The No. 22 Miami Hurricanes didn’t just open their season with a sweep - they made a statement.
On Sunday, they closed out their three-game set against Lehigh with a 27-3 win that felt more like a fireworks show than a baseball game. And the fifth inning?
That was the grand finale.
Freshman Daniel Cuvet launched his first home run of the year, but that was just the opening act. Miami exploded for a school-record 15 runs in the fifth - yes, 15 - sending 19 batters to the plate and racking up 11 hits in the process. It was the kind of inning that turns heads, breaks records, and makes you wonder what this offense is truly capable of.
“It was a great weekend all in all, especially offensively,” head coach J.D. Arteaga said postgame.
“Every hitter got an opportunity to get an at-bat and play defense. It’s always good when you get that opportunity.
I think it’s the most runs scored on opening weekend in program history.”
That fifth inning didn’t just rewrite the weekend - it rewrote the record book. The 15-run frame topped the previous program high of 14 runs in a single inning, set back in 1988 against Mercer. And while there was no home run in that fifth, Miami found every other way to do damage: five extra-base hits, including triples from Fabio Peralta and Alonzo Alvarez, and a steady stream of hard contact and well-placed balls that left Lehigh scrambling.
The Hurricanes led 8-3 heading into the fifth, but by the time the dust settled, it was 23-3. Derek Williams got things rolling with a two-run single.
Cian Copeland followed with a two-run double. Then came Peralta’s bases-clearing triple, Alvarez’s two-run triple, and a parade of baserunners that just wouldn’t stop.
Copeland finished the day with four RBIs, while Max Galvin, Peralta, Gabriel Milano, and Alvarez each drove in three. In total, Miami outscored Lehigh 57-16 across the weekend - a number that speaks for itself.
“It was a great series,” Copeland said, keeping it simple.
The crowd of 2,516 at Mark Light Field got their money’s worth and then some. Arteaga credited the atmosphere, pointing to the energy around the university and the city.
“Miami’s on fire right now as far as the city and the university,” he said. “The success starting with football and what basketball is having - it’s a great place to win.
There’s not many places better than Miami to win. So when the crowd shows up, it’s a tough place to play and a fun place to play for us.”
On the mound, Tate DeRias (1-0) got the start and went 4 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and three runs. Arteaga was encouraged by the outing, even with a few hiccups.
“He looked good,” Arteaga said. “A little too many pitches, but his stuff was good, his breaking ball was good.
He made a mistake there with a two-strike breaking ball up in the zone and the kid did what he’s supposed to do with it. I got no problem with that.
When you make a mistake and get hurt by it, I can live with that.”
Miami tacked on four more runs in the sixth, including Gabriel Milano’s first career home run, before the game was called after seven innings due to the run rule.
The Hurricanes are now 3-0 and showing early signs of being a team that can do serious damage at the plate. They’ll look to keep the momentum going when they host UCF on Tuesday night. If this weekend was any indication, pitchers better come prepared - because this Miami lineup isn’t messing around.