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Seven Hurricanes Added To UM Sports HOF

We thought that it should not go unmentioned that seven Miami Hurricanes were inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame during its 45th annual induction banquet earlier this year. 

Prior to the UMSHOF inductions two additional awards were handed out:

• Junior football player Shane McDermott was presented with the Walter Kichefski Endowed Football Scholarship by Don Mariutto Jr.
  
• The UMSHOF Distinguished Service Award was presented to Dr. Clyde B. McCoy.
  

The Class of 2013 included Ed Contreras (baseball, 1957-59), Ken Dorsey (football, 1999-2002), Bryan Gillooly (diving, 1994-98), Norm Parsons (administration / coaching, 1972-2012), Brett Romberg (football, 1999-2002), Don Soldinger (coach, 1984-88 and 1995-2006) and Jay Tessmer (baseball, 1994-95).

Ed Contreras, Baseball:

One of Miami's first true power hitters, Contreras led the Canes in home runs and RBI in each of his three seasons (19 HR, 67 RBI in 77 games) and also led the team in batting in 1958 (.316) and 1959 (.310). He left Miami as the school's single-season and career home runs leader and he still holds the UM career slugging percentage record (.615) for under 300 at bats. He played for legendary major leaguer and UM coach, Jimmy Foxx, and also played basketball for UM Sports Hall of Famer, Coach Bruce Hall.

Ken Dorsey, Football: 

Dorsey quarterbacked the Hurricanes to their fifth national championship in 2001 and was named MVP of the 2002 Rose Bowl. He was a 2002 All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. The 2001 and 2002 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, Dorsey set eight UM career records, including total offense, passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions and attempts. He is the winningest quarterback in program history (38-2) and he won the 2001 Maxwell Award as the top player in college football.

Brett Romberg, Football

In 2002 Romberg was a consensus All-American and Rimington Award winner as the nation's best center. He was a first-team All-BIG EAST selection in 2001 and 2002, while never allowing a sack in his time as the Hurricanes center. Miami went 35-2 in his 37 consecutive starts at center, helping lead the Canes to the 2001 national title and three BIG EAST titles.

Don Soldinger, Coach

Soldinger was the linebackers and tight ends coach for Jimmy Johnson from 1984-88 and was the running backs and special teams coach under coaches Butch Davis and Larry Coker from 1995-2006. He was on the 1987 and 2001 national championship coaching staffs; he also coached six of the seven Miami running backs that rushed for 1,000 yards in a season (Willis McGahee, Edgerrin James - twice, Clinton Portis, Danyell Ferguson, Frank Gore and James Jackson). In his 16 seasons as a Hurricanes assistant coach, Miami won 158 games.

 Jay Tessmer, Baseball

Tessmer was a first-team Collegiate Baseball All-American in 1995 after collecting 20 saves - tied for second-most in school history - and posting a 1.31 ERA to lead Jim Morris' squad to the College World Series. He finished second nationally in Division I with a 1.16 ERA in 1994, while his career 1.24 ERA ranks second in school history. He holds the UM record for fewest walks per 9 innings (1.42 average) and has the second-most appearances by a pitcher in a season (45 in 1995). Tessmer finished his career fifth with 23 saves and played professionally for the New York Yankees.

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When Roach Meets Coach

This article was written for Canespace by blogger RoachCane77...

As a life long Miami Hurricanes fan I recently had an incredible surprise as I was driving out of work about two weeks ago at Lemon Bay High School in Englewood, Florida.

As I drove past our practice football field where Spring football practice was going on, I saw a really big guy from behind talking to our head football Coach. The guy was wearing a green shirt and a big straw hat. Nobody at our school wears green (except my wife and I and another UM alum teacher) because Venice High School, one of our closest rivals in the area, wears green and white. Yes , in case you were wondering, that is the same high school that current UM running back Danny Dillard played for.

Anyway, I suspected right away who it is and sure enough it turns out to be UM's Offensive Line Coach Art Kehoe who stopped by our school on his Southwest Florida recruiting swing. So I managed to quickly park my car and walked over to meet the legendary Art Kehoe.

While I was approaching them I heard our head football coach warn him: "Here comes the biggest Hurricane fan you'll ever meet!"  Art and I shook hands and exchanged greetings. After he was done meeting with our football coach (he left a bunch of the Al Golden football camp brochures with him) we spoke for about twenty minutes about all things ‘Canes.

Man, can this guy tell some stories! It was a lot of fun to finally meet him and be able to talk for a while. He was a great guy and took some time out of his busy schedule to really spend some time with me. We talked about the "old days” at The U, even the years before HE got there (I graduated from UM back in 1977). We also talked about the upcoming season and about UM Basketball (which he loves). In fact, he said he would finish working a 14 hour day for the football team, then get home and his wife would make him turn around and go back to campus to attend Hurricane basketball games!

Kehoe loves Coach Larranaga. I told him that Coach L is known as "The Pimp" on CaneSpace and he just laughed. He told a story of how Larranaga came and talked to some football recruits on campus for a Junior Day recruiting trip for about twenty minutes before he took the court with our boys and mopped the floor with a visiting UNC team!  Art said Coach L is an unbelievable speaker and recruiter.

Since I mentioned I coach girl’s tennis and golf teams for my school we also talked for a minute about women's tennis winning the ACC and how much he respects the job Paige Yaroshuk-Tews is doing at Miami.

Coach Kehoe also talked about the infamous Fiesta Bowl pass interference call and how LATE it was. He never denied that it was a close call, which could have gone either way, but what he did say was that he saw close up replays of both officials in that part of the end zone.

The official closest to the goal line pylon in front of the play immediately signaled no penalty and then pointed to the official at the back of the end zone for confirmation. Terry Porter, who initially started to confirm and signal no foul, then quickly put his hands on his hips, paused, and finally reached for his flag and tossed it.

I had never heard or seen this before, and I was at that game. I just remember how unbelievably LATE that flag came out. Our team had already rushed the field and fireworks had gone off before it was tossed. It is still sickening even today. I also told him how ridiculously rude those OSU fans were after that game, even yelling slurs at Donna Shalala as we walked out of the stadium.

We also talked about older players from my era at UM. Two players we discussed were RB Otis Anderson and DT Tony Cristiani. He said he recruited Tony's son Mark, (who also played at Venice High) but couldn't get the "higher ups" to give him a scholly.  Mark Cristiani went on to Eastern Kentucky and was a four year starter.

Tony, as we know, was a two time All-American for Miami as an undersized (5-9, 213 lb) and "tough as nails" nose tackle. Art remembered that Tony could do leg splits in full pads, had unbelievable balance, footwork and strength for a dude his size. When I was at UM there was no official weight room for the team per se, and I would find myself working out on the same ancient Universal weight machine as Tony on numerous occasions. Man our facilities at the U have come a long, long way since then!

Overall, Art is a real genuine, energetic guy, just like he appears on the sidelines and in interviews. I was really amped to have spoken to him on my home turf. I have since thought of about ten questions I wish I would have asked him, but alas, I was kind of star struck in the moment and grinning from ear to ear most of the time as I spoke to him.

Anyway, in the end, we exchanged business cards and we both went on our way. But meeting coach Kehoe at Lemon Bay High School is a day I will not soon forget.

ACC Baseball Tournament Begins Thursday

The eighth-seeded Miami Hurricanes will open their run at the 2013 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships Thursday with a 3 p.m. matchup against first-seeded North Carolina at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

The Hurricanes (35-21, 14-16 ACC), who have never missed the eight-team field during their nine seasons in the conference, are joined in Pool A by UNC (47-8, 21-7), fourth-seeded NC State (42-13, 19-10) and fifth-seeded Clemson (39-17, 18-12).

Pool B will be comprised of second-seeded Florida State (44-11, 20-10), third-seeded Virginia (45-9, 22-8), sixth-seeded Virginia Tech (35-19, 15-14) and seventh-seeded Georgia Tech (33-23, 15-15).

The Hurricanes will battle NC State Friday (May 24) at 11 a.m. and will end pool play with Clemson Saturday (May 25) at 3 p.m. If the Canes successfully emerge from Pool A, they will play the winner of Pool B Sunday at 1 p.m. for the championship.

Miami, who has only captured one ACC Championship (2008) in eight appearances in the tournament, competed in last season's championship finale, but ultimately fell to Georgia Tech 8-5 in Greensboro, N.C.

560 WQAM, the flagship station for Miami Hurricanes Athletics, and WVUM 90.5 FM will carry all of the action live from Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

All 13 games of this year’s ACC Baseball Championship will be televised for the seventh straight year. Regional Sports Networks from across the conference footprint and across the nation will carry all 12 games on Wednesday through Saturday. Please check theACC.com for RSN coverage of each game (http://www.theacc.com/live/rsn.html). Sunday’s 1 p.m. championship game will televised nationally by ESPN2.

All games will live-streamed via the Internet by ESPN3. In addition, all 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. games will be broadcast via satellite radio on Sirius XM 85. The 7 p.m. Wednesday (May 22) and Thursday (May 23) games will be broadcast on Sirius 93/XM 190. The Friday (May 24) 7 p.m. game will be carried on Sirius 111/XM 190, and the Saturday 7 p.m. game will be carried on Sirius 158/XM 190. Sunday afternoon’s championship game will be carried by Sirius XM 91 (College SportsNation).

For the full release from the Atlantic Coast Conference, click HERE.

Building Champions Tour Visits Orlando

On Thursday, May 9th I had the fortunate opportunity to attend the exciting Hurricane Club Spring Tour event in Orlando.

The Building Champions tour has been moving full speed ahead in reaching out to University of Miami fans all across Florida by following a whirlwind travel schedule that finally ended on Thursday, May 16 in New York City.

The Orlando event was held at one of the most unique and inviting (and hard to find) locations imaginable: the Panama Jack showroom and display warehouse near downtown. This is the second straight year the event was held at this location as a result of an on-going relationship between UM Athletic Director Blake James and Panama Jack CEO and founder Jack Katz.

Katz started the Panama Jack company in 1974 in Panama City, Florida out of a single tiki hut near the beach selling sun tan lotion. Today the company is a global empire and sells everything from lotions to clothing to furniture to bicycles to sunglasses and various other "tropical lifestyle products".

The casual, intimate event was attended by approximately 180 hard core 'Canes fans from all over Central Florida. We met several of the fans and even some old-time Canespacers who wanted to share in the friendly meet and greet with Head Coach Al Golden and UM AD Blake James.

Golden was very relaxed and approachable as he held court and took time to take photos with fans and sign autographs for the UM faithful in attendance. If you have ever met Golden in person then you know that he has this certain "presence" about him, a certain confidence, character and charisma that he exudes with incredible ease.

The always present Joe Zagacki was on hand as part of the tour swing from Tampa to Orlando and then on to Jacksonville. James took to the stage first as Zagacki welcomed the crowd and got the show underway.

I had the chance to ask James one of the first questions from the audience:

Canespace: "Hurricane football was built on Swagger and the belief that we would play anyone, anywhere, anytime. However, as an athletic director you have to be much more planful and strategic in developing future schedules both in working with the ACC and in scheduling out of conference games. Tell us what goes into developing schedules and what factors you consider?"

James: "Well to be honest I wish you would have asked me that question after we have our ACC meetings next week. After all of the conference schools get together, including our new members like Pittsburgh and Syracuse that are joining the ACC, we will all have a lot better idea of what the conference scheduling format will look like going forward."

"In terms of out of conference games you have to consider strength of schedule and how that will impact the rankings and the opportunity to play for a national championship. And make no mistake about it, that is our goal at Miami. However, some things are beyond your control and not as predictable as you might think. For example, when Miami scheduled Kansas State several years ago I am pretty sure that nobody expected them to be a top 5 team for most of the 2012 season."

"The bottom line is that we want to win our conference first and also schedule teams outside the ACC that support our strength of schedule and can potentially lead to us winning a national championship. We will schedule any team that we feel will help us achieve that goal."

Golden took to the stage to resounding applause from the crowd after a very heartfelt and supportive introduction from Zagacki. Joe Z mentioned the UM slogan on the posters that were on each side of the stage that read: "Stand With The U". He stated "If there is one person who exemplifies that slogan more than anyone else it is UM head coach Al Golden. In spite of difficult circumstances almost from the day he arrived on campus, Al has stood by Miami and has never wavered in his commitment to UM."

Golden took the time to answer several questions from the fans in great detail. He has a very relaxed and effective way of communicating to his audience and the ability to break down information in a comfortable, conversational style that is easy for even the casual fan to grasp and understand.

Fan: "Tell us what we can expect on offense this season with the addition of new Offensive Coordinator James Coley from FSU?"

Golden: "Well, as you mentioned Coley comes to Miami from Florida State to replace Jedd Fisch. We feel fortunate to have him because we believe he is not only an excellent coach but also a great recruiter. The one thing the immediately impressed me about James is that rather than try to implement an entirely new offense and terminology in a short time period he took on the task of learning our offensive terminology and translating his offensive scheme into what we were already doing. He picked it up so quick and that is going to make the transition much easier for our players especially for the upcoming season."

"As far as the offense goes at Quarterback we have Stephen Morris returning as our starter for his Senior season. Last year Morris set all kind of passing records for Miami and in the ACC as well. He led the conference in several categories and also broke many of the UM records as a Junior. We would have liked to have been able to red-shirt Stephen when he was a Freshman but due to the suspensions we had he had to play right away. Can you imagine if Morris was going into this season as a red-shirt Junior? We would like to be able to redshirt many of the players coming in but due to the issues we had and the lack of depth at certain positions we have had to play them right away which is not the ideal situation. We expect Stephen to pick up where he left off last season and have an excellent year for us again in 2013."

"And at running back we have this kid you might have heard of, what's his name again? [Golden, playing the crowd like a piano, gives a dramatic pause as the crowd immediately screamed out in unison: DUKE!] Yeah Duke Johnson! Duke is obviously a really special player for us. Everyone likes to mention explosive plays like his long TD runs from scrimmage, I think he had like five that were over 50 yards last year, or his kickoff returns for touchdowns, but there was one play last season that told me he was a very special player."

"I think it may have been the NCST game where it was fourth down and we needed like two yards for a first down. I decided to go for it and we called a play for Duke to run to the right outside the tackle and they had the perfect defense called for that play. There were like three defenders in position to make a play against Duke, it was like three against one. Duke lowered his pads, found a small crease and somehow powered his way through to get the first down. That was the play that I remember most and was the play that told me that he is a special player."

"At wide receiver people forget that we had a lot of injuries at that position last season. We were playing without Malcolm Lewis, Robert Lockhart, Allen Hurns and Rasahwn Scott for most of or at least a significant part of last season. Everybody is back healthy now and that is going to make a big difference for us. We have good depth so there is going to be some excellent competition at the WR spot going into Fall practice and the 2013 season."

"At offensive line is another area where we feel we have developed excellent depth and the two deep (depth chart) is really as solid a group as I have been around. Coach Kehoe will have those guys ready to go come Fall. They know how important it is to keep the defense off of Stephen, to give him time to execute the play call and to keep him upright and healthy. That could be the key to our season."

Double Duty: Elder, Griffin To Play Two Sports For UM

Head coach Jim Larrañaga has announced the signing of James Kelly and Manu LeComte to National Letters of Intent and Angel Rodriguez to a financial aid agreement to play men’s basketball for the University of Miami. The trio will join the UM class of 2013 along with early signing period commitments Deandre Burnett and Davon Reed and UM dual-sport athletes Corn Elder and Derrick Griffin.

“Our recruiting class in the spring has added a lot of versatility and much-needed skills to our program,” Larrañaga said. “We have graduated five outstanding seniors and lost Shane Larkin to the NBA Draft, so we have a lot of holes to fill.”

James Kelly, a 6-8, 240-pound JUCO power forward, played in the NJCAA Division II tournament semifinals with Owens Community College (Toledo, Ohio) this season. He shot 52.2 percent from the field and averaged 18.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during his senior campaign and led the conference in scoring (21.1 ppg) and rebounding (11.4 rpg). In two seasons at Owens, Kelly averaged 17.9 points and 10.0 rebounds. He became the first player in program history to record 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 100 steals and 100 blocks in his career. He also added 70 career assists. Kelly, who is from Ann Arbor, Mich., attended Pioneer High School, where he averaged 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 assist per game. Kelly was also recruited by Michigan State, New Mexico, West Virginia and Clemson.

“James Kelly will be a vital part of the team this season because he provides us a power forward/small forward who can contribute both inside and outside,” Larrañaga said. “He’s 6-7, 245 pounds and he’s big enough to battle the bigger teams in the ACC, but also quick enough to guard smaller players on the perimeter.”

Emmanuel “Manu” LeComte, a 5-9 point guard from Belgium, is currently playing for Dexia Mons-Hainaut in Mons, Wallonia (Belgium), where he has averaged 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. A true point guard who can also shoot the three or pull up for jumpers, the freshman will bring international basketball experience to the Canes. At just 17 years old, LeComte has competed in Belgium’s U16, U18 and U20 championships, most recently playing in the U18 European Championship, where he led his country in scoring with 12.0 ppg and 2.9 assists in eight outings. LeComte turned down offers from Gonzaga, Creighton and UAB to attend The U.

“Manu LeComte is a true point guard with outstanding ball skills and shooting ability,” Larrañaga said. “We love his speed, quickness and ability to create for other players.”

Angel Rodriguez, a 5-11, 180-pound point guard, returns home to Miami after two seasons at Kansas State University. A native of San Juan, P.R., Rodriguez played prep basketball at local Miami Krop High School, where he was named the 2009-10 Class 6A Player of the Year as well as first-team all-state. In two seasons with the K-State Wildcats, Rodriguez averaged 9.8 points, 4.2 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals in his 65 total games. Last season as a sophomore at Kansas State, Rodriguez helped the Wildcats to the Big 12 Championship, a 27-8 record and an appearance in the NCAA tournament. He started 33 games averaging 11.4 points, 5.2 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Rodriguez signed his financial aid agreement on May 1, and is seeking an NCAA waiver for permission to play in the 2013-2014 season.

“Angel Rodriguez is a point guard with outstanding college credentials,” Larrañaga said. “He was an all-conference player in the Big 12 and he was on the all-defensive team in the Big 12. He’s a great replacement for Shane Larkin.”

Despite being on football scholarships with the Canes, Cornelius Elder and Derrick Griffin will both play basketball for UM after football season is complete.

Cornelius Elder is a 5-11, 165-pound point guard from Ensworth High in Nashville, Tenn. Elder averaged 20.2 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.2 steals in his senior season, and ended his high school tenure with a career-high 41 points in the DII-AA finals game. He scored 1,521 career points and led the Tigers to a 97-20 record in his prep years. Elder was named both the 2013 boys basketball and football player of the year by The Tennessean and was the state tournament MVP three-straight years.

“Corn Edler is truly one of the great student-athletes in the country,” Larrañaga said. “He was the player of the year for both football and basketball in the state of Tennessee. He has remarkable speed and quickness and competitive spirit. We’ll look forward to when he can join our basketball program after the football season."

Derrick Griffin, from Rosenberg, Texas, is a 6-7, 217-pound dual-sport athlete who played forward and wide receiver in high school. Griffin averaged 18.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.7 blocks, 2.0 steals and 1.8 assists per game his senior campaign for Texas 4A state champion B.F. Terry High School. He is a 4-star basketball recruit rated the No. 26 small forward by ESPN, No. 74 nationally by Scout.com and No. 81 by Rivals.com. 

“We watched Derrick Griffin play and would have loved to recruit him for our basketball program because he is one of the great athletes in the nation,” Larrañaga said. “At 6-7, 220-pounds, he can do everything that DeQuan Jones did for us two years ago. He’s strong, he’s fast, and he can jump out of the gym.”

Guards Deandre Burnett (6-1, 190) and Davon Reed (6-6, 195) committed to the Canes during the early signing period. Burnett, a Parade All-American, averaged 36.2 points, six rebounds and four assists per game as a senior at Carol City High School in Miami Gardens, Fla. Reed, a 4-star recruit who averaged 27.0 points and 9.0 rebounds at Princeton Day School (N.J.), was ranked No. 77 in the class of 2013 by ESPN and No. 104 by Rivals.com.

Caps And Gowns Are Totally In Fashion

Thirty-six student-athletes from nine sports graduated from the University of Miami during Spring Commencement exercises held Thursday and Friday at BankUnited Center. In addition to the 36 graduates, several student-athletes that had already graduated or will graduate in the Summer also participated in the Commencement ceremonies.

Graduates during Friday's 5 p.m. ceremony were honored to have AP National Coach of the Year Jim Larrañaga and their Commencement speaker.

Among the spring graduates are Dalton Botts (football), Luther Robinson (football), Morgan Stroman (women's basketball), Julian Gamble (men's basketball), Kenny Kadji (men's basketball), Durand Scott (men's basketball), Katalin Horvath (rowing), Greg Kaczka (track & field), Elyse Houston (track & field) and NFL free agent Phillip Buchanon (football).

“Today will celebrate the most important day in college sports, graduation day!” Associate AD for Academic Services David Wyman said. “Congratulations to all of our student-athletes, who have completed their studies, and are now ready to change the world.  We salute you and your families.”

Trey McKinney Jones (Master's, Liberal Arts), Garrius Adams, Stephanie Yderstrom and Shane McDermott were among those student-athletes that walked during Spring Commencement exercises but do not graduate until the summer. Shayon Green also walked Friday, but he will graduate in December.

For the latest information on the Miami Hurricanes follow @HurricaneSports on Twitter and on Facebook www.facebook.com/MiamiHurricanes.

STUDENT-ATHLETE SPRING GRADUATES:

Football (7): Blake Ayles (Arts and Sciences), Dalton Botts (Arts and Sciences), Dyron Dye (Arts and Sciences), Jordan Futch (Arts and Sciences), Shawn O'Dare (Arts and Sciences), Luther Robinson (Arts and Sciences), Cameron Dean (Master's, Education).

Men's Tennis (1): Victor Mauz (Business).

Women's Basketball (4): Jessica Capers (Arts and Sciences), Morgan Stroman (Education), Shanel Williams (Arts and Sciences), Shawnice Wilson (Arts and Sciences).

Women's Soccer (4): Ali Brennan (Marine Science), Kim Hutchinson(Arts and Sciences),Jordan Roseboro (Education), Tina Romagnuolo (Education).

Men's Basketball (3): Julian Gamble (Master's, Liberal Arts), Kenny Kadji (Arts and Sciences), Durand Scott (Arts and Sciences).

Baseball (1): Eric Nedeljkovic.

Rowing (3): Katalin Horvath (Marine Science), Caitlin Morrison (Arts and Sciences), Maria Siemann (Education).

Track & Field (4): Greg Kaczka (Business), Elyse Houston(Arts and Sciences),Allison Ludwick (Arts and Sciences), Jennifer Estime (Architecture).

Swimming & Diving (5): Carrie Dragland (Education), Kelsi Hall (Education), Hannah Kling (Education), Haley Nicholson (Marine Science), Kayla Smith (Arts and Sciences).

Returning Graduates (4): Phillip Buchanon (Arts and Sciences), Eddie Reyes (Arts and Sciences), John Housey, Eduardo Pavia (Engineering).

Jones To Lead UM Sports Hall Of Fame

The University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame (UMSHoF) today introduced K.C. Jones as president and named the other officers who will help guide UMSHoF through its planned renovation and expansion. 

Jones is an independent financial advisor with LPL Financial in Coral Gables, Fla. A 2008 hall inductee, he was a four-year starter for the Miami Hurricanes football team who earned recognition as one of the best college centers as a 1996 All-American and for three years was named to the All Big East first team.

Following his playing career at Miami, he earned two Super Bowl rings in four seasons with the Denver Broncos.  

The UMSHoF's other officers who will serve for the 2013-2015 term are:

Gerard Loisel, President-Elect

Richard Horton, Vice President

Marc O'Connor, Treasurer

Tracy Kerdyk, Secretary

Wally DiMarko, Immediate Past President

John Routh, Executive Director

"Our officers are beginning their term at a pivotal time for the UMSHoF," said Jones. "Not only are we preparing for our largest annual fundraising event, the Celebrity Dolphin Fishing Tournament June 28 and 29, we are finalizing our plans for the renovation and expansion of the facility on the University of Miami campus. It is clear that the UMSHoF has exceeded the vision of its founders. We want to make it a destination for UM fans nationwide who visit us in Coral Gables or on the Web. Ultimately, we intend to unveil a new website on which fans can experience Hurricanes sports history and participate in online auctions of unique sports memorabilia."

About the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame Celebrity Dolphin Fishing Tournament

Ray Lewis, a former Hurricanes linebacker and two-time Super Bowl winner with the Baltimore Ravens, will host this year's activities June 28 and 29 in Islamorada, Fla. The schedule includes a captain's meeting, full day of fishing, awards dinner and live and silent auctions involving sports memorabilia as well as a variety of gift packages. Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded to anglers in eight categories.

A portion of the tournament proceeds will go to The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys and the UMSHoF. For information about tournament participation, including boat entry or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.canesfish.com, send an email to info@canesfish.com.

Former Hurricanes sports stars slated to participate include NFL Hall of Fame Inductee and 2012 Tournament Host Warren Sapp (Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders), NFL Hall of Fame Member Ted Hendricks (Baltimore Colts, Green Bay Packers, Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders), Brett Romberg (Jacksonville Jaguars, St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons), Gary Dunn (Pittsburgh Steelers), Damione Lewis (St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots and Houston Texans), and Randal Hill (Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints).

About the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame (UMSHoF)

Hurricanes Hit The Road To Build Champions

The 2013 Hurricane Club #Building Champions Spring Tour continues May 8-10 with three more Florida stops in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville.

Head football coach Al Golden, National Coach of the Year Jim Larrañaga and head women's basketball coach Katie Meier will be in Tampa on May 8, while Golden and Larrañaga will be in Orlando on May 9.

The May 8 event in Tampa will be held at Brickhouse Tavern & Tap. Hors d'oeuvres will be served at 6:30 p.m., followed by a reception at 7:30 p.m. Pre-RSVP Hurricane Club members are $25, non-Hurricane Club members are $40 and day-of-entry guests will be $50.

The #BuildingChampions Spring Tour will then travel up Interstate 4 for its next tour stop May 9 in Orlando, which will be held at Panama Jack. Hors d'oeuvres will be served at 6:30 p.m., followed by a reception at 7:30 p.m. Pre-RSVP Hurricane Club members are $25, non-Hurricane Club members
are $40 and day-of-entry guests will be $50.

Coach Golden will be in attendance for the final Florida Spring Tour stop May 10 in Jacksonville at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center. A reception will be held at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Pre-RSVP Hurricane Club members are $50, while non-Hurricane Club members are $75.

The 2013 Hurricane Club #BuildingChampions Spring Tour concludes with a reception Thursday, May 16 at Brother Jimmy's in New York City.

For questions about all Spring Tour stops and the Chicago Event, please call the Hurricane Club at 305-284-6699.

2013 HURRICANE CLUB #BUILDINGCHAMPIONS
SPRING TOUR AND SITE INFO

Wednesday, May 8
Brickhouse Tavern & Tap in Tampa, Fla. (Register)
Hors d’oeuvres at 6:30 p.m., reception at 7:30 p.m.
Pre-RSVP Hurricane Club members: $25; Non-Hurricane Club members: $40; Day-of entry: $50
Location: 1102 North Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33607

Thursday, May 9
Panama Jack in Orlando, Fla. (Register)
Hors d’oeuvres at 6:30 p.m., reception at 7:30 p.m.
Pre-RSVP Hurricane Club members: $25; Non-Hurricane Club members: $40; Day-of entry: $50
Location: 724 Franklin Street, Orlando, FL 32801

Friday, May 10
Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center in Jacksonville, Fla. (Register)
Reception at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m.
Pre-RSVP Hurricane Club members: $50; Non-HC members: $75
Location: 1000 Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32204

Thursday, May 16
Brother Jimmy’s in New York (Register)
Hors d’oeuvres at 6:30 p.m., reception at 7:30 p.m.
Pre-RSVP Hurricane Club members: $40; Non-HC members: $50; Day-of entry: $60
Location: 181 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016

Thursday, May 23
Sixth annual Chicago Coaches Dinner (Register)
The Westin Chicago River North Hotel
320 North Dearborn St., Chicago, IL

Red Storm No Match For Hurricanes

In a back-and-forth affair at Alex Rodriguez Park, the Miami Hurricanes completed a weekend sweep of visiting St. John's with a 6-4 win in Sunday's series finale.

Sophomore lefthander Andrew Suarez provided another strong performance from the mound, going 6.2 innings and allowing just one earned run. The Miami, Fla., native, who struck out three Red Storm batters on the afternoon and walked none, scattered six hits in his third straight quality start.

In a game that saw three lead changes over the middle frames, a three-run, two-out rally in the seventh inning would prove the difference. With the victory, the Hurricanes (32-18) extended their home winning streak to six consecutive games.

Suarez was boosted by a diving grab from senior Chantz Mack in the second that helped prevent an early run. With two runners on base, Mack lunged forward and caught a sinking flyball in his outstretched glove to end the inning. The lefthander would retire six in a row after the catch, doing his part to keep the Red Storm (20-30) off the board.

Despite drawing five walks against St. John's starter Ryan Horstman, the Hurricanes were unable to generate any run support for Suarez in the early going. But, having chased Horstman out of the game after just four innings, the hosts tagged Ryan McCormick in his first inning of relief.

Freshman outfielder Ricky Eusebio led off the inning with a single, while Palmer reached via bunt single to give the Hurricanes two runners on base. After Hernandez advanced both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, McCormick intentionally walked Mack to force an out at any base.

Junior Brad Fieger would convert the opportunity, connecting on a flyball to deep center to plate Eusebio and break the deadlock for a 1-0 advantage. McCormick limited the damage, however, as freshman David Thompson's 12-pitch at bat ended in an inning-ending strikeout.

The Red Storm responded with two runs in the top of the sixth, taking their first lead of the game on an RBI single from Frank Schwindel.

The lead would be short-lived, however, as the Hurricanes managed to plate two runs in the bottom of the inning to regain a 3-2 advantage. After allowing back-to-back singles to senior Alex San Juan and sophomore Garrett Kennedy, McCormick balked to advance both runners into scoring position. Infield RBI singles from Eusebio and Hernandez helped Miami regain a one-run lead.

Though St. John's would knot the game at 3-3 on a sacrifice fly from Dan Roland, the Hurricanes connected for three runs off reliever Thomas Hackimer (0-2) in the decisive seventh inning. With two runners on base and two outs, pinch hitter Roger Gonzalez connected on an infield hit to load the bases. Palmer went opposite field for a single to put Miami back on top at 4-3, while a rip up the middle from Hernandez off Hackimer plated two more to extend the lead to three. With the hit, Hernandez set a new career high with three RBI's in the game.

Senior Eric Whaley pitched well in relief of Suarez, allowing a lone unearned run. The righthander jumpstarted an inning-ending double play in the eighth by fielding a sharp grounder and throwing to a covering Brandon Lopez, who fired to first baseman Brad Fieger to end the inning.

Closer Eric Nedeljkovic recorded his second save of the series and conference-leading 12th save of the season with a perfect ninth, as Miami cruised to its first weekend sweep since February.

The Hurricanes next travel to Winston Salem, N.C. for a weekend series with Wake Forest. First pitch for Friday's series opener is set for 6 p.m.

Where's The Beef?

It seems that much ado has been made recently about Miami head coach Al Golden's apparent lack of ability to recruit some big, beefy defensive lineman to secure the interior of the Hurricanes' defense.

In spite of several failed attempts over the last two recruiting cycles to land the BIG Kahuna in the middle, Golden will try again in 2014.

The only problem is there are some slim pickings in South Florida when it comes to big, beefy guys to clog up the middle.

One quick glance at the Miami Herald's Dade and Broward top 20 lists for 2014 shows exactly two light defensive ends and two big interior defensive tackle targets for the Canes, one of which is most likely to wear the orange and green:

"As strong as the secondary will be in this class, the line is already attracting big time prospects. Ends Chad Thomas (Booker T. Washington) and Mike Smith (Northwestern), and interior linemen Khairi Clark (Chaminade-Madonna), Anthony Moten (St. Thomas Aquinas) and Cypress Bay standout Justin Rae are already among the top recruits."

MIAMI-DADE PRE SPRING TOP 20

1. Ermon Lane, WR, 6-1, 180, Homestead.
2. Dalvin Cook, RB, 6-0, 190, Miami Central.
3. Joseph Yearby, RB, 5-10, 195, Miami Central.
4. Treon Harris, QB, 6-0, 185, Miami Booker T. Washington.
5. Quinton "Winky" Flowers, QB, 6-1, 200, Miami Jackson.
6. Steve Ishmael, WR, 6-2, 180, North Miami Beach.
7. Chad Thomas, DE, 6-4, 230, Miami Booker T. Washington.
8. Mike Smith, DE, 6-3, 230, Miami Northwestern.
9. Nigel Patton, DB, 5-9, 175, Miami Booker T. Washington.
10. Deatrick Nichols, DB, 5-8, 175, Miami Central.
11. Tyre Brady, WR, 6-4, 185, South Dade
12. Joseph “Jo-Jo” Robinson, Athlete, 5-11, 185, Miami Northwestern.
13. Jacob McCrary, WR, 6-1, 175, Miami Coral Reef.
14. Nicodem Pierre, QB, 6-2, 205, Miami Coral Reef.
15. Alin Eduoard, QB, 6-2, 180, Hialeah.
16. Trevor Darling, OL, 6-5, 310, Miami Central.
17. Lamar Parker, WR, 5-10, 175, Miami Booker T. Washington.
18. Henderson "Prince" Gray, WR, 5-10, 175, Miami Monsignor Pace.
19. Cornelius Floyd, WR/DB, 6-1, 160, Miami Gulliver Prep.
20. Kendrick Edwards, WR, 6-6, 220, Miami Norland.

BROWARD PRE SPRING TOP 20

1. Sony Michel, RB, 6-0, 210, American Heritage.
2. Khairi Clark, DT, 6-3, 300, Chaminade-Madonna.
3. Anthony Moten, DT, 6-4, 270, St. Thomas Aquinas.
4. Brandon Powell, RB, 5-9, 180, Deerfield Beach.
5. Quincy Wilson, DB, 6-2, 190, University School.
6. John Battle IV, DB, 6-2, 190, Hallandale.
7. Sean White, QB, 6-2, 200, University School.
8. Mardre London, RB, 6-1, 196, St. Thomas Aquinas.
9. Marquese Dudley-Gordon, S, 6-0, 180, Cypress Bay.
10. Richard Yeargin III, LB, 6-4, 218, University School.
11. Corey Holmes, WR, 6-1, 190, St. Thomas Aquinas.
12. Emmanuel Soto, WR, 6-2, 171, University School.
13. Alshinard Harris, DB, 5-11, 160, St. Thomas Aquinas
14. Chris Lammons, Athlete, 5-11, 175, Plantation.
15. Ravian Pierce, TE, 6-4, 210, Plantation.
16. Ryan Crozier, OL, 6-4, 280, St. Thomas Aquinas.
17. Wade Freebeck, QB, 6-4, 185, St. Thomas Aquinas.
18. Carter Jacobs, S, 6-2, 200, American Heritage
19. Isaiah McKenzie, Athlete, 5-9, 170, American Heritage.
20. George Rushing, WR/DB, 6-1, 185, Cardinal Gibbons

Khairi Clark is an early Hurricane favorite to land but Anthony Moten is a Florida Gator commit.

So if Golden wants to find out "Where's The Beef?" he may have to venture outside of South Florida and into the midwest or northeast to find his next prized run stopper in the mold of Cortez Kennedy, Russell Maryland or Warren Sapp. Let's hope Golden gets the job done because if not blogger Herbibis may just finally blow a gasket after all.