The Miami Hurricanes baseball team is looking to finish the regular season with a statement series win against the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee this Thursday through Saturday.
The Seminoles are seeded third and the Hurricanes fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings.
Before traveling to the state’s capital on Monday, head coach J.D. Arteaga elaborated on the opportunity ahead.
“It’s Florida State week,” he said. “It’s always a fun rivalry going to Tallahassee. It’s a great opportunity to go into a top-ranked team on the road and make a statement.”
A series win over the Seminoles, especially a three-game sweep, would strengthen the Hurricanes’ resume ahead of the May 25 selection show, which officially sets the NCAA Division I Baseball bracket.
However, coach Arteaga is strictly focused on the series, rather than looking ahead to the postseason.
“All that matters right now is this Thursday, winning Thursday,” he said. “Win Thursday and we worry about Friday.”
The Hurricanes will face junior Seminoles starting left-handed pitcher Wes Mendes at some point in the series. He currently has a 2.42 ERA, third-best in the ACC.
Canes senior second baseman and leadoff hitter Jake Ogden dissed Mendes in a Monday press conference in a comment that has gone viral.
“I don’t know nothing about him,” he said with a smirk that showed his disdain.
Junior catcher Alex Sosa, however, showed some familiarity.
“He’s a Florida guy, I’ve known him for a while,” he said. “He’s a good guy, another lefty. We got to just do our job, have good approaches, try to go get him, put up some runs, not give up runs, and try to win a game.”
Sosa was named ACC Player of the Week after a dominant performance in this past weekend’s Louisville Cardinals series: nine hits in 13 at-bats, nine runs batted in, and three home runs. Despite dealing with a shoulder injury over the last few games, he continues to show up big for the team.
The Hurricanes have a big task at hand, especially without having All-American third baseman Daniel Cuvet due to a back stress fracture. Regardless, the team has an opportunity climb the ACC standings and finish the regular season with a meaningful stamp. The series will begin on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the ACC Network Extra.
