CORAL GABLES, Fla. — App State steps away from its league schedule to play at Miami for the second time in three seasons.
The first two games of the weekend series are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., with a Sunday finale scheduled for 1 p.m. All three games between the Mountaineers (16-23) and Hurricanes (24-15) in Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field will be available on ACC Network Extra.
In 2019, a Spring Break trip to Florida included a 6-3 win at eventual NCAA qualifier FAU and a 6-1 loss at Miami, which led 3-1 in the sixth inning.
App State's
Tyler Tuthill, who is scheduled to start Game 1 of a weekend series for the 17th straight time, allowed no hits and no runs in 6.2 innings last Friday to earn the win against Sun Belt foe ULM. He exited after 90 pitches (with two runners in scoring position in a 4-0 game in the seventh).
With 28 career starts in hand (including 12 as the Game 2 weekend starter to begin his freshman season),
Tuthill has pitched at least 5.0 innings in 21 of the starts, including all 10 this season. He has allowed two earned runs or less in four of his last six starts and six of his 10 this season.
Strong defense behind Tuthill and App State's other pitchers has been a staple. Shortstop
Bailey Welch has produced D1Baseball.com's Defensive Play of the Week, third baseman
Peyton Idol's leaping catch to prolong last Friday's no-hit bid was named the No. 3 defensive play of the week by the NCAA and center fielder
Alex Leshock has made several highlight-reel catches, including a leaping one against the wall in the ninth inning of a 4-2 victory on April 9.
Offensively, in 107 career games entering this weekend,
Luke Drumheller has 134 hits, 88 RBIs and 42 extra-base hits. His 29 doubles include an NCAA-record-tying five against Furman in a game as a freshman, shortly after the team's trip to Miami.
Hayden Cross came off the bench to hit and catch in App State's last game after freshman Carson Arnold had started seven straight games behind the plate with Cross sidelined.
The Hurricanes, who are 15-14 in ACC games, have followed a mid-April home sweep of Clemson with series losses on the road against North Carolina and Boston College.
True freshman Yohandy Morales leads Miami's offense with nine homers and 34 RBIs. Its probable pitchers are JUCO transfer Jake Smith (Saturday) and a pair of freshmen who made their college debuts in the COVID-shortened 2020 season: Alex McFarlane (Friday) and Jake Garland (Sunday). The three right-handers have combined for 91 strikeouts and 23 walks this season, as McFarlane and Smith have both pitched less than 25 innings to date.
McFarlane made his first weekend start last Saturday and is set to make his first Friday start. Smith has started two games so far this season.
FLORIDA TIES
Both App State alums currently in the Major Leagues are with Florida franchises.
Hector Crespo (App State second baseman from 2010-13; starter on the 41-18 NCAA team of 2012) is the Miami Marlins' Assistant Director of Player Development. LHP
Jeffrey Springs (App State from 2012-15) made the Opening Day roster as a Tampa Bay Rays reliever, recorded his first MLB save on April 18 against the New York Yankees and has a win, save and hold already during the last week.
Entering this weekend, Orlando native
Quinton Martinez has made 14 straight weekend starts (primarily as the Game 2 starter).
App State reliever
Jeriah Henry is a grandson of RB Lorenzo Hampton Sr., who was a first-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 1985.
