Miami Baseball Reaches No. 2 in
After a 26-6 start (13-2 ACC), the Miami Hurricanes baseball team has been ranked No. 2 in the country. Led by numerous players that have started off the season great, Miami is as hot as ever on a current 13-game win streak. Who is on the team and how has their season gone so far?
A Well-Balanced Offense
Miami’s offense doesn’t necessarily have a star player in terms of statistics. It’s led by five players that average at least .312 when hitting. Sophomore infielder CJ Kayfus (.377), sophomore outfielder Jacob Burke (.336), sophomore infielder Yohandy Morales (.325), sophomore infielder Dominic Pitelli (.317) and freshman outfielder Edgargo Villegas (.312) all hit over .300 at the plate.
Miami’s hitters also have their fair share of power, as at least five players have hit four home runs this season. Morales leads the team with 7 long balls, Pitelli is right behind him with 6, both Burke and Maxwell Romero Jr. have hit 5 and Villegas has hit 4. RBIs are spread out as well, as Burke and Pitelli have knocked in 33 and Romero Jr. has contributed 30.
As a team, Miami ranks eighth in walks with 185. That contributes to their No. 27 ranked on base percentage (.404). Also ranked No. 27 is their 8.0 runs per game. As mentioned before, as a team, the ‘Canes are an elite squad at the plate.
Dominant Pitching Propels Miami
Miami’s strong suit comes from the mound, allowing just 7 hits per nine innings as a team, ranking No. 10 in the nation. Miami’s 1.22 WHIP comes in at No. 16 in the country. Individually speaking, Miami has two pitchers in the top 50 in terms of earned run average. Karson Ligon (2.16 ERA) and Jake Garland (2.17 ERA) have been elite when on the mound. Andrew Walters has pitched 18.2 innings and given up just five hits in 61 at bats, with his opponents racking up a .082 batting average. Truly dominant stuff from Walters.
In addition, according to Prospects Live Top 400 Prospects, Miami’s Carson Palmquist and Alex McFarlane are top 200 prospects for the upcoming MLB Draft. Palmquist, a sophomore left-handed pitcher, is ranked No. 80 in a list of top prospects, and has obtained a 2.76 ERA in eight appearances this season. In that same list, McFarlane, a sophomore right-handed pitcher, is ranked as No. 194, and has held his opponents to a .237 batting average.
Miami’s 4.46 opponent’s runs per game compared to 7.96 runs per game have given Miami a + 3.5 run differential. With that type of advantage, it should make things easy for the ‘Canes.
