Clemson vs. Miami(FL) Preview

March 29, 2007

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Clemson (17-7, 4-2 ACC), ranked as high as #11 in the nation, will play host to Miami (FL) (15-12, 3-6 ACC) this weekend in a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Game times are 7:15 PM (Friday), 7:00 PM (Saturday), and 1:00 PM (Sunday). All three games will be broadcast live on the radio by Clemson Tiger Sports Network. All three games will be televised live by CSS and will be available via webcast at ACCSelect.com in non-CSS markets only. Live stats will also be available at ClemsonTigers.com for all three games.

The Series Clemson and Miami (FL) have met 42 times on the diamond, with the Hurricanes holding a 21-20-1 lead in the series dating back to the 1977 season. Last season, Clemson swept the Hurricanes in three games at Coral Gables by scores of 8-6, 6-2, and 14-1. In 2005, Clemson won all four meetings between the two, including three games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium by scores of 15-5, 9-2, and 6-2, and one in the ACC Tournament at Jacksonville, FL by a score of 9-1. Therefore, since the Hurricanes joined the ACC in 2005, the Tigers have won each of the seven meetings, outscoring them by a combined score of 67-19. Clemson has also won 11 consecutive games against teams from the state of Florida.

The Tigers hold a 6-3 lead all-time in games played at Clemson, all of which have taken place at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Clemson holds a 6-0 advantage in games played in the ACC regular season. Tiger Head Coach Doug Kingsmore Stadium. He was also 0-1 against Miami as the head coach at Western Carolina, therefore is 12-10 all-time against the Hurricanes.

The Starting Pitchers In game-one, Miami will start freshman lefty Eric Erickson (3-3, 1.58 ERA) on the mound. The Sarasota, FL native has made five starts and two relief appearances for a total of 40.0 innings pitched. He has allowed 34 hits (.225 opponents’ batting average) and nine walks with 38 strikeouts. He has also given up just one homer and has a save .

The Tigers will counter with junior righthander P.J. Zocchi (3-0, 2.70 ERA) on Friday. The Bronx, NY native has made six starts for a total of 30.0 innings pitched. He has yielded 30 hits (.261 opponents’ batting average) and 11 walks with 30 strikeouts.

In game-two, the Hurricanes will send out junior lefthander Scott Maine (2-4, 4.68 ERA) on the mound. The Palm Beach Gardens, FL native has made seven starts for a total of 32.2 innings pitched. He has yielded 39 hits (.291 opponents’ batting average) and eight walks with 27 strikeouts.

The Tigers will counter with sophomore lefty Ryan Hinson (1-1, 2.14 ERA) on Saturday. The Rock Hill, SC native has made six starts for a total of 33.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 33 hits (.258 opponents’ batting average) and 10 walks with 27 strikeouts.

In game-three, Miami will start junior righty Enrique Garcia (2-2, 2.43 ERA) on the mound. The Mechanicsville, MD native has made four starts and eight relief appearances for a total of 29.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 26 hits (.234 opponents’ batting average) and six walks with 23 strikeouts.

Clemson will counter with junior righthander David Kopp (3-2, 3.58 ERA) on Sunday. The Margate, FL native has made seven starts for a total of 37.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 36 hits (.254 opponents’ batting average) and 11 walks with 29 strikeouts.

The Hurricanes Miami (FL), led by 14th-year Head Coach Jim Morris, enters the weekend series against #11 Clemson with a 15-12 overall record and 3-6 ACC mark. The team has not played a game since losing two of three games at Virginia last weekend. The Hurricanes are also 2-7 on the road this season. Miami is hitting .276 as a team with a .396 on-base percentage thanks to 149 walks, an average of 5.5 per game. The Hurricanes have 26 sacrifice bunts and 45 stolen bases in 58 attempts as well.

Yonder Alonso has a team-high .374 batting average and .500 on-base percentage along with six homers and 28 RBIs. Freshman third-baseman Mark Sobolewski is hitting .330 with a team-best 30 RBIs, while Blake Tekotte is batting .329 with a team-high eight stolen bases.

The pitching staff has a 3.95 ERA and .249 opponents’ batting average. The staff has also struck out 190 against 93 walks. Senior righthander Danny Gil has a 4.81 ERA and team-high two saves in 12 appearances. The team is fielding at a .962 clip as well.

The Tigers Clemson enters the series against Miami (FL) with a 17-7 overall record and 4-2 mark in ACC play after beating Gardner-Webb 14-2 on Tuesday and Western Carolina 15-6 on Wednesday. The Tigers, who are 16-3 at home this season, also brings a #11 national ranking into the series.

The team is hitting .293 with a .372 on-base percentage. Clemson has raised its batting average 15 points in the last two games thanks to totaling 37 hits this week. Brad Chalk is hitting a team-best .425 with a .539 on-base percentage. He has reached base via a hit, walk, or hit-by-pitch in 50 straight games dating back to 2006. Doug Hogan is hitting .390 with four homers and 12 RBIs, and he is riding a current 12-game hitting streak.

The pitching staff has a 2.96 ERA and .233 opponents’ batting average. It has combined to strike out 203 against 68 walks. Daniel Moskos has a team-high five saves, while Stephen Clyne has an 0.46 ERA and .169 opponents’ batting average in 10 relief appearances. The team is fielding at a .969 clip as well.

Clemson has seven players from the state of Florida. Clyne (Parkland), David Kopp (Margate), Buddy Munroe (Miami), Brock Schnabel (Winter Haven), and Marquez Smith (Ocala) all hail from the Sunshine State. The Tigers’ athletic trainer, Graduate Assistant Pat Hassell, also hails from the Miami area and attended Coral Gables High School.

Worth Noting

Ben Paulsen had one homer and three RBIs in his first 19 gamesas a Tiger. In the last two games, he has seven hits, two homeruns, and nine RBIs.

Harbin Pulling Double Duty Junior middle infielder Taylor Harbin (Travelers Rest, SC) has had to make the move from second base, where he was a preseason first-team All-American, to shortstop due to the loss of regular-shortstop Stan Widmann. Harbin’s preseason accolades were due in a large part to his defensive prowess. He has done nothing to disappoint at the tougher defensive position of shortstop after starting there since game #7 of the season. Harbin has committed just one error in 94 chances at shortstop, good for an outstanding .989 fielding percentage.

Harbin has also been a “doubles’ machine” since stepping onto the field for the first time in 2005. He entered the 2007 season with 48 doubles in his first two years, and he has eight this season, giving him 56 in his three-year career. That mark is tied for ninth-most in school history.

Tigers Blast Western Carolina 15-6 Behind 16 hits, #11 Clemson defeated Western Carolina 15-6 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on March 28. The Tigers scored in six straight innings beginning with the second frame. Ten different Tigers had at least one hit, while 12 different Tigers scored at least one run. Doug Hogan went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored. Marquez Smith tallied three RBIs as well. Matt Zoltak earned his first career win, as he pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in relief. The Catamounts committed four errors, which led to seven unearned runs allowed by their pitchers.