Baseball Hosts FAU Wednesday Night at The Light
Miami (9-10) vs. Florida Atlantic (15-5)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule | Game Notes
March 21, 2018 | 6 p.m.
Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field | Coral Gables, Fla.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Freshman Daniel Federman will look to make it wins in two straight starts when the Miami Hurricanes host Florida Atlantic in a midweek matchup Wednesday at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
Federman (1-1, 1.66 ERA) will oppose FAU’s Marc Stewart (0-0, 0.00 ERA) in the second of three midweek games this season.
Miami put the tying run aboard in the ninth in the first matchup, but the Owls emerged with a 5-4 victory at FAU Baseball Stadium on Feb. 28.
Federman impressed in his first career start last time out at then-No. 21 UCF in Orlando. Federman, who had been among Miami’s top performers out of the bullpen for the first month of the season, earned the starting nod and tossed five strong innings to pick up his first win.
He allowed three runs but just one earned and struck out five at John Euliano Park, helping Miami snap UCF’s nation-leading 13-game winning streak.
“The blood was flowing, but once you get going, it’s just another game,” Federman said after that victory. “I wanted to come out here and give my team the best opportunity to win. They had my back.”
Federman, who will be making his first home start Wednesday, downplayed the significance of picking up his first win last week against the red-hot Knights.
“It’s awesome, but it’s just another game and I’m excited to go out there and do it again,” Federman said.
He’ll get that chance against a talented FAU team off to a 15-5 start.
Federman might appreciate the same run support Miami’s offense provided for junior Andrew Cabezas last time out in an 8-2 win over Duke on March 18. Like Federman against UCF, Cabezas was making his first start of the season. This game’s outcome was never in doubt, as the Hurricanes scored seven runs over the game’s first three innings in support of the righthander.
Cabezas tossed six shutout innings to earn his first victory of the spring.
“It’s a big boost for us, as a team and individually as a pitcher,” Cabezas said about the early offense. “You just feel a little more relaxed. You don’t feel so tense that you have to put up a ‘zero’ on the board – that is the goal, at the end of the day, but knowing that you have that lead makes the game a little bit easier for you.”
Federman received the same show of support from friends and family after beating UCF as Cabezas did after picking up a win in his first start of the year.
“It’s still surreal,” Cabezas said. “I keep getting calls from every family member, friends and everything. I’m very grateful for the opportunity [to start].”
First pitch for Wednesday’s contest, slated for broadcast on ACC Network Extra and WVUM 90.5 FM, is set for 6 p.m. from Mark Light Field.
