Miami leads the ACC fielding .977 which also ranks second in the country.

April 17, 2008

Game 35

Friday: Miami at Florida State

Apr. 18, 7 p.m. (Dick Howser Stadium)

Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM)

Webcast: ACC Select

Probable Starting Pitchers:

UM: 27 Chris Hernandez, LHP (5-0, 2.77 ERA)

FSU: 32 Matt Fairel, LHP (8-0,2.38 ERA)

Game 36

Saturday: Miami at Florida State

Apr. 19, 7 p.m. (Dick Howser Stadium)

Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM); XM Radio Channel 190

Webcast: ACC Select

Probable Starting Pitchers:

UM: 31 Enrique Garcia, RHP (2-0, 5.56 ERA)

FSU: 21 Geoff Parker, RHP (3-1, 2.64 ERA)

Game 37

Sunday: Miami at Florida State

Apr. 20, 12:30 p.m. (Dick Howser Stadium)

Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM)

Webcast: ACC Select

Probable Starting Pitchers:

UM: TBA

FSU: 27 Elih Villanueva, RHP (4-0, 3.33 ERA)

No. 1 Miami (31-3, 15-1 ACC) wraps up its seven-game road swing when the Hurricanes travel to No. 2 Florida State (33-3, 17-1 ACC)  for a key Atlantic Coast Conference series. Game times are 7 p.m., 7 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Dick Howser Stadium. The matchup pits two of the top offensive teams in the country. Miami ranks sixth nationally in batting average (.344), while FSU is third (.352). The Seminoles are the third best slugging team in the country (.576) while the Hurricanes are fourth nationally in slugging percentage (.573). The game will be carried on the radio by the Student Voice of UM, WVUM (90.5 FM), which can also be picked up online at www.wvum.org. Saturday's game will also air on XM Radio Channel 190. Fans can also watch all three games via the internet at ACCSELECT.com.

ABOUT THE MIAMI HURRICANES

Miami (31-3, 15-1 ACC) came from behind on the road Wednesday to knock off Florida Atlantic, 12-10, in Boca Raton. Junior first baseman Yonder Alonso hit a two-run two-out home run in the top of the ninth inning lifting the Hurricanes to a win. The Hurricanes have now won 18 of their last 19 games including a three-game ACC series sweep at No. 10 Georgia Tech last weekend. Junior centerfielder Blake Tekotte was named the ACC Player of the Week on Monday after hitting .600 (9-for-15) with seven runs scored, nine RBI and three home runs in the Tech series. Tekotte has now hit safely in 20 of the last 21 games. He is hitting .383 on the season from his leadoff spot while posting 15 extra-base hits including six doubles, three triples and six home runs and 28 RBI. He owns a .500 on-base percentage. Junior left fielder/designated hitter Dave DiNatale is in the midst of an 11-game hitting streak. The Hurricanes bring a .344 team batting average into this weekend's series while the pitching staff has compiled a 3.78 team ERA.

Offensively, Preseason All-Americans second baseman Jemile Weeks (.403, 44 Runs, 50 Hits, 11 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 39 RBI), Tekotte (.383, 47 Runs, 49 Hits, 28 RBI, 17 SB), and Yonder Alonso (.366, 40 Runs, 41 Hits, 9 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 35 RBI) anchor the lineup, but shortstop Ryan Jackson (.385, 29 Runs, 50 Hits, 2 HR, 32 RBI), third baseman Mark Sobolewski (.356, 27 Runs, 47 Hits, 4 HR, 30 RBI) and left fielder/designated hitter Dave DiNatale (.349, 31 Runs, 38 Hits, 8 2B, 5 HR, 27 RBI) have all been swinging the bat well.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES

The Seminoles entered this week ranked in the top four of all four major college baseball polls. FSU is No. 2 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll, No. 2 in the NCBWA poll, No. 3 in Baseball America and No. 1 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll.

In the latest NCAA national statistics, FSU ranked second in batting average (.352), third in scoring, third in runs, sixth in hits, fifth in doubles, third in slugging percentage and 11th in home runs. At 33-3, the Seminoles also lead the nation in win-loss percentage. Junior catcher Buster Posey  has big numbers at the plater in 2008. Posey is hitting .482 on the season with a team-high and ACC-best 66 hits including 16 doubles and 10 home runs. He has 42 RBI.

LHP Matt Fairel (8-0, 2.38 ERA) will start Friday for the Seminoles. RHP Geoff Parker (3-1, 2.64 ERA) will go on Saturday while Sunday's starter will be RHP Elih Villanueva (4-0, 3.33 ERA). 

FSU-MIAMI: WHAT'S ON THE LINE      

The biggest series of the college baseball season to-date pits No. 1 Miami at No. 2 Florida State as two of the top offensive teams in the country meet in Tallahassee. The winner of the series probably takes over the top spot in all four major college baseball polls and takes over the top spot in the ACC as UM leads the Coastal Division at 15-1 and FSU leads the Atlantic Division at 17-1. 

1 vs. 1?           

Oddly enough, this isn't the first time that No. 1 met No. 1 in this series. Miami came into the week No. 1 in three of the major college baseball polls (ESPN/USA Today, Baseball America, NCBWA) while Florida State is No. 1 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll, third in Baseball America and second in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' and NCBWA polls. Back in 1999, No. 1 Miami met No. 1 Florida State. Miami was ranked No. 1 at the time by Collegiate Baseball, No. 3 by Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches poll and No. 6 by America while Florida State was No. 1 by the coaches and Baseball America. It was a three-game series in Coral Gables April 23-25, 1999. The Hurricanes ended up sweeping the Seminoles, 8-7, 9-4 and 9-8 that weekend and won six of seven meetings that season including a 6-5 Miami win for the 1999 National championship.

DEFENSE WILL BE THE KEY IN THIS SERIES  

With all the offensive power highlighting the FSU-Miami series, the series could come down to pitching and defense. The Hurricanes lead the ACC and rank second nationally in fielding percentage posting a .977 percentage while committing an ACC-low 30 errors. Florida State has committed 62 errors already this season and are fielding .955 as a team, which ranks second to last in the ACC. FSU has a slight edge in pitching as the Seminoles have a 3.53 team ERA and hold opponents to a .238 batting clip. Miami has a 3.78 team ERA while holding opponents to a .237 batting average.

NOT EASY FOR FSU    

Florida State might be hoping that sophomore lefty Eric "Easy E" Erickson doesn't return for this weekend's series at Dick Howser Stadium. Erickson beat the Seminoles twice last season holding FSU to four runs on 13 hits in 14 innings. He walked one and struck out seven in two meetings. In the 2007 ACC Tournament, Erickson held FSU to three runs in eight solding innings and struck out four while allowing seven hits. In the series finale in Coral Gables, he limited FSU to one run on six hits and struck out three. The one-run and three-run outtings by the Seminole offense against Erickson were two of the four lowest outputs of the season.