No. 6 Baseball Set for Wednesday Showdown with FGCU

CANES BACK AT THE LIGHT FOR FGCU

• Miami continues its season-opening, 13-game homestand Wednesday, March 2 when FGCU arrives for the first of three midweek matchups in 2016. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN3 / WatchESPN.

• The Hurricanes, who dropped an exhibition with the Miami Marlins 5-1 Tuesday in Jupiter, own a 13-2 all-time series lead against FGCU. Miami is 8-2 in games played at Mark Light Field, and won two of three games against the Eagles in 2015.

• Sophomore Jesse Lepore (0-0, 2.57 ERA) will make his second career start Wednesday opposite FGCU sophomore Garrett Anderson (0-0, 3.00 ERA).

HEATING UP

• Among Hurricanes delivering on offense over the last five games: junior Johnny Ruiz (.500 AVG, 9-for-18, team-high 9 RBI), junior Zack Collins (.357 AVG, .591 OBP, team-high seven walks), and sophomore leadoff man Carl Chester (.333 AVG, six runs scored,, .478 OBP).

• Ruiz leads the team in hits (11), doubles (3) and RBI (11).

• Those who have impressed on the mound through the season’s first seven games include freshman Frankie Bartow (1-0, 1.23 ERA, 7.1 IP, 1 ER), junior Bryan Garcia (0.00 ERA, 3 saves, 4 K’s) and sophomore starter Michael Mediavilla (2-0, 0.82 ERA, .136 B/AVG).

MILESTONES IN SIGHT FOR MORRIS

• With 10 more victories in 2016, head coach Jim Morris will become just the sixth coach in the history of Division I baseball to reach the 1,500-win milestone (1,490).

• With 19 more wins, Morris will move past Larry Hays (1,508) as the fifth-winningest coach in Division I baseball history by victories.

• Since his arrival in 1994, Miami’s 986 wins are sixth-most in Division I.

• Morris, who has won 986 games during his illustrious 22-year-plus tenure, is 14 wins away from becoming the second coach in Miami history to reach 1,000 wins at the helm (Ron Fraser – 1,267).

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.