MIAMI — Spring break near South Beach, with some meaningful baseball as the top priority.
Appalachian State (3-6) flew to Miami on Monday and practiced at Alex Rodriguez Park in preparation for a Tuesday night game at FAU (6-6) in Boca Raton. On Wednesday, the Mountaineers will return to Coral Gables to face Miami (9-2).
Monday's arrival in Florida also included a tour of Marlins Park, thanks to arrangements made by App State alum and 2013 draft pick Hector Crespo, who is now an assistant director of player development with the Miami Marlins. Another App State alum, Marlins President of Business Operations Chip Bowers, addressed the team in the visiting clubhouse and talked to the players about leadership.
Tuesday's game is available on
FAUSPORTS.TV, and Wednesday's game can be seen on ACCN Extra/Watch ESPN by
clicking HERE.
Brandon Boone is the probable starter against FAU, and
Cameron Kepley is the probable starter against Miami.
It's the Mountaineers' first-ever meeting with FAU, which is moving forward from its fourth NCAA Regional appearance in the last six seasons, and the fifth all-time meeting with Miami, which made a record 44 straight NCAA appearances from 1973-2016.
Miami beat App State 13-6 in 1973 and took two of three games from the Mountaineers during a series early in the 2011 season. The Mountaineers lost 6-3, won 7-5 and then lost 10-0 to the Hurricanes.
App State Baseball would like to thank AutoStar Nissan of Boone for serving as the presenting sponsor of the 2019 season.
RECAPPING LAST WEEK
App State fell 3-1 last Tuesday at South Carolina, which is ranked this week thanks to a 9-2 start, and the Mountaineers split a Saturday doubleheader at home against Gardner-Webb after having their Friday game canceled by inclement weather. Appalachian closed the doubleheader with a 24-3 victory in which it posted its highest run total since 2009, broke the record for App State runs in the program's 12-year-old home stadium and recorded the program's biggest margin of victory since 2007.
Freshman second baseman/designated hitter
Luke Drumheller went a combined 6-for-13 (.462) with five RBIs in those three games. He is batting .400 with a team-leading 11 RBIs through nine games.
TAKING THE MOUND
Brandon Boone made his 2019 debut in relief at Tennessee by allowing two hits in two scoreless innings and is coming off a strong start at South Carolina. He allowed two runs on five hits in six innings and totaled seven strikeouts. Technically, the last 10 batters he faced were retired in order, as he had five Ks in a span of seven straight retired batters before a baserunner was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple.
Boone started in 11 of his 12 appearances last season, when he went 3-5 and totaled 50 strikeouts in 50.1 innings. He had a 3.33 ERA as a starter heading into his final start of the 2018 season.
FACING TOUGH COMPETITION
App State's opponents so far this year are a combined 30-10, as South Carolina is ranked with its 9-2 start and No. 21 Tennessee has six shutouts as part of a 12-0 start with only 12 total runs allowed. Gardner-Webb has a 6-2 record.
CONNECTING WITH SOUTH FLORIDA
App State head coach
Kermit Smith, who picked up his 500th career win last season, is from Arcadia, Fla. He played outfield at DeSoto High School from 1992-95 before attending college at Pfeiffer University in North Carolina.
App State hitting coach
Erik Lunde is a Pompano Beach native who attended Cardinal Gibbons High School before becoming a Division II All-American at Lander University in South Carolina. He was an 18th-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2014.
At the MLB level, App State Baseball alum Hector Crespo is an assistant director of player development with the Miami Marlins. He played second base for the Mountaineers and was a 34th-round draft pick of the New York Yankees in 2013.
Gino DiMare is in his first season as Miami's head coach after replacing Jim Morris, who was an App State assistant in 1975 and the Hurricanes' head coach from 1994-2018. He is not the same Jim Morris who served as App State's head coach from 1974-98 — they spent one season together in Boone.
SHOWING HIS VERSATILITY
Sophomore infielder
Bailey Welch has already started at third base, second base and shortstop this year after being the starting second baseman in 2018.
Welch helped the error-free Mountaineers turn two double plays from his spot at shortstop in the 24-3 victory against Gardner-Webb.
