Baseball to Host Wright State in Weekend Set

See You at The Light!
• Miami continues a four-game home stretch at Mark Light Field with a weekend series against Wright State. Miami has a perfect 6-0 all-time series record over the Raiders. First pitch Friday is at 7 p.m.
•UM opened the homestand Wednesday with a 5-3 win over Barry.
• Miami dropped its series to No. 6 Florida in Gainesville from Feb.20-22, falling in a weekend set for the first time since dropping two of three to then-No. 3 Virginia at home in 2014 (March 22-24). UM had been 9-0 in weekend series since facing the Cavaliers.
•Miami remains in the top 25 of every major college baseball poll, including its best ranking of No. 11 from both Baseball America & Perfect Game.
• The Raiders are under the direction of former Hurricane catcher and two-time national champion Greg Lovelady.

Home Sweet Home

• Miami completed its first four-game sweep since 2003 to open its season, outscoring Rutgers 48-14 in a perfect 4-0 weekend. Miami is now 5-0 through its first five home games.
•Miami connected for 53 hits over the four games against RU, including 16 doubles, four triples and two home runs – one each by Malik Rosier (solo) and David Thompson (three-run).
•Miami is batting .371 as a team through its first four home games of 2015, including team-high averages from Ricky Eusebio (.583, 7-for-12) and George Iskenderian (.500, 7-for-14).
•The Hurricanes finished with a home record of 23-10 in 2014.

High Expectations

• After capturing the 2014 ACC Regular Season Championship, the Hurricanes entered 2015 ranked in the top 15 of every major college baseball preseason poll. Miami’s highest ranking is No. 8 by Baseball America.
• Miami is also ranked No. 10 by Perfect Game, No. 13 by D1Baseball.com, No. 14 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
• The Hurricanes will feature a number of Preseason All-Americans on Opening Weekend, including reigning 2014 ACC Freshman of the Year Zack Collins (consensus), All-ACC closer Bryan Garcia and Washington Nationals’ second-rounder & staff ace Andrew Suarez.
• Miami’s recruiting class was ranked No. 2 nationwide by Perfect Game, and includes MLB Draft picks: George Iskenderian (34th round), OF Carl Chester (38th) and LHP Michael Mediavilla (40th).

Shut the Door

* Then-freshman Bryan Garcia was named the team’s closer just prior to the 2014 season opener and rewarded the coaching staff with an All-American campaign (NCBWA, third team).

* An All-ACC Second Team selection as a reliever, Garcia set the Miami freshman saves record and tied for 11th-most saves nationally with 15 in 2014. He was a consensus Freshman All American first-team selection at reliever.

* Garcia finished with a 7-4 record and a 1.75 ERA, allowing just 10 earned runs in 51.1 innings of work. He struck out 56 batters compared to 19 walks.

* Garcia, whose 15 saves were tied for the seventh-most in a single season in UM history, was named a 2015 Preseason All American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Perfect Game. He was also named to the watch list for the NCBWA 2015 Stopper of the Year Award, honoring the nation’s top closer.