Baseball Bests Alumni in Annual Matchup
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Miami Hurricanes opened their 2014 season with the annual Fan Fest & Alumni Game Saturday, providing fans with a fun day of preseason festivities in an event presented by First National Bank of South Miami.
Fans lined up outside the stadium gates for an autograph session with players and coaches, season ticket holders took turns taking batting practice on the field, and the Hurricanes slugged their way to a 12-0 win over the Alumni in the night’s marquee event.
Afternoon showers could not turn away the impressive crowd, who showed up in droves ready to watch the preseason exhibition featuring current and former Hurricanes.
Miami fans were treated to a touch of nostalgia when the 2001 National Championship starting infield took the diamond in the bottom of the first. Third baseman Kevin Howard, shortstop Javy Rodriguez, second baseman Kris Clute and first baseman “Downtown” Kevin Brown received a warm round of applause from the Mark Light Field faithful.
Among other alumni participating in the event were brothers Danny & Paco Figueroa (2002-05), Chantz Mack (2010-13), Alex San Juan (2012-13), Chicago Cubs minor leaguer Rony Rodriguez (2011-12), former major leaguer Brian Barton (2003-04) and Alumni starting pitcher and current Boston Red Sox prospect Chris Hernandez (2008-10).
Redshirt sophomore Andy Suarez delivered four impressive innings in his start for the Hurricanes, allowing just one hit while striking out six. An RBI double from senior Tyler Palmer got Miami on the board in the first inning, while a double from freshman Zack Collins gave Miami a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third.
A fourth-inning grand slam from sophomore slugger David Thompson blew the game open, while pitchers AJ Salcines, Bryan Garcia, Adam Sargent, Enrique Sosa and Cooper Hammond combined to hold the Alumni to just one hit the rest of the way.
Javy Rodriguez, who set the program single-season record for stolen bases with 66 in 2001, blooped a single off Sosa in the top of the eighth inning. To the delight of the crowd, Rodriguez took off for second and slid in safely, earning a big round of applause from his Alumni teammates in the dugout.
Hammond capped the night with a quick ninth inning, clinching the 12-0 victory for the Hurricanes.
Miami officially opens its season Friday, Feb. 14 against Maine at 7 p.m.
