University of Miami - Ibis Yearbook (Coral Gables, FL)

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T i- A RETURN . . . In the opening game of the series, Rey Noriega, who would later be named Miami Rookie of the Year, put the Canes ahead to stay with a run-scoring fielder ' s choice in the bottom of the first inning. This was the fourth consecutive game in which Noriega brought the game winning run home and was his fifth of the season. Be- hind the pitching of staff ace Grahe, Stanford was beaten sol- idly 9-3. The second and concluding game of the series brought the Hurricanes their forty-second win of the season. Pitcher Dan Bruckner improved his record to a flawless 4-0 and second baseman Jose Trujillo picked up his fourth game winning hit with a fifth inning triple. Miami completed regular season play with games against Florida State, Stetson, and at the University of Maine. The three game series with the Seminoles brought the larg- est series attendance of the year to Mark Light Stadium. Nearly 11,400 people witnessed the Canes drop two of three games to their in-state rivals. The Canes travelled to Old Orchard Beach, Maine for the final series of the season. The Black Bears, a team that had been beaten by Miami four times already in the year, look- ed to stop the Canes and send In his fifth year as the l Aiami Ma- niac, John Routh makes a profes- sion of entertaining Hurricane fans at home as well as on the road. Before the start of an inning, the Maniac taunts the home plate umpire. In the final game of the Atlantic Regional tournament, senior catcher Frank Dominguez is con- gratulated at the plate after hitting a sixth inning game winning home run in a 10-3 win over South Caro- lina. Baseball 115

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A RETURN . . . them to the playoffs on a losing note. The Hurricanes, however, spoiled Maine ' s intentions of upset by easily winning the first two games 8-1 and 1 1-3. In the third game, the Bears avoided the sweep by handing Miami its first extra inning loss 6-5 in 13 innings. Mike Fiore sparked the offense with a run scoring triple in the top of the first, which gave him his second game win- ning RBI of the series and his ninth of the year. With a record of 47-12-1 at the conclusion of the regular season, Miami received its NCAA record 1 6th consecutive at-large bid to the NCAA post- season tournament. As the Atlantic Region ' s top seed, the Canes hosted the NCAA regionals at Mark Light Stadium. Behind the excellent pitching of Joe Grahe, who picked up his 12th win of the year, and Greg Knowle s, who won his eighth, Miami erased sixth seed Towson State 4-0 and fourth seed James Madison 18-8. In defeating the second seed Georgia Tech Hornets behind a Frank Dominguez game win- ning double, Miami won its 50th game of the year and ad- vanced to the Atlantic Region finals. With a trip to Omaha and a berth in the College World Se- ries at stake, Coach Ron Fraser called on Joe Grahe to take the mound against number three seed South Carolina. Over 4,000 fans watched a close game through five innings until the previous night ' s hero Frank Dominguez again ignited the Hurricane offense with a sixth inning home run that later proved to be the game winner. For Dominguez, this was his sixth game winner of the year and second consecutive in the regional tournament. The Canes never looked back and soundly defeated the Game- cocks 10-3 as Grahe pitched his 1 1 th complete game of the sea- son. The Hurricanes, with a record of 51-12-1, had earned, for the tenth time in school history, a trip to compete for the national championship in the College World Series. This, the Canes ninth trip in the last 1 1 years, was their seventh appearance in the 80 ' s which included two national championships in 1982 and 1985. Miami, playing in front of the largest crowd of the year, lost 9-3 to FuUerton State in the first game of the double elimination tournament. Behind a 13 hit at- tack and fine pitching of Greg Knowles, the Canes kept alive by beating Fresno State 8-4 in 13 innings. The next game for the Hurri- canes matched them against the Stanford Cardinal, a team the Canes had defeated twice in the regular season. With each team requiring a win to advance in the Series, Miami sent Will Vespe to the mound. The worn-down Canes battled in a tight 1-1 con- test into the bottom of the ninth when a Stanford batter reached first base with one out. Then, on a routine ground ball that should have been an inning-ending dou- ble play, the dream of a national title was tossed into left field by second baseman Jose Trujillo. Trujillo ' s high toss sailed over the head of shortstop Jorge Robles, and Miami could do nothing as the winning run raced around the bases to end the game. With a 1-2 record in Omaha, the Hurricanes finished the sea- son at 52-14-1 and placed fifth in the College World Series. Bill Reinhardt and Darren Dupriest All-American outfielder Mike Fiore prepares to catch a fly ball as shortstop Jose Trujillo backs him up. Fiore, the 1988 Olympian, led Miami in every batting category and holds 12 school records. In a 9-3 win over Stanford, staff ace Joe Grahe pitches his elev- enth complete game of the year while picking up his tenth win. At the conclusion of the seaso n, Grahe is drafted by Oakland Baseball 117