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Miami baseball earns spot in Hattiesburg regional final after crushing Columbia, 14-1

Max Diaz
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Miami baseball earns spot in Hattiesburg regional final after crushing Columbia, 14-1

The 2025 NCAA baseball tournament has started out perfectly for the Miami Hurricanes, winning their first two games in the tournament to secure themselves in their regional’s final, putting them a win away from the super regionals.

This is a great shock since many thought the Hurricanes would not even make the tournament after a subpar regular season and a poor showing in the ACC tournament, where the Hurricanes were mercy-ruled in eight innings by No. 16 seed California, 12-2. Still, luck was on their side as they earned a No. 3 seed in the regional.

Miami’s first win came Friday with a 5-3 win over No. 2 seed Alabama. The ’Canes got their second win of the tournament Saturday night, defeating No. 4 seed Columbia, which had upset regional host Southern Miss the day before. The Ivy League champions proved to be no issue for the Hurricanes as they defeated the Lions by a wide margin of 14-1. 

The game against Columbia was like an in-game batting practice for UM from the start. The Miami batters started the bottom of the first inning with five straight hits. A double play ended the rally, but not before the Hurricanes took an early 4-0 lead—three runs coming from hits and another from a wild pitch.

The second and third innings featured a Miami runner making it to third at some point in the frame, but neither would turn into runs. Columbia scored its first and only run of the game at the top of the fourth inning in the form of a solo home run from senior outfielder Anton Lazits, which brought the score to 4-1. 

UM’s start to the bottom of the fourth seemed to be the start of a three and out as the first two batters failed to make it to first safely. Junior Jake Ogden got the offense started with a single and steal of second. Redshirt junior Max Galvin drove him Ogden in with a double, bringing the score to 5-1.

Next up to bat was slugger Daniel Cuvet, who Columbia wanted absolutely nothing to do with as they intentionally walked him. Instead, they chose to face senior Dorian Gonzalez Jr., who made the Lions regret that decision as he homered on the first pitch he saw to bring Miami to an even more dominating lead of 8-1.

The next Hurricane run came in the bottom of the sixth inning in the form of a solo shot from Galvin to increase their lead to 9-1. That turned out to be the only run of the sixth, but the ’Canes tallied four more in the seventh off of a grand slam from Gonzalez Jr. to bring up that commanding lead to 13-1.

The final run of the game for UM came in the eighth in the form of a double freshman effort with Fabio Perlata coming in to score off of a Michael Torres single, bringing the score to its final, 14-1. 

The Hurricanes put on a clinic in the hitting department tallying 14 runs, 16 hits and three home runs, but the offense wasn’t the only story.

Miami starting pitcher Griffin Hugus was the only Hurricane to take the mound during the entire game. In an incredible nine innings of work, Hugus threw 123 pitches and struck out nine batters while allowing up eight hits, one walk and only one run. Thanks to Hugus’ dominating and probably exhausting performance, Miami did not have to use a single reliever, an advantage in tournament play. 

The Hurricanes will play in the regional final today at 7 p.m. against the winner of the Southern Miss—Columbia elimination game.

University of Miami professor steps into the kid’s literature world

Tracy Ramos
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“I never had an idea that came like a bolt of lightning before,” said Chantel Acevedo, a University of Miami English professor and double creative writing alumna. 

In the summer of 2017, Acevedo got the idea for her first middle-grade book, for ages 8-12. She went on a family vacation to England and visited the Victoria and Albert Museum. She said the idea came when she saw a statue of a muse.

“I saw it and asked myself, ‘how would the muses inspire people differently if they were kids?’” said Acevedo, referring to the muses in Greek mythology. “I got my phone out and started writing plot points.”

That question inspired Acevedo to write her two-book series, “Muse Squad.” Before their trip, her daughter Penelope, who was 11, had asked her when she’d write for kids. At that time, Acevedo had already published four adult novels. Penelope, now 19 and a freshman at the University of Miami, said she was ecstatic when her mom wrote the duology.

“As a kid, I bragged that my mom was an author,” said Penelope Acevedo, a music industry major. “It was hard to read her adult novels when I was in middle school. I was excited when she wrote ‘Muse Squad’ because my friends and I could read it.”

Acevedo published “Muse Squad: The Cassandra Curse” in July 2020. She described that year as “not a great time to launch a new thing.”

“The publisher, HarperCollins, created a tremendous marketing plan,” said Acevedo. “But then the COVID-19 pandemic started and that all fell apart. Kids stopped going to libraries and bookstores, and so they couldn’t discover new books.”

Acevedo said sales were “nonexistent” for the first six months. But she never stopped writing the sequel. 

“I was editing the sequel when the first book was published,” said Acevedo.

Acevedo published the sequel in 2021. She said the duology eventually gained readers and was considered for film adaptation by The Walt Disney Company.

“There were talks about turning ‘Muse Squad’ into a TV show,” said Acevedo, a Cuban American. “But we didn’t make a deal because they couldn’t guarantee using the same title and having a Latina main character.”

In 2023, her book “The Curse on Spectacle Key” was nominated for the Sunshine State Young Readers Award, recognizing its power to encourage literacy among young students. 

As an author in Florida, Acevedo has been affected by the state’s recent book bans. She visited Florida schools to talk about her book in 2023. At the same time, Florida experienced an unprecedented number of book bans. 

Though none of Acevedo’s books were banned, the regulations affected her school visits.

“Here in Miami, they dried up,” said Acevedo. “Principals said they didn’t want author visits because a parent might not like what an author says and sue the school.”

Some schools that allowed author visits made extreme requests. A school in Immokalee, an unincorporated community near Naples, requested she have a million dollar insurance policy, in case a parent were to sue.

“Many of my school visits are unpaid, so I have to pay for my expenses myself,” Acevedo said. “I couldn’t afford that and couldn’t visit the school, which was heartbreaking.”

Acevedo said books bans have become a much larger issue than when she was a high school English teacher, a decade ago. Acevedo said she does what she can to address the bans and promote children’s readership.

“I recently talked with a School of Education faculty member about how they could promote writing and reading for kids,” said Acevedo. “Having those conversations and voting on these issues are important.”

Acevedo said she won’t stop writing, despite challenges.

“Storytelling is something I’ve always done,” said Acevedo, “It’s something I’m always going to do.”

Discover the worlds in Acevedo’s books by purchasing them wherever books are sold. Acevedo’s fifth kids book, “No Way, Never Sisters,” which she wrote with UM alumna Natalia Sylvester, is projected to publish in 2026. Acevedo’s adult novel “Cages” is also set for 2026.

Ciscar shines, leads Miami to a 5-3 win in Hattiesburg Regional opener

Zach Cohen
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Ciscar shines, leads Miami to a 5-3 win in Hattiesburg Regional opener

With two outs and two runners on — including the tying run at second — redshirt junior Brian Walters looked to escape the jam and send Miami into the winners’ bracket. On a 1-0 pitch, Alabama left fielder Kade Snell hit a fly ball to the deepest part of the yard, but Michael Torres made the catch at the wall for the final out.

The Hurricanes began their journey to Omaha on Friday, May 30, at the Hattiesburg Regional in the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament. Entering as the No. 3 seed, Miami opened with a 5-3 victory over No. 2 seed Alabama. The other two teams in the regional are the host, No. 1 seed Southern Mississippi, and No. 4 seed Columbia. Despite a weather delay, early offense and strong pitching propelled Miami to the win.

Tasked with being the game 1 starting pitcher for the ’Canes was freshman phenom AJ Ciscar. Ciscar finished the season with a 5-1 record, 3.78 ERA, and member of the 2025 ACC All-Freshman team. He looked to make noise in his first career NCAA tournament appearance.

Ciscar worked quickly in his first three innings, throwing fewer than 40 pitches and allowing no runs. He hit a rough patch in the bottom of the fourth, allowing three runs on three hits, including one to former Hurricane Jason Torres. Holding a 4-3 lead after four, Ciscar dealt for three more innings. He finished the game pitching seven innings of six-hit ball, striking out eight, allowing three runs, and throwing 97 pitches.

Miami’s offense got rolling early in the top of the first. Junior Jake Ogden led off with a five-pitch walk, and Max Galvin followed that up with a single to right field that advanced Ogden to third. Sophomore standout Daniel Cuvet made the most of his first postseason action. He hit a towering three-run blast to right field that got Miami up to a 3-0 lead.

Alabama (41-17, 16-14 SEC) starting pitcher, Riley Quick, was hitting 99 mph with his fastball, but that was unable to slow the Miami hitters down early in the game. Miami did damage in the first and scored a run in the third and fifth innings off Quick. He went on to throw six innings, allowing five runs, eight hits, and four walks on 108 pitches.

Senior Derek Williams picked up his first hit since his injury in mid-April in the first inning.

Miami’s third-inning run came off the bat of Renzo Gonzalez on a single up the middle that scored Cuvet from second. Cuvet picked up his second hit of the afternoon on a double to left-center.

In the fifth, the Hurricanes scored thanks to Max Galvin’s home run to right-center. After five, Miami (32-24, 15-14 ACC) held a 5-3 lead and never looked back.

In the bottom of the eighth, Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga called on Carson Fischer. Fischer, running into a bit of trouble, was pulled with two outs in the frame. Rob Evans struck out Brady Neal emphatically to end the inning. In the ninth, Walters picked up the save in dramatic fashion.

With the 5-3 win, the Hurricanes earned breathing room in the double-elimination format. Next, they’ll face the winner of Southern Mississippi and Columbia on Saturday at 9 p.m. Eastern.

Tariff turmoil in April: Uncertainty rises as markets react

Ross Kluger
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Tariff turmoil in April: Uncertainty rises as markets react

April’s economic landscape was shaken by the Trump administration’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, which were announced on April 2. This initiative imposes a universal tariff in an effort to address what the administration described as years of unfair trade practices. 

In Miami and across Florida, the impact of these tariffs was especially significant due to a large reliance on international trade. Sectors like construction and retail reported projected losses of up to 40% due to higher costs for imported materials from China. Experts warned that the average Floridian, including college students, could pay an additional $1,000 to $2,000 per year on everyday goods.

Ryan Carell, a finance major, expressed his uncertainty about the future of the economy.

“I don’t know what the next move will be, but people are definitely talking about the tariffs on campus. Hopefully it settles down soon,” said Carell.

This announcement sent shockwaves through global markets, prompting a rare coordinated response from U.S. trading partners. China, Japan and South Korea publicly announced they would respond in unison, with South Korea’s trade ministry spokesperson calling the tariffs “somewhat exaggerated.”

The tariffs were met with backlash from American businesses with many expressing concern  about the future economy and rising inflation rates. In response, the White House issued a significant policy shift on April 9. The administration temporarily paused the country-specific tariffs, which had been set at differing rates, and instead lowered most U.S. allies’ rates to a flat 10%. 

However, it was clear that the new focus was mainly on Chinese imports, raising duties to 125%. This “rate” is the percentage of a product’s value importers pay as a border tariff — for example, a 125% tariff means an importer pays $125 in tariffs for every $100 worth of goods imported from China. Notably, the White House later clarified that this 125% rate is in addition to an existing 20% tariff, bringing the total effective tariff on most Chinese imports to 145%.

On Friday, April 11, the White House announced that microchips, computers, and smartphones would be exempt from the tariffs, which are among China’s largest export categories. This move was designed to alleviate some of the pressure on American technology companies and consumers. 

This policy allows U.S. tech companies that depend on Chinese manufacturing to avoid steep tariff costs, helping prevent higher expenses and potential price spikes for American consumers. At the same time, the exemptions benefit Chinese firms by maintaining a vital source of revenue from major tech exports to the U.S.

The market’s reaction during the early stages was severe. The stock market lost a collective $536 billion in the two days following the tariff announcements. The Fear and Greed Index, which measures daily investor sentiment, hit a low of 4 in early April before recovering slightly to 19 currently – still in the “extreme fear” category. Furthermore, Americans’ expectations for inflation rose to their highest level since 1981, reflecting their anxiety over the rising prices.

Conversely, large banks such as Bank of America and Citigroup have reported large first quarter profits with a surge in trading revenue. This suggests that for the time being, larger-scale corporations and businesses are not aligned with the public outlook.

The coming weeks will test whether the drastic policy changes can stabilize the markets and restore confidence once again or if more turbulence is to come.

A legacy to remember, the life of Allan Herbert

Elena Fallow
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It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Allan Herbert, a proud triple ‘Cane, longtime University of Miami philanthropist and former member of the university’s Board of Trustees.

Herbert died on May 11 at 89 years old. 

He is survived by his two sons, Steven and Kevin Herbert, as well as his grandchildren, Daphne Herbert and Begonia Herbert-Ramirez.

Herbert was born on Aug. 27, 1935, in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to Miami with his family at the age of five. He later attended the University of Miami, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1955 and an MBA three years later. It was there that he met the love of his life, Patti McBride.

While studying at the U, the couple worked together on the staff of The Miami Hurricane. Although he studied business, Herbert learned the importance of deadlines during his time with the paper. He would later share this lesson during his address at the fall of 2023 graduate degree commencement ceremony, where he was also awarded a Ph.D. from the business school.

“As an undergrad, I had as many journalism credits as I did in accounting,” Herbert said. “I was fortunate because as a former journalist I knew about deadlines.”

After his time at the U, Herbert served in the Air Force for just under a decade. He then worked various jobs in Miami, including running his historic family business — the art deco Richmond Hotel in Miami Beach. 

Eventually Herbert moved his family to Beverly Hills, Calif. and worked for Teledyne Technologies. He started off leading Teledyne’s internal audits and was later promoted to president of one of Teledyne’s subsidiaries, Argonaut Insurance. 

After leading successful careers in their respective fields, the couple made a generous $8 million donation to the university. This donation led to the Patti and Allan Herbert Wellness Center being named in their honor and the renovation of its fitness room. A decade later, in 2017, the couple made another donation to the business school. 

His dedication to the school did not end there. Herbert served on the school’s Board of Trustees from 2013 to 2024, served on the Frost School of Music Dean’s Advisory Committee and contributed to the betterment of nine other departments at the U.

A memorial service honoring Allan’s life is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, at 3 p.m. at Levitt-Weinstein Memorial Chapels & Cemeteries, 18840 W. Dixie Highway, North Miami Beach. Friends and family are invited.

From a Setback to the Spotlight: Maddie Scheier

Jadyn Cohee
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In the eyes of a collegiate coach, Maddie Scheier is a dream athlete. 

“I tell my guys here, like, if you guys had the same drive and mentality that my daughter had, that you guys would have a better chance of making it to the league,”  said her father, Adam Scheier, an assistant football coach at UNLV.

Aspiring to follow in the footsteps of her athletic family, Maddie picked up a basketball at only 3 years old, mirroring her basketball-loving older sister. Come junior high, her skills only continued to grow. She dreamed of playing Division I basketball, and with college programs showing interest, that dream was becoming a reality. But what was supposed to be her breakout season became a turning point in  her athletic journey. 

She suffered an ACL injury—an athlete’s worst fear—that ended her basketball career. A devastating blow, considering the years she’d spent working on her craft. Now forced to walk off the court and close one  chapter of her life, she took what some would call it tragedy and she called it fate. 

She walked off the court and onto the track.

With the palm trees swaying behind her, she is first on the track in Coral Gables with her dream now her reality as a Division I athlete.   Her motivation is clear in her focused expression, and her positivity is clear as the first to hug and congratulate her teammates. 

“I knew that in the long run it would be better for me and now I got to come to a beautiful place like Miami,” said Scheier, recalling her decision to pursue track and field. Her doctor had advised that, given her injury, the more linear nature of track and field would be more beneficial.

Her new coach, Amy Deem, recognized her work ethic immediately upon seeing her at practices.

 “Maddie is feisty, she’s competitive, she brings it every single day. She doesn’t come to practice moping. She brings the same demeanor, the same work ethic every single day, and all she wants to do is get better,” said Deem.

Having worked in college athletics, her father understands the sacrifices that it took to be in her position. 

“I don’t get surprised when I watch her have the success that she’s having, but it definitely fills me with pride and admiration,” he said.

So while the sport of choice may have changed, her values remain the same: Hard work, determination, and passion. 

That same passion drives her beyond athletics—into her career in special education.

While sports shaped her resilience, working with students with special needs gives her space to slow down and connect. This work brings Scheier the greatest victory of all: motivating others the way she motivates herself.

“It’s not just about putting a smile on their face, it’s about how they make me feel,” she said. “They are so happy and positive, and just grateful for the friendship.” 

A friendship dating back to middle school sparked her love for working in special education. She recalled a friend who looked to her for kindness and acceptance and she made a promise to deliver both. Now she continues building those meaningful connections and uplifting others every day.

And while finding her new path, Scheier has blazed through Miami, and the records have followed. 

In  the 2025 season, her performances have been worth highlighting at every competition. At the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, Scheier broke the school’s 20-year-old one mile record as she clocked a 4:45.82, besting Melanie Schultz’s time of 4:46.81 set on March 5, 2005. Scheier’s new mark bettered her personal-best by nearly three seconds. 

In April, at the Wake Forest Invitation, Scheier broke the school record in the women’s 3000m steeplechase with a time of 10:48.62. She bettered Bianca Banato’s 2022 record of 10:50.23. 

By the end of the spring season her love of both community service and athletics were awarded with her earning the Indoor Track and Field All-ACC Academic Team and the Outstanding Community Service Student-Athlete Award. 

The same determination that pushed her to break records on the track now fuels her work with Special Olympics athletes. Because for Scheier, success isn’t just about winning—it’s about helping others discover their own strength, just as she found hers.

‘Canes crash out of ACC Championship, fall 12-2 to Cal in the first round of the Tournament

Zach Cohen
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‘Canes crash out of ACC Championship, fall 12-2 to Cal in the first round of the Tournament

The experience of the 2025 Miami Hurricanes baseball team has been a rollercoaster ride of the ages. Falling to .500 by mid-March before nearly going undefeated during April before crashing back down to Earth by losing six of their last seven, this ’Canes team has been anything but consistent.  And on a pristine Tuesday morning at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, No. 9-seeded Miami looked to send No. 16-seeded California back on a long flight home to Berkeley in the first round of the ACC Tournament, but a disastrous fourth inning led to a 12-2 Cal win via mercy rule in the eighth.

Griffin Hugus got the nod for the 9 a.m. start. Hugus, who had a 4.22 ERA and pitched on four days’ rest, did not have his best stuff, struggling with command all morning

With a runner on second and two outs, the Golden Bears catcher Alex Birge stepped to the dish. On a 2-2 pitch, Birge belted a two-run shot over the right field wall, and Cal never looked back after that. 

The top of the fourth is where it got ugly for the Hurricanes. After walking two consecutive batters to start the frame, Hugus was pulled for graduate right-hander Carson Fischer. Two hits and a fielding error later, Fischer was pulled for Will Smith with still no outs and the score 4-0. 

A two-RBI double from PJ Moutzouridis and a walk to Dominic Smaldinio ended Smith’s short appearance. Cal’s Moutzouridis had a team-high three hits. Luckily, Miami’s Alex Giroux was able to stop the bleeding and give up no earned runs. After four, Cal already led 9-0. 

Credit goes to the Golden Bears starting pitcher Oliver de la Torre who threw six innings of two-hit baseball while striking out seven.

He single handedly shut down the Hurricanes offense who looked no match for his wipe-out changeup and located fastballs. 

Leading the stagnant five-hit Miami Hurricanes offense was none other than sophomore Daniel Cuvet. The Golden Spikes Semifinalist had two hits, including a single in the seventh inning. Cuvet later scored in that inning thanks to a 393-foot home run from Tanner Smith, but scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh proved not to be enough as Cal tacked on two runs in the eighth via another Birge two-run homer, led 12-2 and was on the verge of beating Miami via the run rule.

Despite a base hit from freshman Michael Torres, the Hurricanes could not score a run, and after eight innings Miami’s time in the ACC tournament was short-lived.

The first-round loss certainly didn’t help Miami’s chances of making it to a Regional. For now, the Hurricanes (31-24, 15-14 ACC)will head back to Coral Gables and play the waiting game to see if they receive a bid for the NCAA tournament. If not, the next time you’ll see Miami take the field will be in a year’s time with the 2026 season.

Miami falls flat in final regular season game, lose 12-2 to Notre Dame

Sebastian Font
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Miami falls flat in final regular season game, lose 12-2 to Notre Dame

Saturday afternoon marked the final time the ’Canes baseball team would play at home this year and the final regular season game for the squad. They matched up against Notre Dame in a rubber match that would prove key for standings heading into the ACC tournament.

And with all that pressure on this game Miami simply fell flat, falling 12-2 to Notre Dame.

Despite the final score looking bleak, this was a game that Miami should’ve been much closer in. Mix a combination of poorly timed walks, poor pitching with runners on, an inability to hit with runners in scoring position, and the run disparity becomes clear despite being relatively close in hits between the two sides.

It was the Fighting Irish who got on the board first with a solid display of fundamental baseball. A hit-by-pitch to the leadoff batter DM Jefferson proved costly for DeRias as he came around to score on an RBI single before a second run was scored via a first-and-third trick play to put Notre Dame up 2-0.

Miami began to chip away immediately in the bottom of the inning as Jake Ogden and Daniel Cuvet ripped a pair of singles to left field to plate their first run of the day, but couldn’t tie it up despite having runners on second and third to end the inning.

Both starting pitchers settled into a groove as DeRias and Jackson Dennies shut their opposing offenses down through the fourth inning.

But once again it was Ogden who sparked some offense for the Hurricanes, lining another single into left field before being driven home by a Max Galvin RBI double to tie the game at 2-2.

However this Miami momentum was short lived as Notre Dame immediately responded by retaking the lead in the sixth as Carson Tinney launched a homer off DeRias to deep left field. The Fighting Irish kept the pressure up as DeRias was taken out of the game, launching another homer to left off reliever Will Smith later in the inning to make the score 5-2. 

Things didn’t get better for Miami as Notre Dame tacked on two more via RBI singles in the seventh and eighth inning, before a sac fly extended the Fighting Irish lead 8-2.

And as all hope seemed to be lost, Notre Dame made sure those hopes were crushed as Tinney demolished his second homer of the game to make it a 11-2 ballgame, before they tacked on more in the ninth making it a 12-2 affair.

The ’Canes simply couldn’t find a way to respond in what has become a clear pattern throughout the regular season. If they don’t take the lead early, this squad struggles to get it back and routinely falls flat. 

Both teams will turn their attention to the ACC tournament taking place in Durham next week as both teams will play on Tuesday with Miami (31-23, 15-14 ACC) as a 9-seed and Notre Dame (32-20, 14-16 ACC) as a 11-seed.

Miami dominates Notre Dame on Senior Night, wins 15-1 in seven innings

Jayden Gonzalez
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Miami dominates Notre Dame on Senior Night, wins 15-1 in seven innings

Honoring its seniors at Mark Light Field, the Miami Hurricanes’ offense came alive Friday night, routing the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 15-1 in seven innings.

After scoring just two runs in a 3-2 defeat on Thursday, the Hurricanes exploded out of the gate Friday. Miami plated four runs in the first inning and added nine more in the second, sending 25 batters to the plate in the first two frames and scoring 13 of its 15 runs.

Notre Dame (31-20, 13-16 ACC) couldn’t get anything going on either side of the ball. On the mound, the Fighting Irish struggled with control, walking nine batters and hitting three.

Starter Rory Fox was pulled after just one inning. The sophomore right-hander, who entered with a 3.03 ERA and had gone at least three innings in every start this season, threw 39 pitches to 10 batters.

With the bases loaded in the second, Michael Torres lined a ball to shortstop Estevan Moreno, who overthrew second base, allowing the ball to sail into right field. All three runners scored on the error, with Torres advancing to third. It was one of three costly defensive miscues by the Fighting Irish.

Miami freshman AJ Ciscar shined in his last regular-season start. The right-hander from Weston, Florida, tossed seven innings of one-run ball, striking out seven and allowing just three hits. He ends the regular season with a 2.76 ERA as a starting pitcher.

Senior second baseman Dorian Gonzalez Jr. made the most of one of his final home games in front of family and friends. In the second inning, he launched a three-run homer over the center-field wall to extend the Hurricanes’ lead to seven.

Gonzalez finished his senior night going 3-for-4, with five RBIs, including his eighth home run of the season.

A Miami native who grew up just minutes from Mark Light Field, Gonzalez followed in the footsteps of his father, Dorian Sr., who played for the Hurricanes from 1994 to 1996 and made it to the College World Series all three years.

“I grew up coming to games here and as like, this was my life,” Gonzalez said in March. “My clothes were green and orange. Once Miami reached out, I knew that’s where I wanted to go.”

The younger Gonzalez, who verbally committed to Miami at 16, has played in 206 career games with a .267 batting average and 21 home runs. With Miami (31-22, 15-13 ACC) in position to return to Omaha for the first time since 2016, he has a chance to become the second member of his family to play in the College World Series.

Following the blowout win, the Hurricanes now turn their attention to the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon against Notre Dame. Freshman Tate DeRias is expected to take the mound against right-hander Jackson Dennies. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Hurricanes fall behind early and can’t complete a comeback, lose 8-6

Zach Cohen
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Hurricanes fall behind early and can’t complete a comeback, lose 8-6

On a picture-perfect day, the Hurricanes looked to avoid the sweep in Charlottesville, Virginia. After falling behind in the early innings, Miami dropped the Mother’s Day matinee by a score of 8-6. 

Taking the mound for the Hurricanes was the freshman Tate DeRias. In his first registered start in two weeks due to last Sunday’s cancellation against NC State, DeRias looked to have a quality outing and help his team leave Charlottesville with a win. However, Virginia’s offense had other plans.

With one out in the bottom of the first, Virginia’s Harry Ford blasted a two run home run to left center field to take an early 2-0 lead. Ford, the right fielder, had a team high three hits in Sunday’s game.  They would go on to score two runs in the third via a single to left field with two runners in scoring position.

DeRias’s afternoon was done one out into the fourth after allowing three runs on two hits. DeRias, in his shortest start of the season, threw 3.1 innings, allowed six hits and seven runs.

Virginia’s (36-16, 14-10 ACC) starter freshman Tomas Valincius kept Miami off the board through six innings.

Miami (30-21, 14-12 ACC) down 7-0, rallied in the top of the seventh.

With no outs and runners on first and second, senior Gaby Gutierrez looked to make the most of his start in right field. On a 3-1 pitch he doubled to right center field allowing Renzo Gonzalez to score from second. After a strikeout of Michael Torres, Valincius’s afternoon was done. 

The Cavaliers new pitcher, right hander Drew Koenen ran into trouble right away. Junior Jake Ogden singled to center field to plate Tanner Smith. With two runners on and two outs after Max Galvin fouled out the dangerous Daniel Cuvet looked to do damage. On a 2-1 pitch, Cuvet hit a 377 foot blast to right center for three RBIs. 

After Cuvet’s three run blast he now enters top 10 on the all-time Miami Hurricanes home run list with 39 home runs in under two seasons of play. He now has 15 home runs on the season including three in the past four games.

With six outs to work with, Miami was down 7-5. Despite relief pitcher Jackson Cleveland allowing a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh, Miami’s bullpen did its job. In a combined 4.2 innings pitched from Cleveland, Alex Giroux, and Jake Dorn, they only gave up one run. 

Down 8-5 in the top of the ninth, Miami looked to pull off a comeback for the ages. With runners on the corners and no outs, Cuvet came in clutch again with a single to right field, scoring Ogden. Within two runs, the bats fell asleep as Miami went on to lose 8-6.

In a disappointing series after an incredible April and the first week of May, next week’s matchup against Notre Dame becomes even more important. First pitch of the three-game set will be Thursday at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Field. 

Miami comebacks falls short on incredible catch, loses to Notre Dame 3-2

Jayden Gonzalez
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Miami comebacks falls short on incredible catch, loses to Notre Dame 3-2

On a picturesque Thursday night at Mark Light Field, the Miami Hurricanes began their final series of the regular season against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Designated hitter Davis Johnson’s three-run home run in the third inning proved to be the difference, as Notre Dame edged the Hurricanes 3-2.

Following a Jake Kulikowski RBI single in the ninth to cut the deficit to one, Renzo Gonzalez stepped up to the plate as the go-ahead run. Facing reliever Tobey McDonough, the first baseman lined a deep fly ball to left field that gave Hurricane fans hope of a tie game. But as the ball reached the wall, Jared Zimbardo made a leaping grab, robbing the hit and sealing the win for Notre Dame.

In the third, Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga opted to intentionally walk sophomore slugger Carson Tinney in favor of Johnson. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Johnson hit a three-run home run over the wall in left-center, just past a leaping Michael Torres.

Asked about the decision, Arteaga said he didn’t want to let one of the conference’s best hitters beat them.

“He’s their big damage guy,” Arteaga said. “Going in, we weren’t going to let him beat us, we took our chance.”

Johnson’s home run was the only blip on an otherwise strong outing from junior right-hander Griffin Hugus. The Cincinnati transfer allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings, striking out six and walking one. He finishes the regular season with a 3.92 ERA, the best among UM starters.

“I felt like besides one swing, I went out there and competed,” Hugus said after the game.

Shortstop Jake Ogden opened the scoring for Miami in the third, blasting a solo home run over the left-field wall. The Homestead native’s sixth homer of the season cut the deficit to 3-1.

Notre Dame ace Jack Radel delivered his best road outing of the year in his final regular-season start. The sophomore struck out six and allowed one run on four hits over 7.1 innings.

After the game, Arteaga tipped his cap to the sophomore starter.

“We got a lot of weak contact in those hitters counts,” Arteaga said. “We didn’t do a good job of adjusting.”

Despite the loss, Torres continued to shine defensively. On a fly ball hit from Peter Brzustewicz, the freshman made a leaping grab at the wall in center field, taking away a two-run home run.

The Fighting Irish (31-19, 13-15 ACC) entered Thursday on a six-game winning streak and are pushing for a strong finish to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive. As of Sunday, Notre Dame is projected to miss the 64-team field and will likely need a deep ACC tournament run.

After being swept at Virginia, the Hurricanes (30-22, 14-13 ACC) are looking to build momentum ahead of next week’s ACC tournament in Charlotte. According to D1Baseball, Miami is projected as the No. 2 seed in the Baton Rouge Regional. A series win against Notre Dame and a strong showing in Charlotte could boost their chances of hosting a regional in Coral Gables.

Miami looks to even the series on Friday behind freshman right-hander AJ Ciscar, who will face Notre Dame junior righty Rory Fox. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Leslie Diaz finds mentorship with the Alix Earle Scholarship

Keira Faddis
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Leslie Diaz finds mentorship with the Alix Earle Scholarship

When Leslie Diaz propped up her phone to record a “get ready with me” video as part of her Alix Earle Scholarship application, she had no idea what was to come in the following months. 

“Leslie did a ‘get ready with me’ style video for her application, which right away made me smile,” Earle said. “But there was a sincerity to this video that resonated with me. It didn’t feel superficial and polished, it came from the heart.”

Even before winning this competitive scholarship, Diaz has achieved another major milestone. She is a first generation, Mexican-American student studying legal studies and international business. After her sister, Diaz is the second person in her family to go to college. 

 “Hearing how determined Leslie was being [one of] the first in her family to attend college was inspiring,” Earle added. “Although I didn’t get to select the students myself, I could tell that Leslie was the right choice. Beyond the means of the scholarship I felt that she wanted to challenge herself to do more and make the most of this opportunity.”

After not only getting to attend a university, but also intern at Inter Miami CF, Diaz has been able to go back to her high school to talk to other students in the same position as she was in just a few years prior. 

“Coming to school is a big deal,” Diaz said. “A big achievement on more of a personal level is being a role model to a lot of people in my community.”

The entire scholarship application process was daunting to Diaz. She described putting off the application until the final week before it was due. After a pep-talk from one of her business professors, she got started on her application. After finishing its written portion, Diaz began the daunting task of brainstorming what she could do for the required video portion. 

“I had absolutely no idea what to do for my video,” Diaz said. 

On the due date, Diaz took inspiration from the same type of videos she had seen on Alix Earle’s TikTok account, and she filmed a ‘get ready with me.’ She described the decision as high-risk, high-reward, because she was not sure if the evaluators would understand the format. It was a gamble, but it felt right.

“I’m thinking, like I don’t know if the people on the board for the business school are gonna understand the get ready with me reference, but it’s me and it’s authentic, so I’m just gonna go for it, and it ended up working.”

Through this scholarship, Diaz has also gained a mentor in Earle. Earle’s unwavering support and guidance has helped Diaz through her last two years of her undergraduate studies, and now into her life as she prepares to navigate the entrepreneurial business world post graduation. Diaz plans to attend law school after exploring the corporate business world. 

“Alix has been an incredible person to have by my side while graduating and navigating this new world, especially when it comes to the business sense,” Diaz said. “She’s just someone who is extremely business-savvy and authentic, and she’s always open to talk and happy to help.”

For Diaz, the scholarship’s impact extends beyond her own journey. It fuels her passion to expand access to education within the Latino community, specifically Mexican-American students. 

“Something that I find extremely important is pushing education to people in the Latino community, especially the Mexican community,” Diaz said. “We should be pursuing this because through higher education is where we get into better roles, we have more doctors and more people in government positions that are Mexican or that are Latino and that can really really make a difference.”

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