Baseball Opens DiMare Era Friday vs. Rutgers

Baseball Opens DiMare Era Friday vs. Rutgers

Miami (0-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. Rutgers (0-0, 0-0 B1G)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule | Game Notes | DiMare Media Day Presser

Feb. 15-17, 2018 | 7 p.m. | 7 p.m. | 12 p.m.
Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field | Coral Gables, Fla. | Buy TicketsDirections
 
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami baseball team begins its 75thseason in program history and first under the direction of head coach Gino DiMare on Friday, Feb. 15 with the opener of a three-game series against Rutgers at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. 
 
First pitch for the season opener is set for 7 p.m. Friday. The first 500 fans through the gates will receive a 2019 schedule magnet. First pitch for Saturday’s game is set for 7 p.m., and the first 1,000 fans will receive a t-shirt. First pitch for Sunday’s series finale is set for noon.

All home games this season will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra. Friday and Saturday’s games will be broadcast live on 790 The Ticket, while Sunday’s game will be carried in Spanish on 990 AM ESPN Deportes. All baseball games, home and away, can be heard on WVUM 90.5 FM and WVUM.org. 
 
Junior right-hander and 2018 All-ACC selection Evan McKendry (7-6, 3.52 ERA)earned the Opening Day start opposite Rutgers RHP Serafino Brito (1-2, 3.57 ERA).
 
Sophomore RHP Chris McMahon (1-1, 4.44 ERA) will take the mound for the Canes on Saturday against fellow sophomore LHP Harry Rutkowski (4-6. 5.34 ERA).
 
Newcomer Brian Van Belle will make his Miami debut in the series finale Sunday, as the redshirt junior right-hander will face off against junior lefty Tevin Murray (0-1, 5.09 ERA).
 
ACC All-Freshman honoree and 2018 Freshman All-America shortstop Freddy Zamora is back to lead a young and talented Miami offense. Zamora, who led Miami is nearly every offensive category a year ago, is joined by pitcher Daniel Federman and catcher Isaac Quiñones as 2018 Freshmen All-America honorees back for their sophomore season in 2019.
 
Miami added a recruiting class ranked eighth by D1Baseball and No. 10 nationwide by Baseball America to a group of 18 returning letterwinners from a 2018 team that finished 28-26 overall and 16-13 in ACC play.
 
Three members of Miami’s recruiting class were selected in the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft; catcher Adrian Del Castillo (36th round, White Sox), infielder Anthony Vilar (37th round, Cubs) and RHP Slade Cecconi (38th round, Orioles) all spurned professional overtures for a career at Miami after being selected in the 2018 MLB Draft.
 
Cecconi (#2), Del Castillo (#8) and Vilar (#48) were among the Top 50 Impact Freshmen in the ACC according to D1Baseball. Freshman LHP/UT JP Gates was ranked 10th among ACC freshmen. Baseball America rated Cecconi (No. 12), Gates (No. 16) and Del Castillo (No. 31) among the top 50 freshmen nationally. 
 
The Hurricanes’ home schedule also includes series with Georgia Tech (March 8-10), NC State (March 22-24), Florida State (April 5-7), Virginia Tech (April 26-28) and Duke (May 16-18), among others.

Miami’s road schedule includes trips to Florida (Feb. 22-24), North Carolina (March 15-17), Pittsburgh (March 29-31), Virginia (April 12-14), Louisville (April 18-20) and Wake Forest (May 10-12).