes Down Alumni 10-1
The Alumni Game, one of the oldest traditions in UBaseball history, provided an exciting atmosphere for fans and players alike at Alex Rodriguez Park last weekend.

Over 60 former Hurricanes participated in the day’s festivities, which included an autograph session, a Home Run Derby and the highlight event of the night: the Alumni Game.

MLB standouts Jemile Weeks (Oakland Athletics), Danny Valencia (Minnesota Twins), Chris Perez (Cleveland Indians) and Jon Jay (St. Louis Cardinals) were among those alumni in attendance.

Three Named Preseason All-Americans
College Baseball Insider released its preseason All-Americna list on Monday, and three Miami Hurricanes made the cut.

Senior Peter O’Brien headline the Second Team at catcher, while righthander Eric Whaley and outfielder Rony Rodriguez both earned Honorable Mention accolades.

Whaley finished the 2011 season with a 7-5 record and an impressive 2.70 ERA. He struck out 82 batters and held opponents to a mere .233 average over his 16 starts.

Rodriguez, who led the Canes with 13 homeruns in 2011, hit .308 on the season with a team-leading 44 RBI and .596 slugging percentage.

Scouting the Opposition: Scarlet Knights (from scarletknights.com):
“Coming off a 20-30 season in 2011, Rutgers University baseball looks to make a move upwards in the BIG EAST standings. The team returns its entire starting pitching rotation in addition to experience around the diamond, leading to raised expectations and optimism heading into the 2012 season.

Pitching and defense are anticipated to be the team strengths for the Scarlet Knights in 2012. With experienced players around the field, expectations are raised with the goal of qualifying for the BIG EAST Championships and winning it to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Timely hitting will be the key to achieving those goals.”

Weekend Schedule:

GAME 1: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 7 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – (LHP) Eric Erickson vs. RUTGERS – (LHP) Rob Smorol

GAME 2: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 7 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – (RHP) Eric Whaley vs. RUTGERS – (RHP) Ryan Fasano

GAME 3: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI – (LHP) Bryan Radziewski vs. RUTGERS – (LHP) Rob Corsi