Canespace

The Captain And His Coke

Of all the people I have met on the Canespace blog, there may be one guy that stands out from the rest. Not only for his strong fandom, and not only for his dedication to "The U", or as a team or school, but for his style and charm.

He is quick witted with an easy smile, this guy is simply just fun to be around.

His reputation stands out for his well trained ability to drink himself into the moment. This fan is Noel, who drinks Captain and Coke, and who is also known as RaizeCane here on the blog. We have kayaked, camped, been to many football games and then seen things that would shock the average fan.

Yet, after 15 years of friendship, here we are.

We first met at the game in Gainesville when Miami played the Gators.

He had no idea what he was getting himself into.

And we had know idea that he knew Howard Schnelleberger. But he does.

We had no idea he knew all of the hotties at the stadium. But he does.

We had no idea he ran the intense security at the stadium. But he does.

Yeah, we know Noel as RiazeCane on the blog.

And, I know that he is a good man and good fan.

And, he is my friend.

Cyr Leads Cardiac Canes Over Cavaliers

University of Miami infielder Blake Cyr garnered Player of the Week recognition from the Atlantic Coast Conference, the league office announced Monday afternoon.

Cyr batted .500 (8-for-16) with three home runs, 11 RBI and a 1.682 OPS across the Hurricanes’ 3-1 stretch, highlighted by a series win over then-No. 13 Virginia.

The sophomore homered in three of the four games, including a go-ahead grand slam Saturday to cap off Miami’s largest comeback victory since May 13, 1992.

Cyr’s eighth-inning blast helped the Hurricanes erase a nine-run deficit to secure the series over the Cavaliers for the fifth time in the last six full seasons.

The Windermere, Fla., native also scored eight runs, drew four walks and reached base safely 13 times, notching three multi-hit and multi-RBI efforts along the way.

Cyr is the first Hurricane to garner an ACC weekly honor this year.

Miami (9-6) hits the road for the first time Tuesday, facing Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

To keep up with the University of Miami baseball team on social media, follow @CanesBaseball on X, Instagram and Facebook.

 

Hurricanes Begin Spring Practice

by Christy Cabrera Chirinos

For weeks, they’ve been getting to know their new teammates, working their way through off-season conditioning sessions, and getting stronger in the weight room.

And on Monday, the Hurricanes took another big step forward in their preparation for the season that awaits when they returned to Greentree and held their first of 15 spring practices.

Needless to say, there was plenty of excitement – for both the coaches and players involved.

“As you could probably tell, a lot of energy, a lot of juice, like you would expect,” said head coach Mario Cristobal, now in his third year at the helm of his alma mater’s program. “Spring has to be challenging. It has to be demanding. It has to create opportunities and I think we did that with day one. … Systematically, just making sure that we are exploring every mechanism, every process just to make ourselves better as coaches, as players, [and] as an organization.”

Said linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, “Last night I started to feel it. It’s very exciting, man. Just to come out here and go to work, making plays with your teammates. There’s nothing like it.”

One group that found itself in the spotlight Monday – and will likely remain there throughout the spring? Miami’s quarterbacks, who welcomed three new signal-callers this offseason.

Washington State transfer Cam Ward, Albany transfer Reese Poffenbarger and freshman Judd Anderson all had opportunities to make plays Monday, along with returning quarterbacks Jacurri Brown and Emory Williams, who was back in action after suffering a season-ending arm injury last November at Florida State.

“Really impressive about Emory. He’s been out for a long time, hasn’t taken many reps and he jumped out there today and it seemed like he never missed,” Cristobal said. “He’s that kind of a guy, though. We’ve talked about it before. He is that over-the-top, dedicated guy that just reminds you of maybe some of those old-school quarterbacks that played here that just devotes a ton of time to his craft. Time with the coordinator, time coming in and meeting with different players. He went out there, he had a great day.

“Cam had a great day. Reese had a great day. Jacurri did as well. Those guys … We’ve got a really good quarterback room right now. Judd got a few reps today. Judd, he’s hard to miss, all of 6-[foot]-7. And he’s just an awesome human being. He understands that there’s going to be some time, where he may not get all the reps. But he’s going to develop into a great player. Pleased with the first day with that quarterback room.”

While Monday was clearly a big day for Miami’s 26 newcomers, quarterbacks included, it was also a memorable day for players like Elijah Arroyo, who have battled through injury to get back on the field.

Arroyo appeared in just five games last season and only four games in 2022 after getting hurt during his sophomore campaign.

But on Monday, Arroyo said he was starting to feel more and more like the tight end who appeared in all 12 games during his freshman campaign back in 2021.

“It was definitely frustrating,” Arroyo said of the fact he wasn’t able to come back last season as quickly as he’d hoped. “I gave myself a day to be mad about, you know? But after that, there’s nothing I [could] do. Just got to keep my head down, work, and control what I can control. … I feel great [now]. I feel like Elijah Arroyo.”

The key for the Hurricanes now is to keep that energy level high through the rest of the spring.

After going 5-7 in 2022, Miami earned a bowl berth and finished last season with a 7-6 mark. Continuing to improve remains the primary focus and that improvement should continue, not just because of the influx of talent the Hurricanes welcomed this offseason, but because of consistency on the sideline.

Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and defensive coordinator Lance Guidry are both back, and this spring, instead of focusing on installing their respective systems, the approach can be on growth and progress.

That, Cristobal noted, will make a difference for Miami moving forward.

“Familiarity with language, with verbiage, with systems, with processes is always at a premium in college football with the ever-changing landscape, with the turnover that you always have,” Cristobal said. “It’s been a while since we’ve been able to have that [consistency] anywhere I’ve been, so it’s really refreshing, and it feels good.”