The Miami Hurricanes are set to open their 2026 campaign with a trio of familiar faces on the mound, as head coach J.D. Arteaga announced that sophomores AJ Ciscar, Lazaro Collera, and Tate DeRias will handle starting duties in the season-opening series against Lehigh.
Ciscar gets the Friday night spotlight, a role he earned after a standout freshman season that saw him named to the ACC All-Freshman Team. The right-hander posted a 6-2 record with a 4.46 ERA and a sharp 1.08 WHIP across 21 appearances, including 10 starts.
He struck out 65 batters while issuing just 16 walks in 66 2/3 innings, holding opposing hitters to a .222 average. Miami went 7-3 in his starts - a testament to his ability to give the Hurricanes a chance to win every time he took the ball.
Saturday’s start will go to Collera, another right-handed sophomore looking to take a step forward after a challenging freshman year. He finished 2025 with a 7.07 ERA in 12 appearances, striking out 15 and walking 12 in 14 innings.
Opponents hit .333 against him, but there were signs of progress in the offseason. In Miami’s recent Orange and Green scrimmage, Collera allowed just two runs over five innings - a positive sign as he heads into his first start of the new season.
DeRias will round out the rotation on Sunday. The righty made 18 appearances last season, including seven starts, and finished with a 2-3 record, a 5.77 ERA, and a 1.35 WHIP.
He struck out 30 and walked 16 over 43 2/3 innings. While the numbers weren’t dominant, the Hurricanes still managed a 4-3 record in games he started, and DeRias showed flashes of the kind of arm that can eat innings and keep games within reach.
This trio will be tasked with setting the tone for a Hurricanes team that’s coming off a 35-27 season and a trip to the Super Regionals - their first since 2016. Miami finished the year ranked No. 16 in the final D1Baseball Top 25, and there’s real optimism around the program heading into 2026.
The schedule certainly favors a strong start. Miami opens with nine straight games at home and plays 16 of its first 17 at Mark Light Field, where they went 22-9 last season. That early stretch gives this young rotation a chance to settle in with the comforts of home behind them - and for a program with postseason aspirations, getting off on the right foot is everything.
All eyes will be on Ciscar, Collera, and DeRias this weekend. If they can deliver steady performances and show growth from their freshman campaigns, Miami could be looking at a rotation capable of anchoring another deep run come June.