Miami baseball vaults up rankings after 4-0 week, UNC sweep

The Miami baseball team moved up to 17th from 33rd in the RPI and from 23rd to 12th in the Collegiate Baseball Division I Poll with a 4-0 week that included sweeping a three-game series against North Carolina this weekend. Miami earned a 7-1 win at FAU on Wednesday ahead of the series with North Carolina.

Miami broke open a 1-1 game after six innings. The Hurricanes’ scored three in the seventh, one in the eighth and two in the ninth on their way to a six-run victory. Miami’s top six hitters in the order had hits. C.J. Kayfus had two hits in four at-bats with two runs scored. Edgardo Villegas was 2-3 with a run scored and an RBI.

Maxwell Romero had a home run and three RBIs. Jake Garland pitched six innings, allowing three hits, one unearned run with one walk in the start to improve his record to 3-1. Gage Ziehl and Andrew Walters with his fifth save closed the game out for Miami improving to 14-6 after the victory over FAU.

The series against North Carolina was a showdown for first place in the ACC Coastal. With the sweep, Miami is now 7-2 in the ACC, tied for first with Virginia in the Coastal Division. North Carolina fell to 18-6 overall and 5-4 in the ACC. Louisville leads the Atlantic Division with a 6-0 ACC record and is 19-5 overall.

The bats for Miami were out on Friday and Saturday. Miami again broke open a tight game in the later innings. The Hurricanes led 3-1 after 5.5 innings. Miami scored three in the sixth and two in the seventh to extend the lead to 6-1 after seven innings. Carson Palmquist continued to be dominant on the mound for Miami.

The preseason All-American pitched 5.0 innings, allowing six hits, one earned run, two walks and nine strikeouts improving to 5-1 this season. Walters stuck out his only batter for his sixth save. Yohandy Morales was the hitting star going 4-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Jacob Burke and Dorian Gonzales had two hits.

Morales and Villegas led the way for Miami on Saturday. Morales had three hits, a run scored and two RBIs. Villegas mashed four hits with two runs scored and an RBI. Karson Ligon pitched five innings, allowing eight hits, two runs, two earned with two walks and six strikeouts. Alejandro Torres earned the win in relief of Ligon.

On Sunday, while the Miami basketball team was playing in Chicago a game away from the Final Four, the baseball team has their own memorable game. After falling behind 2-0, Miami scored one in the sixth inning and one in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. The Hurricanes walked it off in the 14th.

Renzo Gonzalez had three hits on Sunday including the game-winning single scoring Burke. The Miami bullpen was flawless allowing two hits, three walks and no runs in nine innings. Anthony Arguelles got the win pitching the final two innings. Gaby Gutierrez was the only other Hurricanes with multiple hits going 2-3.

The Miami baseball team has a 6:30 first pitch at Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday night. Miami plays a three-game series at Duke this weekend. Blue Devils fans’ attention will be in New Orleans where Duke and North Carolina play in the Final Four. That is their first NCAA Tournament meeting ever.