Canes Head to Virginia for Weekend Series
Miami (22-12, 7-8 ACC) vs. Virginia (21-13, 8-7 ACC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule | Game Notes
April 12-14, 2019 | 6 p.m. | 4 p.m. | 1 p.m.
Davenport Field | Charlottesville, Va.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami baseball program heads to Charlottesville, Va., for a three-game conference series against Virginia.
First-year head coach Gino DiMare will lead his Hurricanes (22-12, 7-8 ACC) against Brian O’Connor’s Cavaliers (21-13, 8-7 ACC). Friday’s game will start at 6 p.m., while Saturday is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start and Sunday will begin at 1 p.m. All three games at Virginia will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra. All baseball games, home and away, can be heard on WVUM 90.5 FM and WVUM.org.
The Hurricanes and Cavaliers are tied, 28-28, over 56 all-time meetings. Miami enters the weekends on a three-game winning streak against the Cavs after sweeping UVA a year ago in Coral Gables. Virginia leads the all-time series in Charlottesville, 13-11.
Miami ace right-hander Evan McKendry (5-1, 3.91 ERA) will oppose UVA junior righty Noah Murdock(2-2, 4.40 ERA) on Friday. Game 2 will feature Miami sophomore right-hander Chris McMahon (2-2, 4.53 ERA) against fellow sophomore right-hander Griff McGarry (2-4, 4.34 ERA). The Canes will start redshirt junior RHP Brian Van Belle (4-2, 3.59 ERA) against Virginia freshman RHP Mike Vasil (1-3, 4.95 ERA) in Sunday’s finale.
McKendry was named ACC Pitcher of the Week after an outstanding showing in a series-opening win over Florida State last Friday. The junior right-hander allowed just three hits and struck out nine over seven scoreless innings to earn his fifth win of the year. McKendry is tied for second in the ACC with 61 strikeouts and has struck out eight-or-more batters in each of his last three starts. He joined shortstop Freddy Zamora (POTW, 3/11) as Hurricanes earning ACC Weekly honors in 2019.
After a three-homer game at FGCU Wednesday, the Canes have hit 45 home runs over 34 games in 2019.UM, who is second in the ACC with 45 homers, matched its 2018 season total of 23 home runs after just 15 games in 2019.
First baseman Alex Toral is tied for the ACC lead with a team-best 14 home runs, while third baseman Raymond Gil is second on the team and tied for tenth in the conference with eight homers. Ten different Hurricanes have hit at least one home run in 2019.
Gil leads the Canes in hitting with a .374 average that ranks third in the ACC and is 34 points higher than any other qualifying Hurricane. Over the last 10 games, Gil is 14-for-33 (.424) with two doubles, three home runs, nine RBI and nine runs scored.
Freshman Adrian Del Castillo opened his career with a 15-game hit streak and has reached base in 31 of 34 games in 2019. Del Castillo’s 40 RBI and 11 doubles lead the Hurricanes, while his 44 hits are tied for first with Zamora and Gil. He has 13 multi-hit games and nine multi-RBI outings.
Four Canes entered the week ranked in the top 15 in the ACC in strikeouts: McKendry (T-2nd, 61 K), McMahon (11th, 49), Greg Veliz (12th, 48) and Van Belle (14th, 47).
McKendry has had eight or more strikeouts in six starts in 2019 and is averaging 11.36 K/9. Veliz is averaging 15.61 K/9 and leads ACC relievers with 48 strikeouts in 27.2 innings pitched.
In last Sunday’s game vs. Florida State, five different Miami pitchers combined to strike out a season-high 18 Seminoles.
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: Del Castillo (36thround, White Sox), Anthony Vilar (37thround, Cubs) and Cecconi (38thround, 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 10thamong 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 Virginia Tech (April 26-28) and Duke (May 16-18), among others.
Miami’s road schedule includes trips to Louisville (April 18-20) and Wake Forest (May 10-13).
