Baseball Visits Blacksburg for Coastal Showdown
Miami (22-25, 11-13 ACC) at Virginia Tech (20-27, 8-16 ACC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule | Game Notes
May 11-13, 2018 | 6 p.m. | 3 p.m. | 1 p.m.
English Field at Union Park | Blacksburg, Va.
BLACKSBURG, Va. — The Miami Hurricanes will look to extend their longest winning streak of the season Friday when they visit English Field at Union Park for the first of three games against host Virginia Tech.
Senior lefthander Jeb Bargfeldt (3-4, 3.62 ERA) will oppose Virginia Tech lefthander Ian Seymour (3-2, 3.18 ERA) at 6 p.m. in the series opener. The game is set for broadcast on ACC Network Extra and WVUM 90.5 FM.
The Hurricanes (22-25, 11-13 ACC) are looking to make it six straight series wins against Virginia Tech (20-27, 8-16 ACC) dating to 2013. Miami is 9-1 in its last 10 matchups against the Hokies, including a three-game sweep last season in the final regular season series for both teams at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
Miami is riding a five-game winning streak dating to April 29 and has compiled a 4-0 record in the early parts of May. The Hurricanes are batting .320 over the five-game stretch, led by freshman Dylan Cloonan’s .471 average across five starts.
Cloonan is one of three Hurricanes batting over .400 the past five games, joining junior Romy Gonzalez (.409) and freshman Isaac Quinones (.400). Not to be outdone are junior Danny Reyes (.350), freshman Raymond Gil (.333), freshman Freddy Zamora (.318) and senior Michael Burns (.300), who have helped power the offense.
After struggling in the middle portion of the season, Bargfeldt has been dominant across his last three starts. The Owasso, Okla., native, one of five Hurricanes to take part in commencement ceremonies Thursday afternoon before the team traveled to Blacksburg, has compiled a 1.99 ERA since April 20.
Bargfeldt has struck out 24 batters compared to three walks in his last 22.2 innings and is holding opponents to a .200 average at the plate. He has tossed at least seven innings in each of those three outings.
Along with Bargfeldt and Burns, Daniel Epstein, Hunter Tackett and Michael Perez participated in graduation festivities Thursday.
Sophomore righthander Evan McKendry (5-6. 3.86 ERA) takes the hill in Saturday’s Game 2 opposite Virginia Tech’s righthander Connor Coward (2-5, 4.14 ERA). Both teams’ Sunday starters are TBD.
Junior righthander Andrew Cabezas, who had served as Sunday starter for the past eight weekends, started Wednesday’s game against FGCU after a lengthy rain delay knocked him out of the series finale against Bethune-Cookman. He is slated to pitch again Tuesday, May 15 vs. Stetson.
