Collins, Garcia Named Preseason All-Americans

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami baseball team had nine players featured in the Perfect Game top 100 player breakdowns by class released this week, and two Hurricanes earned Preseason All-America recognition from the scouting service.

Reigning ACC Rookie of the Year Zack Collins was named to the Perfect Game Preseason All-America first team, while reliever Bryan Garcia was named a third-team selection. The preseason All-America honors were the second for both Collins and Garcia, who were similarly recognized by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper in December.

The Hurricanes featured three freshman, three sophomores and three juniors on the top 100 breakdowns, which were released by throughout the week.

Freshmen Carl Chester (No. 15), Justin Smith (No. 34) and Jesse Lepore (No. 100) were all key members of a recruiting class ranked No. 2 nationwide by Perfect Game.

Collins (No. 5), third-team All-ACC outfielder Willie Abreu (No. 8) and Garcia (No. 80) highlighted the sophomore top 100 rankings.

2014 second-round MLB Draft selection Andrew Suarez (No. 30), talented slugger David Thompson (No. 66) and newcomer George Iskenderian (No. 93) were recognized among top juniors in the country heading into 2015.

The Hurricanes will open the season with the annual First Pitch Banquet, slated for Feb. 5 at the Marriott Miami Dadeland – click HERE for more information. Miami will host its annual FanFest & Alumni Game at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field on Feb. 7, beginning at 4 p.m. Admission to FanFest is free.

Season tickets to the Miami Hurricanes’ 2015 baseball season are available for as little as $99, while family plans (two adults, three youth) for the entire 35-game home slate are available for just $199. Call (305) 284-2263 for more information, or click HERE to view the 2015 schedule.