Hurricane Hardballers Start Their 2024 Season

Much of the work of preparing for the season was behind him.

He’d put together a coaching staff he believed could help his team win. He’d met his new players and assessed their skills during intrasquad scrimmages and fall ball. The offseason conditioning program was finished, and preseason practices had, in essence, been wrapped up.

All that remained before the season opener was Miami’s annual Alumni Game, a chance for the current Hurricanes to showcase their skills and get in a dress rehearsal of sorts against some of the players who’d worn orange and green before them.

It was then that J.D. Arteaga found himself facing a challenge: putting together his first lineup.

"I wrote out my first real lineup [for the] Alumni Game on Saturday and that was not an easy task,” said Arteaga, the Hurricanes’ first-year head coach. “I think I wrote six or seven and kept tearing them out and throwing them out and starting over. I’m just excited to be in this role and really represent and lead the program that I’ve loved being a part of my whole life. It’s an exciting time for me …

“Trying to figure out the right nine guys, the positions, the batting order, things like that. It’s not getting any easier. There’s a lot of parity up and down our roster. Anybody can play at any time. The spirit of competition is special. It pushes guys to be better and there is a lot of competition within this roster. Anybody can play.”

“I’m excited about the team. I’m excited about the options this roster gives us. A lot of guys, a lot of moving parts, a lot of guys that can play different positions and the same thing with the [pitching] staff,” Arteaga said. “It’s going to be a veteran rotation. It’s definitely going to be the strength of our pitching staff, the starting rotation.”

Among the newcomers expected to make a difference for the Hurricanes this season are senior outfielder Lucas Costello, a transfer from Wake Forest, and freshman infielder Daniel Cuvet.

While Costello, Cuvet and 16 other newcomers will look to make their presence felt, the Hurricanes – who posted a 42-21 record last season – have several returning players that are looking to improve from last year’s second-place finish in the Coastal Division.

Freshman All-American Blake Cyr – who hit .305 with 63 RBI, 50 runs, and 17 home runs – is back, as is pitcher Gage Ziehl, who will take the mound Friday for the season opener.

It’s an opportunity the junior isn’t taking for granted.

“Set the tone. To me, that’s what I’m going out there to do,” said Ziehl, who posted an 8-4 record with a 4.30 ERA last season. “Set the tone for what this year is going to be like.”

Comments

[58 Straight]

Surprised I haven’t seen any mention of the 2024 Hall of Fame class - Devin Hester & Andre Johnson. Maybe I missed? Super pumped to have 2 more CANES recognized and in The Hall! Well earned honor!

Posted by: DallasTX Cane | February 15, 2024 at 11:12 AM

Coming up next.

And yes indeed, 1983-2003 was a great time to be a Miami Hurricanes Fan!

[DallasTX Cane]

Posted by: CGNC | February 15, 2024 at 02:53 PM

It’s alright out here. Lot of mid-Life changes and such - normal ‘Merican stuff. And U?

//

JCane - Agree, that is an amazing stat. With only a couple of exceptions, our run of HOF caliber players didn’t start until the late 70’s which means pro careers didn’t start until the 80’s. SUKS that our well is about to run dry though. There were a lot of U pros post Hester but HOF types?… but wow, 1980-2010… what a time to be fan!

Posted by: DallasTX Cane | February 16, 2024 at 10:52 AM

[DallasTX Cane]

Ahh, Spring is in the air 58 Straight! The pre-season blogs are always nice. Full of optimism & enthusiasm. It’s not till the first pitch, pass, or shot that the full on despair and pessimism takes over lol.

[Old Skool]

Looks like I'll finally get to wear a white shirt and orange tie again, then castrate the sucker after we beat the domers

Beginning in 2022, Golden is leading the Irish defensive efforts and now has a four-year contract extension that goes through 2027. That means he's going with ND when it travels down to play inside Hard Rock Stadium against the Hurricanes.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Can still get fired by letting a Marshal or two in between now and then win games they have no business hanging around in. I have absolute faith in fatso's ability to still get that particular task done, for once.

BC will have a post size advantage today, which means the primarily guard heavy UM lineup will have to shoot well from range to extend their defense, then once the Hurricanes get a lead, for once this season, they need to drive the ball to the hoop every possession and force BC to put Miami on the foul line in order to kill the body so the head will die from the charity stripe down the stretch.

[Old skool]

When the University of Texas renovated its locker room, former head coach Tom Herman spoke about the relationship between high-end facilities and recruiting.

"This locker room shows we have the very best tools in the country," Herman said. "The lockers affect recruiting because the kids we're recruiting are the same ones that some of the best schools in the nation are recruiting. A scholarship is a scholarship is a scholarship, no matter where you go. It's about how you differentiate yourself.

https://www.businessinsider.com/college-football-recruiting-athletes-locker-rooms-training-facilities-texas-florida-2024-2

[Old Skool]

This is a first. A coach critiquing his players in a TV interview. The next pre-game speech better be a doozy.

Rick Pitino: “Look: Joel’s slow laterally, he’s not fast on the court. Chris Ledlum is slow laterally, Sean Conway’s slow laterally. Brady’s physically weak, Drissa is slow laterally.”

[86Cane]

It’s not till the first pitch, pass, or shot that the full on despair and pessimism takes over lol.

Posted by: DallasTX Cane | February 16, 2024 at 04:32 PM

Yes indeed, yes indeed.

[86Cane]

Old Skool...But those lockerooms, oh my!

[orange 'n green in the vein]

No Pack, no chance. Omier is actually shooting better than Pack from behind the three point line this season percentage-wise, a reason he needs to return to school another year to prove he can be a catch and release deep shot threat as a volume use scorer. Will be an impossible task to surmount the visitors, the refs, and a good chunk of the crowd cheering for the ranked team tonight. It had been a while since the officials decided to just run off a Miami player in a game and the fact they chose George after "pro scouting" was suddenly wafted in his direction this season isn't a coincidence in this league that can't die soon enough for my taste. Djobet has flashed excellent defensive pest traits to base a decent rotation player out of going forward, hope he can add some size and solid finishes once he can get to the rim consistently next year. Robinson has decent size to try and get something out of, good mobility, lacks offensive polish and I'm not sure about his floor vision at this point. Might just need more minutes to get confident and find rhythm on that end of the floor.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

South Beach Tuesday nightlife flu is supposed to effect the other team, not only Matthew Cleveland, but nothing is working as planned right now. Nwoko at least played tough, everyone else in the rotation got their lunch money stolen while being beaten up by the visitors and the refs strictly protecting shot attempts in their uniforms while picking and choosing a few fouls out of the handful Duke was allowed to commit for single whistles on the other side of the floor for the home team. The tendency reports have stolen answer solved Omier playing out of position at the 5 as a strategy for UM and the rest of the season will be as ugly as the terrible uniforms they wore last night if they don't bulk up the front court in time to play effectively as a team with a center and two forwards fed by two deep threat guards.

[58 Straight]

Basketball team looks like they have quit?

[AeroCane]

OGV, you’re the BBall expert but I thought there were some big men in the portal that I was very curious why coach L didn’t go after. Do you think he made a mistake or did he think we were good enough without one of them? Just curious because towards the end of last year (I think vs UConn), it was clear we were too small.

[W]

Five straight losses! (And more to come?)

"Old Coach L" is the king of Small Ball and a college BB god.

He can do no wrong! Right?

[orange 'n green in the vein]

I think GT will help stop some of the current massive bleeding. Especially if both Pack and Cleveland are in the rotation for Saturday. Defensively they're bad now because they are losing more match ups in half court situations on average than they are winning and their half court offense isn't sharing the ball to the paint well for easy buckets which just exacerbates their defensive limitations. Team screwed up a 4 on 0 transition steal for a score last game, it takes a special type of not playing well to be able to even attempt to do that in the first place. Everyone lining up to get the kicks in on defending champ that doesn't have it this year didn't help this season either. Next year will be better though.

[Terrance Sullivan]

Yeah Our Basketball Team Has imploded sadly! Regroup and Reload for Next Season! Hopefully Baseball will be good this year but who knows

[orange 'n green in the vein]

No Pack, no chance. About to step in front of a freight train heading toward the station Monday too. That effort rebounding will not do it.

[W]

SIX straight losses! We're in 12th place in the ACC.

NO height, NO depth, NO good!

However, "Old Coach L" is the king of Small Ball and a college BB god.

He can do no wrong! Right?

[CGNC]

DTC, doing good! OGV don't know what to make of the BB team. The turnovers are appalling - some of the passing ...yikes

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Team rebounding effort and execution is still more a problem, they did turn the ball over too many times last game though to overcome missing Pack, no chance without him, and Poplar, who was pacing them off the line from the start of the season offensively, and if healthy, might have held UNC's best player to around the low 30's, instead of getting detonated on by him all game. Subtract two of their four best players on the roster and they don't have enough to surmount having to play the home team, crowd and still having to beat the refs also on top of it. They've got time to get healthy finally and try and secure one last winnable game in the home finale which would make it a barely winning regular season, but they'll have to be much better at winning man to man assignments constantly than they were in Boston a few games ago to do so, we'll see.

They'll be better next year and everyone with more eligibility to use on the roster looks like they're likely a 'keeper' to return and develop with an eye toward reaching the expectations bar then. How that math pans out can go a bunch of different directions however . . .

[RCCF]

It's Almost SpringBall Time...

RCCF12%

[CGNC]

Thanks OGV. What do you think of Watson?

[orange 'n green in the vein]

He got tossed into a tough spot to get your first start, didn't shoot well, which is understandable as he wouldn't be the first initial career start on the road in the toughest environment his team sees all year who didn't fill the basket up, and got assigned defensively Cormac Ryan, who is a marginal college player that I was never impressed with at Notre Dame but UNC brought him in and started him so they thought highly enough of him I suppose, and held him to a poor shooting night (19% from the field, 11% from three, no free throw attempts which he's on the team to shoot and sink to ice games, 1:1 assist to turnovers), so he didn't win his defensive assignment in 2 less game minutes, but he didn't get beat up while he got his lunch money stolen either, so he obviously needs to improve but is just getting settled in for now as a rotation guy too. Probably needs more offensive confidence, which comes with more experience in a bigger role, some ref protection on getting fouled won't hurt going forward but don't hold your breath there either, to get going offensively but I'm optimistic you can forge a quality shooting guard out of the basic building blocks he has to base his game off of at this level of competition. Harlond Beverly is doing ok for a bad team in Kansas as an upperclassman but shows the grass isn't greener outside of the ACC for bench guys looking to play bigger minutes than they currently aren't happy with in Coral Gables even when it works out with a role promotion on the other side of the transfer portal, so he should stick around, platoon at the shooting guard or small ball small forward spot next year, and depending on who stays and who goes, he might end up a starter next year regardless anyway depending on how it breaks down.

[MLALUMNI 1970]

Greetings Canespacers. Will always root for my Canes, win or lose, basketball or football. Love my school, even though I graduated during prehistoric times! 1966–1970. First year at Mahoney Hall, no AC! Second year, AC is the building next door, 7 something, East!! What a blessing. Kids are spoiled now days. Took the bus to Dadeland, The Orange Bowl, Miami Beach etc. Memorable times and safe times.
When do we play next??
Am buying a house in Satellite Beach. Much cozier than a condo.
My best and love to all of you.🟧🟩🧡💚🏖️🏝

[CGNC]

Thanks OGV. Hi Marylou! Satellite Beach is nice. 2 hours from me in West Palm

[AeroCane]

Hi everyone
Big baseball series vs the hated gators this weekend. Personally I expect nothing from this team and JD buts that’s just me. lol

[JCane]

Gonna be a long baseball season, unfortunately, unless they work out the kinks quickly.

[AeroCane]

JC - they won’t. Arteaga was a BAD hire. As bad or worse than dimare or Brad Scott.
We also have a lazy (thinking about retirement) AD.
Let’s hope Mario changes the direction of our football team as his first 2 years have been disastrous and embarrassing. (I think the trajectory is high with his recruiting and OC and DC and let’s hope Ward is the real deal and we maximize his strengths)

[58 Straight]

Something is missing here. Can U tell me what it is?

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/baseball/d1/d1baseballcom-top-25

[AeroCane]

58
The ex great canes baseball team! Lol

[Herbieibis]

Something is missing alright, like pitching, especially the bullpen.

[Old Skool]

Surprise!!! Offensive lineman Zion Nelson is out for spring ball. He's a competitor though -- likely out to challenge Cam McCormick for the most redshirts award.

Here's a better surprise: Trevonte Citizen is practicing.

[58 Straight]

NEW BLOG IS UP!