Batter Up!

Tonight your Miami Hurricanes begin the 2012 college baseball season with high hopes and high rankings in the national polls.  The new season offers yet another opportunity for another ACC Title (2008) and another trip to Omaha for the College World Series for the four-time National Champions (1982, 1985, 1999, 2001).

Apparently, several people who should know college baseball agree as the University of Miami landed in the top 20 in several pre-season polls. The Hurricanes were ranked at #13 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, at the No. 14 spot on the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll and at #18 in the Baseball America poll.

The Hurricanes return 18 players from a season ago in which the Hurricanes finished 38-23 overall (19-10 ACC). Miami advanced to their NCAA-record 39th consecutive NCAA Regional as they traveled to the Gainesville Regional before bowing out to the dreaded Florida Gators.

Among the returning players for the Hurricanes is the entire starting pitching staff that includes Bryan "B-Rad" Radziewski, Eric "Bob Marley and The" Whaley and Steven "Dallas" Ewing. Former starting pitcher E.J. Echinosa will move to the bullpen as the closer.

Head coach Jim Morris will begin his 19th year as head coach at UM as the Hurricanes open the season at Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park (ARP) against Rutgers for a three-game series beginning tonight.

Gino DiMare rejoins the University of Miami baseball team after three years away from the program. He will serve as an assistant coach in charge of hitting, as well as assisting with recruiting. Overall, this will be the 13th year for DiMare as a member of the Hurricanes baseball staff.

Prior to his exit in 2008, DiMare served as the Canes recruiting coordinator and hitting coach over his final nine seasons. He held the title of assistant head coach during the 2008 season - a year the Canes won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship before advancing to the College World Series.

DiMare will serve as the assistant coach in charge of hitters and share responsibilities with pitching coach J.D. Arteaga in recruiting efforts.

Previously, DiMare helped recruit and coach players such as Yonder Alonso, Ryan Braun, Jon Jay, Gaby Sanchez (seen below at C), Danny Valencia and Jemile Weeks - all of whom have reached the big leagues in recent years.

The Canes will host 16 of their first 18 games inside ARP to open the year, including a series with the preseason top-ranked Florida Gators beginning Friday, March 2.

Miami will play a total of 54 games in 2012, including 41 of those contests in the Sunshine State.

This year's squad will be bolstered by the arrival of catcher Peter O'Brien. O'Brien is a 6-5 and 225 pound senior who transferred from Bethune Cookman to Miami and needed the approval of the NCAA to be able to finish out his career with the 'Canes without having to sit out the customary season.

O'Brien is a big-time Major League prospect. His numbers last season at Bethune: .304 batting average with 14 home runs and 69 RBI. He was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2010, and was a freshman All-American from Louisville Slugger in 2009.

Canespace will be at ARP for several games this season in addition to games at Florida Gulf Coast (Fort Myers) on 2/22, in Miami on 3/6 at Miami Marlins Ball Park (exhibition game), on 3/14 at UCF (Orlando) and on 4/22 at FSU in Tallahassee.

We hope U are able to join us for some Hurricane hardball this season.

GO CANES!

Comments

[SOUP]

2008 ACC Champs:

http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-basebl/08-base-championship.html

[IraqiCane]

GO CANES!!!

[Texascane]

This is getting out of hand...

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1332534

[IraqiCane]

http://espn.go.com/dallas/ncf/story/_/id/7583085/five-tcu-horned-frogs-football-players-tested-positive-marijuana-according-report

[UpNorthCane27]

Alabama is ridiculous!!!

[UpNorthCane27]

Is it september yet? I can't to finally see My hurricanes after so many years!!! BC is gonna feel the golden wrath ...

Ohio or Soup anynews on players possibly leaving the program?

And whatever happen with the Ken Dorswy news that was coming out????

[SOUP]

UpNorth...latest I heard was three players may get their walking papers but NO names to mention. Wait and see mode?

Hassan was the one with the Ken Dorsey news. Hassan, where U at?

[UpNorthCane27]

Ok sounds good SOUP......

For real Hassan where you at man you can't just throw out a Ken dorsey newsbreak and not follow up lolll....

[herbieibis]

Hey,
Whatever it takes to get the dudes signed, so be it.

[SOUP]

Don't tell OGV but Leach's appeal denied:

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/17/mike-leach-has-wrongful-termination-appeal-denied/

[DallasTX Cane]

http://www.texasmonthly.com/2011-12-01/webextra14.php

From 2008:

College QBs from Texas
E-mail This List
Bill Sullivan
October 31, 2008

While Texas has long been known for producing top quality college football players, only recently has the state become known for its quarterbacks. The proliferation of the spread offense has enhanced the development of high school passing games, and that shift in philosophy has been reflected in the number of college QBs with Lone Star State connections.

This season alone, 21 of the 119 starting quarterbacks at Bowl Subdivision schools are from Texas.

Here’s the list, with the school each attends and the high school from which he graduated:

1. Colt McCoy, Texas (Tuscola Jim Ned)

2. Matthew Stafford, Georgia (Highland Park)

3. Todd Reesing, Kansas (Austin Lake Travis)

4. Brian Johnson, Utah (Baytown Lee)

5. Jevan Snead, Ole Miss (Stephenville)

6. Chase Holbrook, New Mexico State (Hurst L.D. Bell)

7. Chase Daniel, Missouri (Southlake Carroll)

8. Christian Ponder, Florida State (Colleyville Heritage)

9. Robert Griffin, Baylor (Copperas Cove)

10. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech (Ennis)

11. Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M (Humble)

12. Casey Dick, Arkansas (Allen)

13. Case Keenum, Houston (Abilene Wylie)

14. Jarrett Lee, LSU (Brenham)

15. Giovanni Vizza, North Texas (San Antonio Alamo Heights)

16. Chase Clement, Rice (San Antonio Alamo Heights)

17. Bo Levi Mitchell, SMU (Katy)

18. Andy Dalton, TCU (Katy)

19. Nick Stephens, Tennessee (Flower Mound)

20. Kevin Moore, Tulane (Flower Mound Marcus)

21. Trevor Vittatoe, UTEP (Euless Trinity)

Source: The Dallas Morning News

[DallasTX Cane]

NFL: article from Sep 2011

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/heatindex/articles/2011/09/17/20110917nfl-quarterback-top-state.html

"Two states rich in high school football talent come up short at QB.

There isn't a single starter in the league who played high school football in Florida. And Stafford is the only one born there.

Ben Roethlisberger is the only starter who was born or played high school football in talent-rich Ohio."

IMO this "debate" ought to focus on where players played high school since colleges recruit nationally. The origin of the debate goes back to UM recruiting and where to find the best QB's. Just because a guy is a good QB from uf or fsu or MIAMI doesn't mean that the state of Florida produces good QB's in terms of recruiting.

The opposite holds true if the debate is changed from college recruiting to NFL success. Then, IMO, it'll matter a lot more which college produced the QB than which state he went to HS in.

[TheWhat]

And to think this could have been the head coach at the U.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/randy-edsall-has-maryland-entering-unchartered-waters/2012/02/16/gIQArzdAIR_story.html

[TheWhat]

I found this article very interesting. Its dated to 1 week before signing day but still very relevant.

http://coachesbythenumbers.com/national-signing-day-truths-and-misconceptions/

[Hassan]

Sorry was doing exta credit with a Trini goddes, ok Ken hit me back n his news he put out public on his FB now. He is staying put with the Panthers for now.... He is most likely to go where chud goes

[SOUP]

15. Giovanni Vizza, North Texas (San Antonio Alamo Heights

What a name, that's my guy right there.

Either U let his team win or you will find yourself sleepin wit da fishes! I'm jus sayin...

[Ohio_Cane]

Booker T. LB Matthew Thomas has Canes in Top 3 for 2013 after he was there for Junior Day.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

DTX, for a state that has a culture of hold the kid back a grade so he'll be a year bigger on the football field and with a population edge over most other states, Texas should be outproducing the competition at successive levels of the game. If someone's going to blanket statement a list of QB's from somewhere with those two factors in play and then say they put another state's representatives to shame, it helps make your case if there's not an example on the other side that has embarrassingly deficient mechanics and is about as smart as his pro teams mascot that has single hand-idly already lapped the list your holding up as being superior in on field accomplishments.

SOUP, I have a sneaking suspicion that the legal system in Texas might be peeking out from under that blindfold a slight bit, contrary to what their statues outside imply.

Oh, and of course, the troll from the last blog also fails at everything except making his double wide smell like the Turds football team record recently. But he already knew that.

[UpNorthCane27]

Dammit!!! i really thought Ken Dorsey was on his way to Coral Gables as a Qb Coach

[herbieibis]

Where's Kirby Freeman on that list? Hey we are a top Univ. and we only recruit top notch signal callers! Ha!!!

[CaneRock]

15. Giovanni Vizza, North Texas (San Antonio Alamo Heights

What a name, that's my guy right there.

Either U let his team win or you will find yourself sleepin wit da fishes! I'm jus sayin...

Posted by: SOUP | February 17, 2012 at 01:17 PM

Fuhgetaboutit...CAPECHE!?

[Texascane]

Leach's case against Tech was always iffy...under the Sovereign Immunity Statute in Texas you can only sue the State (or a state entity like Texas Tech), if they say you can...since Leach's claims did not reach protected "whistleblower" status, Tech says he can't sue and the law says they are right.

Tech never claimed that they were right...just that he didn't have the right to sue because they are the state...

The suit against James and ESPN continues...

[Texascane]

The whole truth...

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/story/2012-02-17/Court-Appeal-Mike-Leach-Texas-Tech/53131230/1

[Texascane]

"The facts will come out and finally the truth will be known," he said. "While we're disappointed that the supreme court has ruled that Mike can't be compensated monetarily for the work he's done, we are encouraged that we finally get to take Texas Tech to trial."

Go get 'em Mike...

[SOUP]

Fuhgetaboutit...CAPECHE!?

Posted by: CaneRock | February 17, 2012 at 02:39 PM

For a pork chop I can look the other way.

[DallasTX Cane]

Posted by: orange 'n green in the vein | February 17, 2012 at 01:54 PM

Looks like DAM TYPEPAD sent my (way too long & overwrought) reply into cyber-nowhere.

Short version:

Overall population doesn't matter. FL, CA & TX all supply overwhelming numbers of college players. FL supplies highest per capita. Not part of debate. Example - why doesn't Ohio produce QBs but Penn does? Do more WRs come out of FL than TX or CA? who knows? Thats not whats being discussed.

I'm no TX homer. I grew up in Lauderdale, have fam all over FL, & consider myself Floridian. But, I also have strong TX ties. Either way, its the debate that is interesting to me, not which state "wins". I'll look for some info on Fl Qbs on the next work break I take.

So...convince me. So far, it seems that you're entire arguement rests on the shoulders of one Tim Tebow. That ain't getting it done. Its a team game obviously. So while winning a NC (or 2) does count, it cannot be the foundation of a winning debate. If U say it is; then U are telling me that Tebow is/was a better QB than Marino (no NC) or (TX high school product) Drew Brees. C'mon, even U don't really believe that. Even more basic is that the question was never who is the best QB ever and what state or college or high school produced him? The question was which state produces better QBs? Oklahoma St produced the best or 2nd best RB in nfl history, but would U say that overall Ok St produces better RBs than OU?

[Hassan]

Posted by: DallasTX Cane | February 17, 2012 at 03:59 PM
------------------------------------------

Hate to bring up another Gator, but again the aforementioned Spurrier was a big time QB from FLA

[DallasTX Cane]

I'm not saying that there aren't any big time QBs from FL. I'm saying that OGV is resting his entire case on Tebow and hasn't produced any other compelling info.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

I'm not the one propagating the popular, but upon closer review empty, party line that Texas QB's are so much better than their other states counterparts DTX, I'm the one pointing out how it may get a lot of run but doesn't hold up for a very simple reason, none of those guys has led their programs to the top of any mountains. All those recent Texas QB's are fine to decent players in their own right but they haven't done anything more than, in my opinion, a player severely lacking in key QB skills from Florida accomplished at either the college or pro level. If you want this Texas is superior argument to hold water, show me who's racked up more tangible success than the flawed example Teblow puts on the table for the other side or give it a rest until they do. Plus like I said earlier, I'll take Smith, Robinson and even Lewis recently to augment the Florida side of the argument as well.

[j.w.]

Great blog, Soup- always a pleasure to see something like this! Just got back from skiing in the Sierras, guess I picked hte right time to go as we still don't have a schedule, and opening night isn't yet over.

[Six]

To stop the entire back-and-forth about it, I forgot one crucial thing

Tebow wasn't even born in Florida

He was born in the Philippines

The argument revolved around QBs born and bred in the state of Florida or Texas

By the way, Vince Young wasn't too shabby of a QB born in Texas - the list of his accolades in college, including going undefeated during the NChamp year (something that UiF has never done in their history, gone undefeated the year they won a title) and his performance in that NChamp game

The Crocs D was the primary reason they won their 2 titles under Meyer

[Six]

Bottom line is, QBs from the state of Texas are > than QBs from the state of Florida

Look at the lists supplied of QBs from both states

Beyond homeriffic to try and say the kids from Florida are better at either the college level or NFL level especially - NFL level there isn't even a sniff of comparison

[Dan]

Will the Baseball team field a defense this year?

I'm curious as to what Morris has done to solve the issue of horrific defensive play. All the bats in the world mean nothing when the fielders botch ground balls in the clutch or can't throw to first base when the chips are down.

[Hassan]

S taylor from MNW commited to UM today

[Six]

86 - Do you know who does the UCanes All-Access?

I'm watching the game tonight and whoever is directing it is making me nauseous with the way they're cutting the game

They go from the normal shot from behind the mound with the outfield camera, the shot that you always see on any television broadcast of baseball ...

... to a close up shot of the batter from a side angle as the pitch is arriving to the plate

I dunno if one of the guys you have come on here to talk every once in a while has any kind of connection to shooting/broadcasting the games, but, it is horrible when they cut away to shots like that as the pitch is arriving to the plate

Whoever is doing might think it's different or a new type of perspective - but there's a reason that every .. single .. legit baseball broadcast from ESPN, Fox, TBS, MLB Network, even Sun/Fox Sports shoots baseball the way you're used to seeing it

[CaneRock]

N O E X C U S E S

"Any excuse for non-performance, however valid, softens the character. It is a sedative against one’s own conscience. When a man uses an excuse, he attempts to convince both himself and others that unsatisfactory performance is somehow acceptable. He is - perhaps unconsciously - attempting to divert attention from performance; the only thing that counts is his own want for sympat...hy. The user is dishonest with himself as well as with others. No matter how good or how valid, the excuse never changes performance.
The world measures success in terms of performance alone. No man is remembered in history for what he would have accomplished. History never asks how hard it was to do the job, nor considers the obstacles that had to be overcome. It never measures the handicaps. It counts only one thing - performance. No man ever performed a worthwhile task without consciously ignoring many a plausible excuse.
To use an excuse is a habit. We cannot have both the performance habit and the excuse habit. We all have a supply of excuses. The more we use them the lower become our standards, the poorer our performance. The better we perform, the less plausible our excuses become.
Next time you want to defend your sub-par performance, say instead (at least to yourself):

No Excuses!"

[Six]

Canes dirt dogs win 6-2

Rutgers with the errors (5) instead of the Canes - good to see

Canes had the transfer Catcher from BCC hitting 3rd

[j.w.]

Good start to the season, thanks all for the updates.

[canesteeler]

Going to check out the Canes baseball team tonight!

[SOUP]

All the bats in the world mean nothing when the fielders botch ground balls in the clutch or can't throw to first base when the chips are down.

Posted by: Dan | February 17, 2012 at 08:48 PM

Not sure Dan, we will have to wait and see.

Broad back at second instead of DeVoss playing out of position should help but only time will tell.

[SOUP]

Six...I do not know whjo does the All-Acess video of the baseball game, but you might want to forward your comments to Chris Freet at UM so they can get it right.

[SOUP]

Going to check out the Canes baseball team tonight!

Posted by: canesteeler | February 18, 2012 at 09:59 AM

Wish I could be there with U! If U go to the Titanic just ask for Ricky (long hair), Jerry (old guy with suspenders) and the crew.

[WindyCane-Forecast1]

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida tight end A.C. Leonard was arrested Wednesday and charged with misdemeanor battery after a woman alleged he shoved her, dragged her by her hair and threw her out of their Gainesville apartment. Leonard has been suspended from the team, the school announced.

Leonard, who caught eight passes for 99 yards as a freshman last season, is the ninth player arrested since coach Will Muschamp took over for Urban Meyer in January 2011.

[Omar Cane]

N O E X C U S E S

"Any excuse for non-performance, however valid, softens the character. It is a sedative against one’s own conscience. When a man uses an excuse, he attempts to convince both himself and others that unsatisfactory performance is somehow acceptable. He is - perhaps unconsciously - attempting to divert attention from performance; the only thing that counts is his own want for sympat...hy. The user is dishonest with himself as well as with others. No matter how good or how valid, the excuse never changes performance.
The world measures success in terms of performance alone. No man is remembered in history for what he would have accomplished. History never asks how hard it was to do the job, nor considers the obstacles that had to be overcome. It never measures the handicaps. It counts only one thing - performance. No man ever performed a worthwhile task without consciously ignoring many a plausible excuse.
To use an excuse is a habit. We cannot have both the performance habit and the excuse habit. We all have a supply of excuses. The more we use them the lower become our standards, the poorer our performance. The better we perform, the less plausible our excuses become.
Next time you want to defend your sub-par performance, say instead (at least to yourself):

No Excuses!"

Posted by: CaneRock | February 17, 2012 at 10:11 PM

Awesome post! Where is this quote from?

[Old Skool]

K Taylor to FU. He's a Crock.

[Old Skool]

In other news, here's the absolute wackiest college recruitment video ever.

http://tinyurl.com/76takso

[pbcfrcane13]

Great second half by the Bball team!! Nice win!

[TonyCane]

Leonard, who caught eight passes for 99 yards as a freshman last season, is the ninth player arrested since coach Will Muschamp took over for Urban Meyer in January 2011.

Posted by: WindyCane-Forecast1 | February 18, 2012 at 11:50 AM

Annual player arrests Miami vs. Florida:

Average player arrests under Meyer: 6.2
Average player arrests under Mushchamp: 8.3

Average player arrests under Shannon: 0.25
Average player arrests under Golden: 0.92

And we are Thug U? Convict U? A blight on college sports?!

[TonyCane]

Slight revision downward for Meyer (number was lower than I thought)

Annual player arrests Miami vs. Florida:

Average player arrests under Meyer: 4.7
Average player arrests under Mushchamp: 8.3

Average player arrests under Shannon: 0.25
Average player arrests under Golden: 0.92

And we are Thug U? Convict U? A blight on college sports?!

[SOUP]

Tony...good work, nice stats.