No. 24 Miami Opens Conference Slate with Duke
#24 Miami vs. Duke
March 8-10, 2013
Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field | Coral Gables, Fla.
Fri: 7 p.m, Sat: 7 p.m., Sun: 1 p.m.
TV: Canes All-Access(all three games)
Radio: Fri: WVUM 90.5 FM | Sat: WVUM 90.5 FM | Sun: 560 WQAM
Twitter: @CanesBaseball
Facebook: /TheUBaseball
Series: Miami leads, 25-5
Last Meeting: March 18, 2012 in Durham, N.C. | Miami won 7-1
Miami 12-2 (0-0 ACC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results | Stats
Duke 6-6 (0-0 ACC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results | Stats
The Games
The No. 24 Hurricanes, in the midst of a season-long seven-game homestand, open their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule Friday when Duke arrives for a weekend series at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
Projected Rotation
Friday: Sophomore LHP Chris Diaz (1-0, 0.47 ERA)
Saturday: Junior RHP Javi Salas (2-0, 0. 51 ERA)
Sunday: Sophomore LHP Andrew Suarez (1-1, 4.26 ERA)
The Series
Despite dropping the 2012 series opener, the Hurricanes won last year’s weekend set against the Blue Devils in Durham, N.C. Miami owns a 25-5 all-time advantage against Duke.
The Broadcasts
WQAM 560 will broadcast live from Mark Light for Sunday’s series finale, with Joe Zagacki (play-by-play) and Mike Levine (color) on the call. WVUM 90.5 will carry all three games against the Blue Devils.
A live video stream will be available at first pitch for each of this weekend’s games through HurricaneSports.com. For more information, click HERE.
The Coach
Jim Morris is in his 34th season as a head coach and 20th with the Miami Hurricanes. He has a 1,495-629-4 (.702) career record, including a 862-321-3 mark at Miami, where he has guided the team to two National Championships (1999, 2001).
HURRICANES STAY THE COURSE
• After dropping its most recent weekend series in Gainesville, Miami delivered a pair of midweek wins against Maine and UCF, outscoring the two teams by a combined margin of 11-2.
• Junior lefthander Bryan Radziewski delivered one of the marquee performances of the season against UCF, striking out a career-high 11 batters in only five innings of work, guiding Miami to a 5-0 shutout win. It was the first double-digit strikeout performance by a Miami pitcher since Javi Salas struck out 10 FAU batters in an April 2012 start.
• Junior Brad Fieger, who leads the team with 19 hits and a .373 batting average, is riding a career-best 13-game hitting streak into Friday’s series opener against the Blue Devils.
HOME SWEET HOME
• Miami is in the midst of a season-long seven-game homestand. The Hurricanes have recorded a perfect 10-0 home record to start 2013, including weekend sweeps of Rutgers and Milwaukee.
• The Hurricanes finished 2012 with a home record of 25-10 (.714), including a 10-5 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
• Miami opened its 2012 conference slate with a home sweep of Boston College, and won eight of its first 10 ACC games inside Alex Rodriguez Park.
NEWCOMERS FINDING THEIR WAY
• Freshman first baseman David Thompson has powered Miami in the early going, leading the team with two homeruns and 18 RBI’s. He connected on his first career homerun at home in Wednesday’s 5-0 win over UCF.
• Shortstop Brandon Lopez and second baseman Alex Hernandez, both key members of Miami’s nationally ranked 2012 recruiting class, have provided Miami with impressive defensive range up the middle. Both have started every game at their respective positions.
• Freshman outfielder Ricky Eusebio, who impressed coaches in the fall with his speed and defensive prowess, has started each of the past three games as the leadoff hitter, and has recorded at least one hit in each game.
SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS• Duke, who was picked to finish last in the 2013 Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll in a ballot of conference coaches, is off to a 6-6 record to open its season.
• The Blue Devils have been powered offensively by junior Mike Rosenfeld (.405 batting average), who is tied for second in the ACC with six doubles. On the mound, lefthander Trent Swart has a 1-0 record and 1.50 ERA in three starts.• Duke, who recently split a midweek set against Penn, has sandwiched series losses to Florida and Towson around a weekend home sweep of Bucknell.
