Miami Baseball hosts Maryland-Baltimore County in three-game series

Coming off a 10-8 victory at Florida International on Wednesday night the 6-2 Miami baseball team hosts Maryland-Baltimore County in a three-game series this weekend.

The Miami baseball team has a vastly improved offense from 2018. After struggling as a Freshman last season first baseman Alex Toral is tied for the national lead with six home runs. The Hurricanes already have nine as a team. They didn’t hit their ninth until April 1 in 2018.

This weekend begins a nine-game homestand for the Miami baseball team. The Hurricanes host UMBC this weekend, Appalachian State on Wednesday, Georgia Tech in a three-game series next weekend and Jackson State on March 12 and 13.

UMBC began it’s season last weekend by winning two out of three at UNC-Asheville. This will be the first time Miami and UMBC will play a weekend series. The Hurricanes have won the two previous matchups. The teams last played in 2009.

The Hurricanes bats are off to a torrid start. Every projected starter in the Miami lineup on Friday is hitting over .300. The Hurricanes is 17th in the nation with a .318 batting average. That almost unfathomable after the poor offense of the last two seasons.

Miami has received excellent balance throughout the entire lineup. They are led by Raymond Gil who is hitting .458. Toral’s six home runs and 11 RBIs lead the Hurricanes. Miami should feast off of a Retrievers pitching staff with a 6.58 earned run average and allowing opponents to hit .288.

UMBC can hit. Four players in their lineup are hitting over .400 and a fifth is hitting .300. They have a .290 team batting average and a .414 on-base percentage.

"SERIES INFORMATIONDates: Friday, March 1, 2019 – Sunday, March 3, 2019Game Times (ET): 7:00 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 1:00 p.m.Site: Coral Gables, Fla. | Mark Light Field (4,999)TV: ACC Network Extra (all home games)Flagship Radio: 790 The Ticket (Friday, Sunday)Student Radio: WVUM 90.5 FM | WVUM.org (all games)Twitter Updates: @CanesBaseball / @MiamiHurricanesLive Stats: HurricaneSports.comPostgame Recap: HurricaneSports.comSeries History: Miami leads, 2-0Coral Gables: Miami leads, 2-0First Meeting: May 22, 1992 – Miami won, 3-1Last Meeting: March 18, 2009 – Miami won, 11-1Courtesy HurricaneSports.Com"

Miami Hurricanes

Miami is going with the same rotation this weekend as they have for the first two weekend series of 2019. Evan McKendry has been dominant as the Friday night starter. He is tied for 32nd in the nation with 17 strikeouts this season.

"MIAMI 6-2, 0-0 ACCHead Coach: Gino DiMare (Miami, 1992)DI Career: 6-2 (first season)at Miami: 6-2 (first season)UMBC 2-1, 0-0 American EastHead Coach: Bob Mumma (UMBC, 1994)DI Career: 154-199 (8th season)at UMBC: 154-199 (8th season)Twitter: @UMBCAthleticsWeekend Pitching Matchups:UMBC:Friday: JR RHP Frank Fraschetti (0-0, 0.00 ERA)Saturday: SO RHP Aaron Husson (0-1, 9.00 ERA)Sunday: SO RHP Nick Trabacchi (1-0, 0.00 ERA)Miami:Friday: JR RHP Evan McKendry (2-0, 2.77 ERA)Saturday: SO RHP Chris McMahon (1-0, 2.31 ERA)Sunday: R-JR RHP Brian Van Belle (1-1, 1.50 ERA)"

After the game against Appalachian State, Miami hosts Georgia Tech to begin ACC play next weekend. The Yellow Jackets have started 2019, 5-3. Georgia Tech lost two of three to UCLA last weekend and hostsNorthwestern in the last three of an eight-game homestand this weekend.