Fresh off ACC Player of the Week honors, junior catcher Alex Sosa leads the Miami Hurricanes into a high-stakes Tallahassee showdown with postseason seeding and Sunshine State bragging rights on the line.
Miami, FL. – The Miami Hurricanes baseball team is looking to pull off a major upset against the No. 11 Florida State Seminoles this week, from Thursday to Saturday in Tallahassee. There is only a two-game difference between them in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, making a sweep necessary to clinch a double-bye in the conference tournament. The Hurricanes faced a ranked in-state rival earlier this year in the Florida Gators, resulting in a series loss.
A different aftermath would be significant, especially to conclude the regular season.
The Hurricanes will need several strong contributions, including from junior catcher Alex Sosa. He was named ACC Player of the Week following a dominant series performance against the Louisville Cardinals: nine hits in 13 at-bats, nine runs batted in, and three home runs. In Saturday’s win, the 21-year-old stepped up as a first baseman, filling in for the injured Brylan West. In Monday’s media availability, Sosa understood the hype around the matchup, but he’s rather focused on winning than history.
“It’s a rivalry, there’s no other way to put it,” he said. “In-state, two really good teams going at it. I’m on this team and we want to win. I think that’s the way all these guys look at it. Just treat it like every other series, maybe a little rivalry, but it’s really just another series we want to win.”
The Hurricanes will face junior left-handed pitcher Wes Mendes, who currently has a 2.42 ERA, third best in the ACC. Sosa expressed familiarity with the Tampa native on Monday by sharing Florida ties.
“I’ve known him for a while,” he added. “He’s another lefty. We got to just do our job, have good approaches, try to go get him, put up some runs, not give up runs, and try to win the game.”
Sosa transferred to the Coral Gables program after two seasons with the North Carolina State Wolfpack. He has put together an All-ACC campaign, looking to help the Hurricanes carve out a deep run in the NCAA Division I Baseball tournament.
The Viera native hasn’t played behind the plate since April 26, a Sunday matchup against the California Golden Bears. He revealed to have been dealing with a shoulder injury, leaving freshman Alonzo Alvarez to take over at catcher. However, there is a possibility that Sosa could make a return to catching at some point against the Seminoles.
“It’s something we’re playing by ear,” he said. “Just keep feeling it out, I’m ready to go as soon as I’m ready to go.”
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