Seeking redemption for an early-season sweep, the Miami Hurricanes hand the ball to the sophomore righty to anchor a high-stakes rematch against a bitter in-state rivals in Gainesville.
Miami, FL. – The Miami Hurricanes clinched a berth in the Gainesville Regional winner’s bracket after a 10-5 outing against the Troy Trojans, which lasted until 2:00 a.m. on Saturday. The offense found a late spark to retake control of the game, including a two-run double by freshman Brandon DeGoti, and never looked back. It officially established a rematch against the Florida Gators.
Pitching inconsistencies occurred once again, but surprisingly, it was from senior lefty Rob Evans: five innings pitched, seven hits and three earned runs allowed, two walks, and only four strikeouts in 97 total pitches. Whether it was fatigue from the weather delay or not, the 22-year-old wasn’t as dominant as shown throughout the year. However, the bullpen provided some stability, crediting senior right-handed reliever Lyndon Glidewell with the win.
The Hurricanes faced the Gators in late February, suffering a two-game sweep–the third matchup was cancelled because of rainy weather conditions. However, three months later, they will make up for it in the NCAA Baseball Tournament.
Coach J.D. Arteaga confirmed that sophomore right-handed pitcher AJ Ciscar will start against the Gators following the win against Troy. The local Weston native had been inconsistent on the mound lately. He was pulled early against the Louisville Cardinals and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but showed dominance against the Florida State Seminoles in between starts. Coach Arteaga mentioned the “hiccups” from the 20-year-old, but added how he’s responded strongly.
Looking back at the regular-season series against the Gators, Ciscar pitched in seven innings, giving up five hits and four runs allowed, including two home runs, and six strikeouts in 95 total pitches. The Hurricanes were only down by a run when he was pulled, but the bullpen failed to contain the Gators’ batting firepower–resulting in a 7-2 loss.
Simply, if Ciscar throws consistent strikes and stays ahead on counts, it will give the Hurricanes a fighting chance to advance from the Regional round.
The all-time head-to-head record between both programs is 133-132-1, favoring the Gators.
Any time there’s an opportunity to face a rival, especially in-state, it’s likely to create a hostile environment. Ciscar does have experience playing at Condron Family Ballpark as a freshman, but previously as a member of the bullpen. As the tone setter for Saturday night, it will be important for Ciscar to remain as calm and collected as possible on the mound.
The Hurricanes have a proven offense, but the pitching needs to continue finding ways to step up to reach the Super Regional.
The game is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, barring any weather delays, streaming on the ACC Network.
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Anthony Aguirre is the Miami Hurricanes beat writer for Roundtable Sports. Contact info: [email protected] | 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports
