Fernandez, Fiore Selected to CB Hall of Fame
LUBBOCK, Texas – Miami Hurricanes legends Alex Fernandez and Mike Fiore will be among the seven-member Class of 2014 to be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame, announced Tuesday by the College Baseball Foundation. Fernandez and Fiore join former head coach Ron Fraser (Class of 2006), assistant coach/player Skip Bertman (2006) and pitcher Neal Heaton (2008) as University of Miami inductees into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. “I think it’s a great thing not only for Mike and Alex, but for our program as well,” head baseball coach Jim Morris said. “It shows a respect for what Miami has accomplished for many, many years, and I’m very happy for both guys.” Fernandez was named Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-American in 1989, where he won 15 games with a 2.01 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 147 innings. He threw the only no-hitter by a freshman in program history on March 18, and four days later recorded a 15-strikeout game against rival Florida. His eight complete games in 1989 rank eighth-most for a single-season by any Hurricanes pitcher all-time, while his 177 strikeouts rank second-most for a single season. A four-year UM starter, Fiore rewrote the Hurricanes record books by setting 12 UM batting marks, including hits (341), runs (258), doubles (63), runs batted in (235) and total bases (506). Fiore earned Freshman All-American honors in leading Miami to the 1985 NCAA crown and was a consensus All-American as a senior. He is the only Dick Howser Trophy winner in program history, having earned the honor in 1987 after leading the Hurricanes to an appearance in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. He also played on the 1988 gold-medal winning USA Olympic team. Fiore completed his business degree on time in 1988, and following that season, was drafted and signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. For five seasons, he served as Associate Director and General Manager for USA Baseball. “Alex and Mike are tremendous representatives of the University of Miami and of our baseball program,” Athletics Director Blake James said. “We are pleased to see the College Baseball Hall of Fame recognizes and celebrates their accomplishments.” Joining Fernandez and Fiore in the class are Bill Bordley (USC), Demie Mainieri (Miami-Dade North CC), Mickey Sullivan (Baylor) and William C. Matthews (Tuskegee Institute and Harvard). “This is another exceptional class,” said Mike Gustafson, president and CEO of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. “This group is immensely respected within the game and is a very deserving class. I can’t wait to get these guys here this summer and hear their stories firsthand.” The 2014 class will be inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the annual Night of Champions event on June 28 in Lubbock, Texas. For more information, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org.
