Miami Hosts Wildcats in Final Nonconference Series
Miami (18-25) vs. Bethune-Cookman (18-27)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule | Game Notes
May 4-6, 2018 | 7 p.m. | 7 p.m. | 1 p.m.
Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field | Coral Gables, Fla.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes host Bethune-Cookman in the final nonconference weekend of the season beginning Friday, May 4 at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
Lefthander Jeb Bargfeldt (2-4, 3.75 ERA) gets the ball as Miami opens its final month of the regular season Friday against righthander Tyler Norris (3-5, 3.97 ERA) and the Wildcats.
Including its series with Bethune-Cookman, Miami has just five nonconference games remaining – the other two coming in midweek matchups against FGCU (May 9) and Stetson (May 15). All five games are at home.
Bargfeldt will be looking for similar results to his last two starts. Last time out, in his first trip to Dick Howser Stadium, the senior co-captain tossed eight strong innings with a season-high nine strikeouts in a 2-0 loss to No. 14 Florida State.
Bargfeldt, who has allowed two runs or fewer in 18 of his 26 starts since arriving at The U, also had a strong start in his last home outing vs. Pittsburgh on April 20. In that game against the Panthers, Bargfeldt struck out six, walked none and allowed just one run in seven innings, despite exiting with a no decision.
Miami’s offense has been led by freshman All-America candidate Freddy Zamora, who has delivered a dominant first year for the Hurricanes.
Zamora, one of just two Hurricanes to start all 43 games this year, leads UM in nearly every offensive category. The Miami native leads the Hurricanes or is tied for the team lead in hits (50), runs scored (23), doubles (nine), triples (three), total bases (68), slugging percentage (.422), walks (21), hit by pitch (five), on-base percentage (.404), steals (14), stolen base attempts (17) and sacrifice hits (four). He also has the fewest strikeouts on the team (14).
Miami’s top three hitters by average are all true freshmen – Zamora (.311), Isaac Quinones (.309) and Willy Escala (.291). Quinones hit the first home run of his career Sunday – a three-run blast over the fence in right field to help Miami salvage its rivalry series at Florida State in an 11-5 win at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee.
Fellow freshman Ray Gil also homered in the series at FSU – his second homer of the year. True freshmen have combined for eight home runs this season, including two each from Gil and outfielder Gabe Rivera.
Sophomore righthander Evan McKendry (5-6, 3.48 ERA) will start Game 2 for the Hurricanes while junior righthander Andrew Cabezas (5-4, 4.25 ERA) will start the finale.
