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Seems Like Some Of The Same Old?

University of Miami head baseball coach Gino DiMare finalized the Hurricanes' on-field staff ahead of the 2018-19 academic year, as announced Wednesday.
 
DiMare, who is entering his first season as head baseball coach at Miami and 20^thoverall on staff with the program, promoted pitching coach J.D. Arteaga to associate head coach and Norberto Lopez to assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. DiMare also announced the addition of Bo Durkac as the Hurricanes' volunteer assistant coach. 
 

Arteaga will enter his 17^th year on Miami's coaching staff, where he has served as the Hurricanes' pitching coach since 2003. The former UM standout southpaw has helped the Hurricanes continually produce top pitching staffs for nearly two decades. In 2018, he coached Evan McKendry to All-ACC honors after a season in which the sophomore right-hander led the Hurricanes staff in wins (seven) and strikeouts (114), as well as compiled a 3.52 ERA – second-best among weekend starters.
 
Under Arteaga's direction, Bryan Garcia set the all-time saves record at Miami and became the first Hurricane to win NCBWA Stopper of the Year honors as the nation's top relief pitcher in 2016. Arteaga also guided standout lefty Chris Hernandez to Baseball America Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2008. Cesar Carrillo also dominated while working with Arteaga, receiving the Roger Clemens Award as college baseball's best pitcher in 2005 and becoming a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy.
 
Miami pitchers have earned 23 All-America honors, including six first-team selections, under Arteaga's tutelage. Arteaga has produced 42 MLB Draft picks, including big leaguers Andrew Suarez, Chris Perez, Scott Maine and Carrillo. At least one Hurricane pitcher has been selected in the MLB Draft each year since 2004. 
 

Lopez will spearhead Miami's recruiting efforts after spending the previous three seasons working with the Hurricanes' catchers and hitters. He was instrumental in the development of star catcher Zach Collins, who won the 2016 Johnny Bench Award honoring the nation's best catcher. Collins, who was selected No. 10 overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2016 MLB Draft, becoming Miami's first first-round selection since 2010 after a stellar final season with the Hurricanes.
 
Under Lopez's guidance, Isaac Quiñones enjoyed an outstanding debut season with the Hurricanes and earned 2018 Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Prior to his time at Miami, Lopez coached at Texas Pan-American for seven seasons – including the 2015 campaign as the Broncs' associate head coach. He also was an assistant coach at FAU in 2007-08 and at Broward College from 2004-2006.
 

Durkac will work with Miami's infielders and comes to Miami after nine seasons at Illinois State (2010-2018), including the last four as the Redbirds' head coach. Illinois State consistently ranked among the Missouri Valley Conference's top offensive teams during Durkac's tenure and ranked second in the MVC in fielding percentage in 2018. Seventeen student-athletes to play under Durkac have been selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft including St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong.
 
Prior to his time at Illinois State, Durkac spent seven years at Charlotte, where he was the hitting instructor, worked with infielders and assisted in recruiting. In all, Durkac coached or recruited 36 all-conference selections, three All-Americans and three freshman All-America selections at Charlotte, and helped the team to a 232-153-1 (.604) overall record from 2003-09.

In addition to Miami's coaching staff, Robert "G.M." McDaniel returns for his 19^thseason on the baseball staff and his seventh as director of baseball operations and camps. Brian Gabriel is back for his sixth year as the Hurricane baseball strength and conditioning coach and H.R. Powell will serve as the team's athletic trainer for the fourth season.

Are Canes Kings Of The Coastal?

The Miami Hurricanes were picked to repeat as ACC Coastal Division champions in a poll of media in attendance at the 2018 ACC Kickoff, the conference announced Monday.
 
Miami was selected the likely Coastal Division winner by 122 voters and amassed 998 total points. Virginia Tech followed with 16 first-place votes and 838 points. Georgia Tech placed third with eight first-place votes and 654 points. Duke totaled 607 points, followed by Pitt at 420, North Carolina at 370 and Virginia at 257.
 

The Clemson Tigers were picked to repeat as Atlantic Division winners. In the Atlantic preseason voting, the Tigers led the way with 144 first-place votes and 1,030 total points. Florida State followed with 789 points, while NC State had 712. Boston College (545 total points) was tabbed for a fourth-place Atlantic Division finish, followed by Louisville (422), Wake Forest (414) and Syracuse (232).
                                                                                                                                              
The Atlantic and Coastal Division winners will meet in the 2018 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game on Saturday, December 1, at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium. If this year's media predictions prove correct, it will be a rematch of last year's 2017 title game.
 

Coastal Division
(First place votes in parenthesis)                       

1. Miami (122) – 998
2. Virginia Tech (16) – 838
3. Georgia Tech (8) – 654
4. Duke (1) – 607
5. Pitt – 420
6. North Carolina (1) – 370
7. Virginia – 257

 
Atlantic Division  
(First place votes in parenthesis)                       

1. Clemson (144) – 1,030
2. Florida State (1) – 789
3. NC State (2) – 712
4. Boston College – 545
5. Louisville – 422
6. Wake Forest (1) – 414
7. Syracuse – 232

 
ACC Championship Votes

1. Clemson – 139
2. Miami – 5
3. NC State – 2
4. Florida State – 1
   Virginia Tech – 1

Praise And Recognition Generate High Expectations

The University of Miami had four student-athletes selected to the watch lists for the Maxwell Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday.
 
Junior running back Travis Homer and junior wide receiver Ahmmon Richards were picked as nominees for the Maxwell Award, while senior safety Jaquan Johnson and junior linebacker Shaquille Quarterman were named players to watch for the Bednarik Award.
 
The Maxwell Award, named in honor of Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell, has been given to America's College Player of the Year since 1937. Maxwell's contributions to the game of football were extensive, including time as a player, a sportswriter and an official.
 
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995. Chuck Bednarik, former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles, is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of '69 and the NFL Hall of Fame's Class of '67.
 

Homer saw action in all 13 games a season ago, but took over starting duties four games into the year and shined in his first opportunity as the team's primary running back. Homer rushed for 966 yards on 163 attempts, averaging 5.9 yards per carry and finishing with eight rushing touchdowns. The West Palm Beach, Fla., native, who was selected to the All-ACC Second Team in 2017, compiled 1,203 all-purpose yards and three 100-yard rushing games.

A consensus Freshman All-America and an All-ACC selection two seasons ago, Richards was a dominant force in 2016 when he set the Miami freshman record for receiving yards – besting the mark set by Hurricanes legend Michael Irvin. Richards saw action in just eight games in an injury-riddled 2017, but still managed 439 receiving yards and three touchdowns. In just 21 career games, Richards has totaled 73 receptions, 1,373 receiving yards and six touchdown catches.

One of the best safeties in America a season ago, Johnson decided to return for his senior season after being named a Second-Team All-America by Sports Illustrated and the AFCA in 2017. He led the Hurricanes with 96 total tackles a season ago, and also tied for the team lead with four interceptions. A Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalist and a three-time ACC Defensive Back of the week honoree, Johnson has totaled 160 tackles, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and six interceptions in 39 career games – he has not missed a game since arriving to Coral Gables in January 2015.

A Freshman All-America and an All-ACC selection two seasons ago, Quarterman has been a key contributor for Miami since arriving on campus as a midyear enrollee in January of 2016. The Orange Park, Fla., native has started all 26 games since arriving on campus and in just two seasons, has piled up 167 total tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, six passes defended and two fumble recoveries. He was named a second-team All-ACC selection as a sophomore.

The Miami Hurricanes have had three Maxwell Award winners and one Bednarik winner in program history; quarterbacks Vinny Testaverde (1986), Gino Torretta (1992) and Ken Dorsey (2001) have each captured the Maxwell Award, while linebacker Dan Morgan (2000) is Miami's only Bednarik Award recipient.

Athletics + Academics = Achievements

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced the 2017-18 Academic Honor Roll last Friday and 200 University of Miami student athletes made the cut, setting a new school record. The ACC Honor Roll, now in its 62nd year, features all varsity student-athletes who achieved a GPA of at least 3.0 for the full academic year.

Football wide receiver Braxton Berrios, volleyball outside hitter Olga Strantzali and women's tennis player Estela Perez-Somarriba are among the headliners of the numerous University of Miami 2017-18 honorees.

Berrios, a Third Team All-ACC selection, received the Jim Tatum Award as the league's top football scholar-athlete. Strantzali, a two-time AVCA All-America honorable mention, won both ACC Player of the Year and ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Perez-Somarriba, a rising junior, earned ACC Player of the Year distinction and finished fifth in the ITA national rankings.

Sixteen Hurricanes across eight sports made the ACC Honor Roll for the fourth time, including three student-athletes each from rowing, soccer, women's swimming & diving and volleyball.

Miami's 16 four-time honorees were Alexa Aguilar (rowing), Alyssa Basdavanos (volleyball), Braxton Berrios (football), Silvia Fuentes (women's tennis), Justin Goldberg (football), Sylvia Hernandez (volleyball), Jessica Hurley (women's swimming & diving), Ronnie Johnson (soccer), Wally Layland (women's swimming & diving), Taegan Lynch (rowing), Brooke McDermott (volleyball), Jane Moore (rowing), Grace Rapp (soccer), Chris Stowell (men's basketball), Julie Suarez(women's swimming & diving) and Phallon Tullis-Joyce (soccer).

Happy Birthday America!

We interrupt our normal blogging and all things orange and green on this 4th of July 2018 to offer a very sincere THANK U to the red, white and blue and all of the men and women who serve their Country and defend our freedom.

Today we would like to say...Happy Birthday To the USA!

For all of those incredibly brave men and women who have served in the U.S armed forces and who have literally put their lives on the line to protect and defend the United States of America this blog is for U.

For all of the courageous men and women who recognized that freedom isn't free and found it necessary to put themselves in harms way we thank U.

For all of those Army soldiers who have fearlessly risked their lives to defend our Country in World Wars, regional conflicts and in other military battles against terrorists we honor U.

For all of those Navy sailors, who save the free world on the open seas, without concern for their own safety to defend the world's oceans we recognize U.

For all of those highly skilled Air Force pilots and their support crews who defend our airspace with their incredible talent and ability we salute U.

And for all of those who served as a Marine like my father who fought in Korea and served as a Staff Sargent in Camp LeJune, NC may God bless you and keep you safe and well. It's not easy being first in and last out.

We wish all American defense personnel and all U.S. citizens across our great Nation the peace, freedom and security that all sovereign Nations deserve.

We would like to take this opporuntity to wish all of our armed forces and all of our Canespace Nation family and friends a safe, happy and fun 4th of July.

Miami Hurricane fans salute U and ask that God Bless America!