Despite an electrifying bat, defensive lapses and a high error count leave a veteran shortstop fighting to hold off talented challengers for a spot in the Miami Hurricanes' lineup.
MIAMI, Fla. – Following the 2026 MLB Draft, the Miami Hurricanes’ infield staff will look drastically different. Among the signees is third baseman and All-American Daniel Cuvet, who is tied for third in program history with 54 home runs. He was selected in the fifth round (138th pick) by the Washington Nationals.
Coach J.D. Arteaga will have several voids to fill, but there’s familiarity at shortstop. Vance Sheahan is set on returning for a senior season. The local Lake Worth native transferred to the Coral Gables program during the 2025 spring window following two years at USC Upstate. He was an immediate starter, batting in the back end of the lineup, but would miss seven games (including the Florida series) with an injury.
Sheahan returned against Bethune-Cookman and played the rest of the season. He batted .275 with a .738 OPS, including 50 hits in 183 at-bats, five doubles, a triple, three home runs, 30 runs batted in, and 66 total bases in 52 games (all starts). Sheahan hit a walk-off home run against the UCF Knights in mid-February last season.
Despite all the highlights in the batter’s box, the struggles defensively were too much to overlook. Sheahan led the Hurricanes with 13 errors, including two committed against the Gators in the Gainesville Regional. He finished the season with a .930 fielding percentage, which was the second-worst among the usual starting infield staff.
Sheahan’s starting role shouldn’t be safe unless the defense cleans up. He will have competition at shortstop:
- Junior Brandon DeGoti
- Freshman Rookie Shepard
- Junior and Jacksonville State transfer Trey King
If the Hurricanes elect to go a different route at shortstop, Sheahan could still be a primary starter at designated hitter. He has an electrifying bat to keep in the lineup, but the glove is concerning. Sheahan has gone back-to-back seasons reaching double-digit errors committed – 15 at USC Upstate in 2025 and 13 last season.
The 22-year-old was not given a summer baseball assignment and never entered the transfer portal.
Sheahan’s defense, whether it’s improved or not, will be a deciding factor in who will be the Hurricanes’ starting shortstop for the 2027 college baseball season. Coach Arteaga will likely consider changes, if necessary, to improve the clubhouse’s chances of returning to Omaha for the College World Series.
The Hurricanes revamped the pitching staff with nine transfers, including Blake Morningstar, but the infield defense will be another issue to address.
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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
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