@CanesBaseball Set for Matchup with St. Thomas

MIDWEEK SCHEDULE OPENS WITH BOBCATS

• The Canes open their 2016 season midweek schedule Wednesday with St. Thomas at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field at 6 p.m.

• Miami opened its season with a three-game sweep of Rutgers. Miami is 20-3 on Opening Day under head coach Jim Morris, and have a 14-game winning streak against Rutgers.

• The Bobcats, under the direction of head coach Jorge Perez, were NAIA runner-up in 2015. St. Thomas is 7-6 and ranked No. 1 by Perfect Game & No. 2 in the NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Poll.

• Miami last played St. Thomas in 2013 and won 5-4. The Hurricanes are 22-2 all-time against St. Thomas

OPENING WEEKEND SWEEP

• Led by dominant performances from the starting rotation, Miami opened its 2016 season with a sweep of visiting Rutgers.

• Lefthanders Thomas Woodrey (5 IP, 1 ER), Michael Mediavilla (6 IP, 0 R, 7 K) and Danny Garcia (7 IP, 0 R, 4 K) combined for a 0.50 ERA with two walks and 15 strikeouts in 18 innings of work.

• Junior Johnny Ruiz led the offense with a .667 (6-for-9) average.

• A number of Hurricanes made their debuts against Rutgers, including freshman third baseman Romy Gonzalez, freshman reliever Frankie Bartow, juniors Randy Batista, Barry Buchowski and Joe Gomez and a pair of redshirt freshmen in Keven Pimentel and Ryan Alvarez.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

• Miami was ranked in the top 10 in preseason polls from nearly every major college baseball outlet, including a No. 4 ranking from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and a No. 6 ranking from Baseball America, D1Baseball.com, NCBWA and the USA Today Coaches Poll.

• The Hurricanes, who have won back-to-back ACC Coastal Division titles, were projected to once again win the division in 2016 in a preseason poll of ACC head coaches.

• Junior catcher Zack Collins was a unanimous Preseason All- America selection, and was one of 50 players named to the initial Watch List by USA Baseball for the 2016 Golden Spikes Award.

• Miami’s preseason ranking of No. 4 from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper is its highest from the publication since 2005; its No. 6 ranking from Baseball America is its highest from BA since 2007.

DESTINATION: OMAHA

• Miami made its return to the College World Series in 2015, marking the program’s first trip to Omaha, Neb., since 2008. Miami’s 24 College World Series trips are the second-most of any program in the country.

• The Hurricanes have won 48 games in the College World Series, the fourth-most of any program nationwide; Miami’s four national championships (1982, 1985, 1999, 2001) rank fifth-most.

• Since the NCAA began award national seeds prior to the 1999 season, Miami has been among the top eight six seasons: 1999 (#1), 2001 (#2), 2003 (#8), 2004 (#3), 2008 (#1) and 2015 (#5).

• Of the 41 teams that have been awarded national seeds since 1999, Miami is one of just 12 programs to have earned the distinction five or more seasons.