PRESEASON:  FRI 30 OCT 2026 Today’s scrimmage was delayed until 10:25 to give the grounds crew time to prepare the field for player safety. The wait paid off for the pitching staff, which held an offense that has largely dominated its opponents to a scoreless outing—except in the bottom of the first, when Dawson Harman delivered a two-RBI double for the only runs of the game. The offense managed just seven hits, struck out 10 times, and drew three walks over 6.5 innings. Lazaro Collera and Michal Kovala each pitched three innings. Laz started the preseason with mixed results, and his outing looked set to follow the same pattern when he opened by allowing a single to Michael Torres. Rookie Shepard was called for batter’s interference on a third strike, negating an attempted steal by Michael. With the bases clear, Laz walked Gabriel Milano, who advanced to second on a wild pitch before Jose Lopez grounded out 6-3. Laz allowed only a double in the second by Brandon DeGoti and added two strikeouts in the third. He finished strong and appears to be finding his rhythm. Michal was the only pitcher to allow a run today. The offense did its damage in one inning, putting all its energy into a big first. Jon Mora opened the inning on a walk. Easton Kitura laid down a perfectly placed bunt along the third-base line for an infield hit. Jon then started a double steal, moving both runners up a base. Dawson Harman followed with a two-RBI double, bringing them both home. That was the offensive high point of the day, as pitching dominated the rest of the scrimmage. Michal retired the side in order in the second. In the third, Fabio was hit by a pitch, then picked off first for the second day in a row—a strong bounce-back after he was ganged up on in the first. Second set of pitchers: Sebastian Santos-Olson and Frank Menendez. Sebastian couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day: nine batters up, nine down, including two strikeouts. Frank, still under a pitch count following his TJ procedure, pitched only two innings. He still isn’t where he wants to be, but his first inning looked good: he struck out two, though he struggled a bit with control. In his second inning, he recorded the first two outs before surrendering a single and a walk, but he prevented further damage with a 3-1 assist to finish his rotation. His recovery has been slow, but JD is moving cautiously, and Frank is definitely progressing. Hopefully, by the start of the season, he will be looked to for early relief and, eventually, possibly work into the starting rotation. Chase Swift came in to pitch for Frank in the 6th to finish the scrimmage. Fabio led off the inning with a single, advancing to second on a SAC 1-3 by Brandon DeGoti. Ryan King, next to bat, set the wheels in motion for the day’s defensive play. He hit a flyout to center. Fabio attempted to tag from second and was thrown out sliding into third for the third out. What should have ended the inning, Anthony Murphy got a chance to bat and was rewarded with a single. The offense had struggled at the plate all day, making this extra at-bat—and the hit that followed—potentially just what it needed to get its batting back on track. Offensively, it was a quiet day at the plate, with just seven scattered hits. The first inning was the only time the team managed to string things together. Michael Torres led the way with two hits in three at-bats, while Fabio Peralta and Dawson Harman each doubled. The team had seven hits if Anthony’s hit in the sixth, after the third out, is included. We’ll see whether that hit provides the boost the offense needs as the team faces FAU tomorrow. Tomorrow’s scrimmage is still set for 1 PM. Weather may affect the game, with precipitation chances ranging from 20% to 65%, depending on the forecast model. I’ll let you know if anything changes. Otherwise, bring rain gear and be ready for 12 innings, with possible rain delays. The post Preparations for Friday’s scrimmage: batting practice. appeared first on Miami’s Community News. ...read more read less