CORAL GABLES, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) - The second-ranked Miami Hurricanes baseball team (4-0) play host to South Florida (3-0) in a three-game series beginning Friday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Field. The Hurricanes and Bulls are slated to play on Saturday at 7 p.m. and finish the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.

 

UM has opened the season with four straight wins for the first time since Jim Morris' first year as head coach at Miami in 1994. Miami shutout Florida International, 7-0, in the season opener on Feb. 1 and took three games from High Point over the weekend. The Hurricanes defeated the Panthers, 12-5, last Friday night and won 7-6 on Saturday in 11 innings. They closed the series with an all-around solid performance in a 10-1 win. The win stretched Miami's home winning streak to 16 dating back to the 2004 season.

 

South Florida opened its season with a three-game sweep of Bethune-Cookman in Tampa last weekend, including a 16-4 win last Sunday, Feb. 6.

 

A pitcher's duel is anticipated for the series opener as Hurricane ace right-hander Cesar Carrillo (1-0, 0.00 ERA) opens the series against highly-touted right-hander Casey Hudspeth (1-0, 0.00). Carrillo, a preseason All-America selection will put an unblemished career record on the line against the Bulls. The junior owns a 13-0 career record and Miami is 20-0 when he makes an appearance. Hudspeth also garnered preseason All-America accolades and held Miami scoreless for 7.2 innings in a 7-2 Bulls win last year in Tampa. He pitched 4.1 innings in the season opener against Bethune-Cookman and gave up just two hits in the win.

 

Miami junior Dan Touchet and sophomore Chris Perez are scheduled to start for the `Canes on Saturday and Sunday.

 

Senior OF/2B Paco Figueroa and sophomore left fielder Jon Jay have gotten off to quick starts at the plate for Miami. Figueroa is batting .563 with a double, triple, home run and three RBI. Jay is batting .538 and leads the team with five walks. Preseason All-America third baseman Ryan Braun is healthy after an injury-plagued 2004 and leads the team with two home runs, eight RBI and a 1.000 slugging percentage through four games.

 

Tickets, priced at $7 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors, can be purchased online at www.hurricanesports.com or by calling 305-284-CANE in Miami-Dade County and 1-800-GO-CANES outside of Miami-Dade County

 

NOTES

 

The Miami-USF Series

The Hurricanes own a 77-29 advantage in the series between the two schools, including a 56-14 record at Mark Light Field. Miami has won seven of the last 10 meetings between the two schools. The two teams split a pair of games last year in Tampa with Hudspeth notching the win in the first game, 7-2. UM stormed back in the second game to win 17-3. Left fielder Jon Jay went 4-for-4 with three RBIs in the win for Miami.

 

Home, Sweet Home

The Hurricanes are currently riding a 16-game home-winning streak, dating back to a 13-3 win against Florida Atlantic on May 19, 2004. Miami won its last 12 home games of the 2004 season, including five wins in the NCAA playoffs. UM's four home wins in the 2005 season have run the win streak to 16 games. The longest home winning streak in school history is 29 games, lasting from April 25, 1980 to March 14, 1981.

 

Hail Cesar

Junior hurler Cesar Carrillo upped his career pitching record with the Hurricanes to 13-0 with a win against Florida International in the season opener on Feb.1. An appearance by Carrillo has meant a win for the Hurricanes since his collegiate career began in 2004. The Hurricanes are 20-0 all-time when Carrillo pitches in a game.

 

Braun Back To Form

Junior preseason All-American third baseman Ryan Braun is showing no ill effects from a rib cage injury he suffered in the middle of the 2004 season that caused him to miss 18 games. Hitting in the three hole, Braun has delivered with a .455 batting average and eight RBI. He hit solo home runs on consecutive at bats in a 10-1 win against High Point last Sunday, the second of which turned out to be the game-winning run. It was the first time a Hurricane had hit home runs in consecutive at-bats since Jim Burt accomplished the feat against Illinois-Chicago on March 20, 2004. In the 11th inning of a 7-6 win against High Point last Saturday, Braun made a diving stop and throw at third with runners at second and third to prevent the go-ahead run from scoring. Braun also leads the team with a 1.000 slugging pct. and four stolen bases.

 

Perez Earns First Win

Sophomore pitcher Chris Perez had the strongest showing of any UM starter in the High Point series to pick up his first career win. Perez retired seven batters on ground outs, struck four batters and set a career mark for innings pitched in a game with 5.0 last Sunday, Feb. 6.

 

Gil Continues Winning Ways

If pitcher Danny Gil's performance in relief against High Point last Saturday is any indicator, the undefeated hurler will not fall victim to a sophomore slump. Gil picked up right where he left off from an 8-0 freshman season and pitched two scoreless innings to get his ninth career win in a 7-6, 11-inning victory against High Point. He also pitched an inning of scoreless ball in the season opener against Florida International. Altogether he has pitched three innings and given up three hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

 

Courtesy Of HurricaneSports.com

Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) - The Miami Hurricanes baseball team scored nine unanswered runs to overcome a 9-2 deficit and defeat South Florida, 11-9, in front of 1,958 fans at Mark Light Field on Friday night. Senior Brendan Katin crushed a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to put Miami up for good and move the team's record to 5-0 on the season.

 

Miami began its comeback in the bottom of the sixth. With runners at the corners and no outs, junior Ryan Braun blooped a fly ball to right that was misread by the Bulls' Bryan Hierlmeier. The ball dropped and Danny Figueroa scored from third. Sophomore Jon Jay ripped a single between second and third that scored Paco Figueroa. Braun scored on a single by first baseman Danny Valencia and the Hurricanes had cut the lead to 9-5 with no outs. A run-scoring sacrifice by Roger Tomas and RBI single by Katin brought Miami within two runs heading into the seventh.

 

Senior pitcher Vince Bongiovanni and junior Jon McLean combined to shut down the Bulls in the seventh and eighth inning. Miami creeped within 9-8 in the seventh when Jay brought Braun home from first with an RBI double to left field. Tomas led off the eighth with a walk before Katin stepped to the plate. The senior took the first two pitches for balls from Daniel Thomas and homered to left-center on a 2-0 pitch for a 10-9 lead. Danny Figueroa singled home Patrick Feeney for an insurance run and the final 11-9 score.

 

Sophomore pitcher Danny Gil needed only nine pitches in the ninth inning to pick up his first save of the season. McLean earned his first win as a Hurricane in 1.1 innings of work without giving up a hit and striking out one.

 

South Florida got off to a quick start in the first inning with a two-RBI double by Bryan Hierlmeier off Hurricane starter Brandon Camardese with no outs. Jeff Baisley popped out and Hierlmeier was doubled up on second when Matt McHargue lined out to Miami shortstop Tomas, who threw to a sliding Walter Diaz for the tag on second base to end the inning.

 

It didn't take long for Miami to answer. Danny Figueroa led off the Miami first and crushed a pitch off USF ace Casey Hudspeth over the center field fence to bring the `Canes within 2-1. Valencia tied the game with a sacrifice fly down the right field line that scored Braun.

 

The Bulls retook the lead on a bases-loaded single by Jeff Baisley in the fourth. McHargue followed with a bouncer up the middle to score Hierlmeier and Bellotti for a 5-2 lead. Sophomore Ricky Orta spelled Camardese on the mound and retired Brian Baisley to end the inning.

 

Orta was relieved by Bongiovanni after a bases loaded walk to Bellotti in the sixth that pushed the Bulls' lead to 6-2. Jeff Baisley followed with a bases-clearing double off the left field fence to stretch the USF lead to 9-2.

 

Katin, Danny Figueroa and Jay all finished 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in a combined seven runs. Braun finished with three runs and Valencia added two RBIs.

 

The Hurricanes continue the series with South Florida tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Field.

 

Notes: Danny Figueroa's leadoff home run was the first by a Hurricane since Jon Jay led off against Florida on June 12, 2004 with a solo homer...Orta set a career high with 2.2 innings pitched.... The Hurricanes ran their home winning streak to 17 games.

 

Courtesy Of HurricaneSports.com

Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) - Miami improved to 6-0 on the season and equaled its best start ever under head coach Jim Morris with a 7-5 win against South Florida on Saturday night at Mark Light Field. Senior pitcher Dan Touchet picked up his first win of the season and junior Ryan Braun scored three runs and went 2-for-3 at the plate with a solo home run.

 

Miami jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first. USF pitcher Nick Mangaro gave up a pair of singles to Paco Figueroa and Jon Jay, and a walk to Braun to load the bases. Paco Figueroa scored on a wild pitch to Danny Valencia. After Valencia walked, Brendan Katin grounded out to first to score Braun for a 2-0 lead. A throwing error on a grounder hit by Roger Tomas scored Valencia and Jay to complete the scoring in the inning.

 

Touchet worked two perfect innings before giving up three runs in the third. USF loaded the bases with one out and scored Brian Baisley on a fielder's choice. Jeff Baisley hit a ground-rule double to right field to score two more runs and bring the Bulls within 4-3.

 

The Hurricanes responded with two runs in the fourth on a dropped ball hit by Katin that scored Braun and an RBI single by Tomas to pull ahead, 6-3.

 

USF closed the gap to 6-4 in the fourth when Joey Angelberger followed up a triple by Ty Taborelli with an RBI double. Braun hit a line drive over the fence in right-center off 1-1 pitch from USF reliever Matt Ingram in the bottom of the seventh for his third home run of the year and a 7-4 lead.

 

Matt McHargue hit an RBI double to score Bryan Hierlmeier in the eighth to once again pull within two runs at 7-5, but it was as close as the Bulls would get.

 

Mangaro was charged with the loss and gave up six runs (three earned) on five hits in three innings of work.

 

Touchet worked through six innings and gave up four hits and four runs for his first win of the season. Junior Cesar Carrillo picked up the save in three innings of work, striking out six and giving up one run on three hits.

 

The Hurricanes and Bulls conclude their three-game series at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 13 at Mark Light Field. Sophomore Chris Perez (1-0, 1.80 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound against USF's Chase Lirette (4.50 ERA).

 

Courtesy Of HurricaneSports.com