Hurricanes Travel North for Annual Rivalry Series
Miami (17-23, 10-11 ACC) at #14 Florida State (29-13, 11-10 ACC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule | Game Notes
April 27-29, 2018 | 6 p.m. | 6 p.m. | 1 p.m.
Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium | Tallahassee, Fla.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — For the final time in his storied career, University of Miami head coach Jim Morris and his Hurricanes will make the trip north for a regular season series against the rival Florida State Seminoles at Dick Howser Stadium from April 27-29.
Morris and his longtime counterpart at Florida State, Mike Martin, will see their two teams match up in the regular season for the final time in a three-game set beginning Friday at 6 p.m. (ACC Network Extra, WVUM 90.5 FM).
In their last trip to the state capital in 2016, the Hurricanes won two of three games late in the season to clinch the ACC Regular Season Championship. Miami took home a 4-2 win in Game 1 on May 19, 2016 and an 8-5 win in the first game of a doubleheader the next day to clinch the title. The Seminoles walked off with a win in Game 3, 3-2, and also eliminated the Hurricanes from the 2016 ACC Baseball Championship with a walk-off win in Durham, N.C. later in May.
The Hurricanes and Seminoles split last year’s rain-shortened series at Mark Light Field from April 21-23; Florida State took Game 1, 6-3, while Miami walked off in Game 2 with a 5-4 win in 10 innings.
In the last 10 matchups between the two rivals, Florida State carries a slight 6-4 edge.
This year, the two teams find themselves just two games apart in the ACC standings; #14 Florida State is in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 11-10 conference record, while Miami is tied for third in the Coastal Division with a 10-11 ACC mark.
Two juniors hitting in the middle of the order will play important roles this weekend in Tallahassee; Romy Gonzalez led the Hurricanes with a 4-for-4 night at the plate, including a solo home run and three doubles, Wednesday against FIU.
Junior Danny Reyes, who made his first start after missing 25 games with a torn ligament in his thumb on April 13 vs. Clemson, connected on his second home run in as many games against the Panthers, as Miami connected on back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning in an eventual defeat.
Senior lefthander Jeb Bargfeldt (2-3, 3.94 ERA) will look to build off last week’s strong outing against Pittsburgh on April 27 when he takes the ball on Friday opposite Florida State southpaw Drew Parrish (2-0. 2.98 ERA). Bargfeldt tossed seven innings and allowed just one run with six strikeouts against the Panthers.
Sophomore righthander Evan McKendry (5-5. 3.52 ERA) will match up with Florida State righthander C.J. Van Eyk (1-0, 3.68 ERA) in Game 2. The reigning ACC Pitcher of the Week, Andrew Cabezas (4-4, 4.30 ERA), will close out the series Sunday opposite Florida State RHP Andrew Karp (7-3, 2.75 ERA).
