As the Miami Hurricanes battle in-state rival, the Florida State Seminoles, for postseason positioning, senior ace Rob Evans aims to become the program's first ten-game winner in a decade.
Miami, FL. – Ahead of Thursday night’s series opener against the No. 11 Florida State Seminoles at Tallahassee, the Miami Hurricanes will need the pitching staff to be consistent on striking out batters and not give up easy runs. Despite the ups and downs throughout the season, senior lefty Rob Evans has been the most reliable.
The 22-year-old has appeared in 13 games, all starts, pitched in 72.1 innings, allowing 53 hits and 30 earned runs, 85 strikeouts, 11 while looking, and has a 3.73 ERA, which is the 10th-best in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Evans currently has nine wins on the season, but he could be the first since Michael Medeiavilla in 2016 to crack double-digits.
The Hurricanes’ pitching staff will face a Seminoles team that has the fifth-worst batting average in the ACC: .282. Regardless, it’s going to take discipline on the mound and pitch calling from the dugout to keep the batters from getting hot. Evans has been a tone-setter for the Hurricanes, looking to establish momentum for a critical series. Despite the history between in-state rivals, the goal for him is to step on the mound and handle business as usual.
“Nothing changes due to where we’re at, who we’re playing, the environment, it’s just a game,” he said in Monday’s media availability. “Go out, throw strikes, get ahead, win counts early. There’s a little more energy into it, a little more focus, but when it comes to the actual game plan, it’s just do what I’ve been doing the whole year. Hopefully, that leads to success.”
On the other side of things, the Hurricanes’ offense will face another top ACC pitcher in junior lefty Wes Mendes. He’s appeared in 13 games, all starts, has nine wins on the season, and a 2.42 ERA, third best in the conference. After asking junior catcher Alex Sosa and fifth-year senior right fielder Derek Williams about him, they understood what the 21-year-old pitcher has to bring. However, senior second baseman and leadoff hitter Jake Ogden responded differently.
“I don’t know nothing about him,” he said.
The Hurricanes and Seminoles aren’t just facing off for bragging rights, but with a double-bye in the ACC Tournament at stake. The winner of the three-game series could come down to which pitching staff executes better.
The rivalry dates back to the 1950s and the Hurricanes haven’t swept the Seminoles since the 2023 season. However, Coach J.D. Arteaga and the team look to take it one game at a time.
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