PRESEASON: THURS 8 OCT 26 The long wait has concluded; preseason baseball is finally here. Over the next month, 42 players will compete for a spot on the 34-man roster. Four players are already secured over the summer, reducing the competition to 38. We hope to better understand who will make the t eam as the process unfolds. Among the newcomers, eleven are freshmen, showcasing our diverse talent pool across the U.S., including two international players. One, Easton Kitura, an INF/OF, joins us from Alberta, Canada. The other, Michal Kovala, RHP, a junior transfer from Georgia Tech, comes from Ostrava, Czech Republic. This is a wide-open field, with the only likely secured position being last year’s catcher, Alonzo Alvarez. Behind the plate, backing up Alonzo, is Jose Lopez, a sophomore transfer from Grand Canyon. The infield has been completely reshaped, with the only returning starter, Gabriel Milano, moving from third base to first. Dawson Harman, a senior transfer from College of Central Florida, will compete for the starting first base spot. The middle infield blends returning players with newcomers. At third base, vacated by Gabriel, we are considering Trent Caraway, a senior transfer from Oregon State, and Rookie Shepard, a freshman. Trent is currently wearing a boot cast due to a sprained ankle, but JD has assured that he will be ready by opening day, if not before. The outfield is again filled with talented players. Two well-known names are Michael Torres and Fabio Peralta. This season promises surprises and fluctuations in the starting lineup and player positions. As I mentioned earlier, a clearer picture should emerge by the end of the Fall Preseason. Today’s four-inning scrimmage featured four pitchers, each throwing two innings. Jack Durso started the game and was greeted by RJ Diaz, who hit a deep double to center on the first pitch. Diaz later scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Jon Mora. Both Diaz and Mora are freshmen. Jack redeemed himself in the second inning by striking out Brandon DeGoti, Anthony Murphy, and Easton Kitura in order. Jack’s counterpart was Sebastian Santos-Olson, who struggled with control issues, throwing two wild pitches to the first two batters he faced. Vance Sheahan started with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Gabriel Milano’s RBI single. In the second inning, the standout play was RJ Diaz’s one-out double, though he was caught stealing third by Jose Lopez’s strong arm. Daniel Lopez and Andrew Gette concluded the day’s activity by each pitching two innings. Both pitchers faced challenges after encounters with Fabio Peralta and Alonzo Alvarez, who made impressive flights to right field with a man on. Lopez initially walked Gabriel, who advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single by Trey King. Lopez also issued a walk to Dylan Dubovik, who was then thrown out by Alonzo Alvarez while attempting to steal third. In the following inning, Lopez’s struggles persisted with a leadoff walk to Rookie Shepard, followed by Alonzo Alvarez hitting a two-run homer to right field. Andrew Gette experienced a similar setback, as he was welcomed to the Light with a leadoff single by Michael Torres. Fabio then contributed the first of two home runs that left the park today. After walking DeGoti, Anthony hit into the day’s only double play—5-4-3—to end the third inning. Dubovik and Jose Lopez each hit a single to drive in another run. Additionally, a couple of wild pitches contributed to a less-than-ideal first appearance. Both pitchers still have time today to address their shortcomings. Preseason primarily emphasized pitching. Offensively, the spotlight was on home runs by Fabio Peralta and Alonzo Alvarez, along with two doubles by RJ Diaz, contributing to an overall 11-hit performance. Defensively, the team appeared more polished, committing no errors and showcasing strong throwing arms from both catchers. Today was only a sneak preview, and it’s too early to evaluate what to expect this season. Tomorrow, the game starts at 1045 for a scheduled six innings. If you are coming, arrive early. Today, the 11:30 start time had the first pitch at 11. Seating is limited due to construction. The only available seating is in the lower tier. The post THE START OF PRESEASON BASEBALL AT THE LIGHT – Hurricanes Baseball appeared first on Miami’s Community News. ...read more read less