Brian Van Belle overcame injuries and three years in junior college to get to the mound inside Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field on Sunday.
All of the obstacles were worth the wait, as the redshirt junior turned in a brilliant debut and earned his first win as a Hurricane. Van Belle struck out five and allowed just five hits over six shutout innings to help the Hurricanes (3-0) secure a sweep over Rutgers (0-3) with a 9-3 victory on Sunday afternoon.
"I feel like my fastball was working really well," Van Belle said. "I kept it too high and I'd like to keep it lower. Other than that, I just tried to get quick contact and keep a fast tempo."
Van Belle was matched by Rutgers starter Tevin Murray over the first 2.2 innings of the game, as the junior lefty held Miami hitless in its first trip through the batting order. But back-to-back doubles from Tony Jenkins and Anthony Vilar ended the no-hit bid and the shut out, as Vilar's shot to the leftfield wall pushed Jenkins around to score.
One batter later, Rutgers third baseman Carmen Sclafani threw a ball away trying to retire Freddy Zamora at first. Instead of ending the inning, Zamora ran all the way to third and Vilar scored from second to put Miami up, 2-0. Vilar finished the weekend 7-for-11 (.636) with four doubles, eight runs scored and four RBI.
Two innings later, Miami chased Murray from the game when it loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth. Vilar sparked the rally with a two-out base hit, while Zamora walked and Adrian Del Castillo was hit by a pitch before Murray was replaced by freshman right-hander Garrett French. The reliever threw a 1-2 wild pitch to the backstop that allowed Vilar to score and give the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead.
"Del Castillo has been special from Day 1, so we all knew that," head coach Gino DiMare said. "I was really, really impressed and certainly happy to see Vilar swing the bat. We faced some lefties and these guys hit off some lefties where they stayed in there and drove the ball the other way, which is a great sign for hitters."
Hmm no comments about Kraft. Very, very, very dumb. The guy could easily hire personal assistants for every day of the week or year. Give them staff positions (no pun intended) and no one would question it.
Posted by: Old Skool | February 22, 2019 at 12:55 PM
Kraft also is CEO of The Kraft Group, a holding company ... Now we know what was being held.
Posted by: Old Skool | February 22, 2019 at 01:06 PM
Perhaps he was looking for a way to address "deflategate'
Posted by: Old Skool | February 22, 2019 at 01:09 PM
Last year the New England Patriots restructured Tom Brady’s contract so it would include performance bonuses. Gotta wonder what other kind of performance bonuses Kraft has been handing out.
Posted by: Old Skool | February 22, 2019 at 01:17 PM
Posted by: CaneSince1982 | February 22, 2019 at 11:48 AM
He played at UCLA and is transferring. How will he be eligible?
Posted by: Go Canes!! | February 22, 2019 at 01:18 PM
Last season /\/\/\
Posted by: Go Canes!! | February 22, 2019 at 01:19 PM
Because he played in 4 or less games. Per NCAA rules that counts as a redshirt season.
Posted by: CaneSimce1982 | February 22, 2019 at 01:50 PM
Posted by: CaneSimce1982 | February 22, 2019 at 01:50 PM
Playing in less than four games gets him a redshirt but doesn’t exempt him from transfer rules that require him to sit a year when he changes schools.
Posted by: Go Canes!! | February 22, 2019 at 02:29 PM
Since you won’t believe me.
http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/26050569/former-ucla-linebacker-jaelan-phillips-transferring-miami
https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article225034525.html
Posted by: CaneSince1982 | February 22, 2019 at 04:20 PM
Posted by: CaneSince1982 | February 22, 2019 at 04:20 P
I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make. The Herald article says he has to sit a year.
He’s not eligible to play next season because he transferred and has to sit a year at his new school. The redshirtis irrelevant.
Posted by: Go Canes!! | February 22, 2019 at 04:44 PM
If he sits out 2019, which is most likely, how many years of eligibility will he have left to play for the Canes?
Also, if he can't play for UM until 2020, what is the probability that he leaves for the NFL after that season?
THANK YOU!
Posted by: nemo2002 | February 22, 2019 at 04:58 PM
2- 0 behind enemies lines. Canespace do you read me.
Posted by: 🐜🌀 | February 22, 2019 at 07:08 PM
Miami RF drops a fly ball with 2 outs runner scores.
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 07:52 PM
Should've been out of that inning with 0 runs given up
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 07:54 PM
Miami leads 2-1 going to top of 5.
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 07:55 PM
Man, bunch of new faces on Cane's. I need to brush up on the players names.
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 07:56 PM
Miami grounds into a double play with 2 on . Heading to Bot 5 2-1
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 08:08 PM
MeKendrie strikes out the side.....he has nasty stuff! Heading to Top 6....still 2-1
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 08:15 PM
Gators tied it up
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 08:33 PM
Miami solo HR....take bake the lead 3-2. Still 0 outs in top 7
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 08:33 PM
Miami scores on a bunt with 2 outs. Take a 4-2 lead
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 08:41 PM
Miami leaves bases loaded. Miami leads 4-2.....going to Bot 7
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 08:47 PM
Mckendry is still in the game!
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 08:49 PM
Can't. Leave. Bases. Loaded. On. The. Road.
Gonna come back to bite U!
Posted by: 86Cane | February 22, 2019 at 08:52 PM
McKendry has a 1-2-3 inning. Heading to the top of 8.
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 08:53 PM
Miami got an insurance run. Lead 5-2....in the Bot 8
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 09:11 PM
After a lead off walk. The turds strand 1 going to Top 9....Still 5-2
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 09:18 PM
Love it!
Posted by: 86Cane | February 22, 2019 at 09:21 PM
Go TBC, GO!
Posted by: 86Cane | February 22, 2019 at 09:21 PM
It's nice to see we have some hitters on this team. Team average is .352 right now. Last year I think it was around .270. We'll go far this season. Should be fun!!!!
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 09:27 PM
Miami strands 2.....going to Bot 9
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 09:31 PM
Tell me the Good Guys won?
Posted by: 86Cane | February 22, 2019 at 09:32 PM
Boom!!!!! Canes win!!!!....Canes win!!!
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 22, 2019 at 09:38 PM
LOVE IT!!!
Posted by: 86Cane | February 22, 2019 at 09:55 PM
Thats the way you do it TBC!
Canes Win!
Posted by: NativeCane | February 22, 2019 at 10:41 PM
Again, I am loving this DiMare era so far!
Posted by: BigWindyCane | February 22, 2019 at 11:43 PM
I think that 270 was a bit high last year. He and we finally have some hitters. We've been like sisters of the poor the last 2 years in that department.
Posted by: Herbieibis | February 23, 2019 at 12:11 AM
Outstanding work TBC!
Posted by: Terrance Sullivan | February 23, 2019 at 12:54 AM
RIP the space??
Posted by: Go Canes!! | February 23, 2019 at 09:40 AM
NEVER!
Posted by: WWIN | February 23, 2019 at 10:24 AM
I think that 270 was a bit high last year. He and we finally have some hitters. We've been like sisters of the poor the last 2 years in that department.
Posted by: Herbieibis | February 23, 2019 at 12:11 AM
I think your right. We only had one guy barely batting over .300 last year.
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 23, 2019 at 11:32 AM
Time for another OGV -vs- GC cage match to liven this place up!
Posted by: NativeCane | February 23, 2019 at 01:15 PM
This is epic!
“So I'm at the Nike coaching clinic in Orlando tonight. (notice I said Nike)
Willie Taggart is here with his whole FSU staff. After Willie gives his clinic, the whole FSU staff does "break out sessions" where all of the position coaches go into separate rooms and give their own short clinics.
So Manny Diaz and staff show up right before the breakout session in all of their Adidas gear and start throwing a full-on frat party (in a separate room) handing out free beers to all High School coaches...DURING FSU's BREAK OUT SESSION!! lol
So instead of the high school guys attending the FSU breakout sessions, they were all heading towards the Miami Hurricanes party. (Hello, free beer!)
Manny was tossing beers around to coaches, taking pictures, choppin' it up with the high school guys, etc.
Everybody was like "this is an epic, gangster ass stunt." LOL
Manny's response...
"This is what we're trying to bring back to The U, that F-U type of swagger."
They're leaving tomorrow morning. They came all this way just to crash FSU's clinic. LOL
What an epic move. And let me tell you something, he has this place buzzing right now. High School guys from all over the state are at this clinic and they're talking about Miami's stunt tonight.”
Posted by: CaneSince1982 | February 23, 2019 at 01:34 PM
CS1982, Power move by CMD...
Beer will always win!
Posted by: NativeCane | February 23, 2019 at 01:55 PM
Thats so badass... I could see Jimmy doing the same shit!
Posted by: IraqiCane | February 23, 2019 at 02:01 PM
That is badass Iraqi, CMR could never pull that off....
Posted by: NativeCane | February 23, 2019 at 02:08 PM
Hell no he couldn’t have!
Posted by: IraqiCane | February 23, 2019 at 02:34 PM
That is badass Iraqi, CMR could never pull that off....
Posted by: NativeCane | February 23, 2019 at 02:08 PM
Al Golden would have brought inspirational tomes. And dietary strategies to instruct the HS to bulk up certain players.
Randy Shannon would have brought lots of onions
Larry Coker would have led everyone in a session of, "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands!"
Posted by: TonyCane | February 23, 2019 at 03:03 PM
UM men's basketball team defeated GT by a large margin at home this afternoon.
UM may be the "best of the worst" in the ACC this year.
Posted by: nemo2002 | February 23, 2019 at 04:00 PM
TonyCane...LMAO!!!
#NailedIt
Posted by: 86Cane | February 23, 2019 at 05:39 PM