Weekend Preview: Miami

The Eagles have lost seven straight conference series coming into another rivalry matchup with the Hurricanes.

Last Saturday’s doubleheader sweep at the hands of Notre Dame was one that Boston College wanted to move on from quickly, and the Eagles made the most of a chance with a convincing 13-2 win over Holy Cross.

“I was happy and proud of them,” head coach Mike Gambino said. “Their effort, their energy, and their commitment hasn’t wavered. Obviously they’re frustrated with the results but there’s no hint of hanging their head, quitting, or feeling sorry for themselves.”

Now, it’s crunch time in the ACC. Sitting 12 games under .500 in conference play isn’t where BC (17-21, 6-18 Atlantic Coast) thought it would be at this point in the season, but with three weekends to play, there’s still a path to rising and taking the last spot in the ACC Championship. Gambino hasn’t shied away from talking about what the Eagles could do if they get a shot at the conference tournament—see 2019’s run to the semifinals for example—but they need to snap a run of seven straight ACC series’ lost.

BC welcomes in Miami (23-13, 14-12 ACC) this weekend to close out an eight-game homestand. The Hurricanes had climbed as high as No. 6 in the D1Baseball poll back in Week 5, but slowly fell back to earth as they were swept by No. 19 Pittsburgh and dropped two of three to North Carolina to fully fall out of the rankings.

“They’re young but very talented,” Gambino said. “You always know you’re going to have talent with Miami. They have a really talented freshman class so you’re getting a tremendously talented, really athletic team that’s also on the younger side.”

Here’s what you need to know about the three-game set:

When are the games and how can I watch them?

Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be aired on ACC Network Extra. Saturday and Sunday will both be on ACC Network Extra at 3 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.

Projected Lineup
Miami (AVG/OBP/SLG, OPS+)

LF) Jordan Lala (.248/.371/.358, 100)
2B) Anthony Vilar (.275/.394/.387, 107)
3B) Yohandy Morales (.277/.309/.554, 118)
C) Adrian Del Castillo (.311/.413/.474, 122)
CF) Christian Del Castillo (.368/.432/.493, 127)
1B) Alejandro Toral (.295/.416/.509, 127)
DH) Ray Gil (.272/.319/.494, 112)
RF) Gabe Rivera (.250/.373/.471, 116)
SS) Dominic Pitelli (.273/.367/.427, 109)

Who’s hot and who’s not?

In his last 10 games, Alejandro Toral is slashing .412/.500/.735 with three home runs and eight RBIs. He hasn’t even been the team’s top hitter over that stretch, though, as that honor belongs to center fielder Christian Del Castillo. Del Castillo has piled up 17 hits in his last 10 games, driving in a team-high nine runs over that stretch with a 159 OPS+. Shortstop Dominic Pitelli has bounced back from a rough March (.182, 8-for-44) with a team-high 19 hits in the month of March.

On the flip side, right fielder Gabe Rivera has cooled down quite a bit. The junior is mired in a 3-for-26 stretch and is striking out at a 32 percent clip. Rivera only played in nine games in March and piled up 11 hits, but he’s regressed in April thus far. He’s pretty much the only truly slumping member of the Hurricanes lineup, as the team is slashing .297/.387/.487 over the last 10 games.

Who are the starting pitchers?
Friday

Alejandro Rosario gets the nod for the Hurricanes on Friday night. A true freshman, Rosario earned ACC Pitcher of the Week honors back in mid-March but has had an up-and-down inaugural season. Rosario has had some excellent starts, but he’s also had some stinkers. He threw seven scoreless against Virginia Tech, seven scoreless against Wake Forest, and turned in quality starts against Virginia and Clemson. Then, he allowed seven earned runs to both Pittsburgh and Florida State—starts that he didn’t make it out of the second inning in. Rosario has a low 9 BB% which is impressive for a freshman and pairs that with a 18 K%.

Saturday

The Hurricanes will turn to Alex McFarlane out of the bullpen as he’ll make his first start of the 2021 season. McFarlane was used primarily as a starter last season but that was in an opener role—he only made it to the fourth inning once in four starts. McFarlane’s been a trustworthy reliever this season to the tune of 10 outings and 23 innings pitched, so it seems likely that he might be only available for a few innings. He’s struck out 12 in 10 innings in April thus far, posting a sub-1.00 WHIP.

Sunday (TBA)

Finally, Sunday’s starter for the Hurricanes is another former bullpen arm: Jake Garland. The right-hander made six appearances out of the bullpen in 2020, then started there this season with three straight relief outings. The Hurricanes soon needed him in the rotation and he’s made seven starts there—five of which have been quality starts. Garland won’t overpower you as he only has 28 strikeouts in 48 innings, but he also won’t make many mistakes (just nine walks). He gets plenty of weak contact as opponents are hitting just .249 against him on the year.

How will the Miami bullpen line up after the starters?

With McFarlane moved into the weekend rotation for the first time this year, the Hurricanes are down their No. 2 reliever thus far. Still, they’ve got one of the country’s best closers in 6-foot-3 southpaw Carson Palmquist. The freshman hasn’t shied away from big moments, racking up a conference-best nine saves, a sub-1.00 WHIP, and a 46 K%.

Right-hander Jake Smith is another name to know, as he’s improved as the year went on—he’s only give up one earned run in his last seven innings with a 14:0 K/BB ratio. Anthony Arguelles, Andrew Walters, and Daniel Federman have all thrown double-digit innings. Walters has given up two earned runs in 10 appearances with a 37 K%, while Federman has a sub-1.00 WHIP. Miami’s bullpen is definitely a strength when it comes to quality arms that they can throw out there over the course of a weekend.

Featured Images courtesy of Miami Athletics and Boston College Athletics