Canes Sweep Yellow Jackets

On March 29th, after a 4-2 loss to North Carolina, Miami Baseball’s 2025 season record stood at 14-14, including 1-7 in the ACC. What a difference three weeks can make.

After last Sunday’s 10-2 demolition of Georgia Tech (29-11,14-7 ACC), who had come into the weekend series on top of the ACC standings and No. 13 in the nation, the Miami Hurricanes had improved their record to 24-7 and 9-9 in ACC conference play in just twenty-one days. The turnaround has been remarkable.

What brought this improvement? There are a few reasons, and I’ll go over them now.

First and foremost are the roles the two freshmen starting pitchers earned. AJ Ciscar, a 6’3” RHP from Weston, FL, who played at St. Thomas Aquinas, and Tate DeRias, a 6’4” RHP from Hammonton, NJ, have stepped into weekend starting roles and filled them admirably.

Second, Right-fielder Derek Williams leads the Canes with a .345 batting average and is second in home runs with eight, and First-baseman Todd Hudson, who has started 19 games, are both out with hamate bone injuries. Their replacements have been two freshmen outfielders: Miami natives Michael Torres/Doral Academy and Fabio Peralta/Miami Christian. Each has provided game-changing defense and game-winning offense in their recent starts.

Third, there is continued production from the top of the batting order. Jake Ogden, Bobby Marsh, Daniel Cuvet, and Dorian Gonzalez Jr have combined for 140 RBI (56% of the team total) and 28 HR (54%).

Fourth is the improved bullpen with Carson Fischer, Will Smith, and Alex Giroux as set-up arms, with Jackson Cleveland spotting Brian Walters as the closer. That bullpen posted a 1.50 ERA over 12 innings and stranded 10 runners against G Tech.

The fifth and most important thing is the players' confidence and belief in each other. Inside the locker room, it’s known as playing “Ogden Ball” after the examples that Jake Ogden sets. Giving 100% at all times and playing the game the right way. One of the baseball support staff has had Ogden Ball tee shirts made for all the players. It’s a great honor for the Homestead native.

On to the sweep. The fact that none of the three weekend starting pitchers for Georgia Tech had lost a game all season nor that the Yellow Jackets were atop the conference gave the reborn Hurricanes no pause. In the opener on Friday night, both team's aces were on the bump.

Griffen Hugus had the ball for Miami and the undefeated Tate McKee for Tech. Hugus allowed only one single and no runs through three. McKee was let down by sloppy fielding in the third. Peralta reached on an error when the second baseman dropped a softly hit ball. Renzo Gonzalez laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved Peralta over to second. Torres singled to short, and Peralta took third.

Ogden reached on a fielder’s choice, Torres moved to second on a throwing error, and Peralta scored. Max Galvin reached on an obstruction, and Torres scored. Miami had a 2-0 lead after three. Hugus ran into trouble in the fourth. He gave up singles to the first two batters and walked the third. Bases loaded with none out.

The Cincinnati transfer came up big time, striking out the next three batteries. The Canes extended the lead to 3-0 in the fourth, when Renzo Gonzalez followed a Tanner Smith single with an RBI single of his own.The Yellow Jackets got on the board in the fifth after a base on balls and a single to the right field corner was misplaced, allowing the runner to come all the way around from first.

G Tech was within two at 3-1, but not for long. With two out and a 2-0 count in the bottom of the frame, Cuvet hit a two-out bomb over the left field fence, and it was 4-1. The bullpen held the rest of the way, giving up only one run, and Miami had a 4-2 win in the opener. The Canes did not let up on Saturday. Ciscar was on the hill for Miami and undefeated Brady Jones for the visitors.

Miami went up 2-0 in the first, when a Galvin single was followed by another Cuvet home run to deep left field. The lead grew to 5-0 in the third, after the Canes showed they could play small ball and hit home runs. Torres let off with a walk, Ogden singled, and Galvin doubled to right, scoring Torres. Cuvet hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Ogden, and Dorian Gonzalez followed with another sac fly to center, scoring Galvin.

Ciscar retired 15 of the first 17 batters he faced, including 11 in a row in his 5 2/3 innings of work. He struck out seven while earning the win. The Jackets had three singles and a hits batsman in the sixth, but only scratched out one run when the Canes, facing bases loaded with one out, turned a 5-4-3 double play. Ogden got that run back in the seventh, taking a one-out, 1-0 pitch deep over the wall in left to make it 6-1.

Three Yellow Jackets went down swinging in their eighth. The Canes extended when D Gonzalez doubled, and Peralta drove him home. 7-1 after eight. Tech got a run in the ninth after a lead-off double, an uncontested steal of third, and an RBI groundout out. Miami turned their third double play of the afternoon, a 4-6-3, to earn the game and series win.

It was a 1 pm start on Sunday and a rout from the get-go. The Hurricanes were up 4-0 after one, 5-0 after two, 8-0 after three and 10-0 after four. Freshman DeRias went 5 1/3 for the win. T Smith got it going with a three-run HR in the first. Torres hit his first career HR, a three RBI shot in the third.

Ogden, Galvin, and Cuvet had multiple hit games. Heroes everywhere over the three games. The Canes are up to eighth in the ACC standings. In the reformatted ACC tournament, teams finishing in the top eight receive a first-round bye. Miami cannot afford to give any ground. There are 12 conference games left, six at home and six on the road. Miami is on the road this weekend. They play Boston College (19-20, 9-12) in a three games series.

I would warn readers not to be overconfident. The Eagles have beaten North Carolina and took the series from Virginia, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame this season. They will not lay down for any opponent and will play for a bye in the ACC tournament, like the Canes.

Friday and Saturday’s games will be played in Chestnut Hill at the on-campus Eddie Pellagrini Diamond. The first pitch on Friday is at 4 pm and Saturday at noon. Sunday will be a very special treat for the players, fans and both baseball programs. The noon game will be played on the hallowed ground of Fenway Park, the oldest park in Major League Baseball that has been the home of the Boston Red Sox since 1912.

Saturday’s game will be televised on the ACC Network. Sunday’s game at Fenway will be televised nationally on ESPNU. The Canes return home for a three-game series against NC State (27-12, 12-6) on Friday, May 2nd at 7 pm, Saturday at 6 pm, and Sunday at 1 pm. There is a game against FIU on Wednesday, May 6th, at 6 pm. Wednesday games feature $2 hot dogs and $4 beers; that’s it for now. Be well all, and Go Canes!