Preview: Miami Visits FAU in South Florida Showdown

BOCA RATON, Fla. (Interstat) — The undefeated and top-ranked Miami Hurricanes put their perfect record on the line Wednesday when they visit the Florida Atlantic Owls at FAU Baseball Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. under clear skies with temperatures in the 50s.

Miami (9-0) enters riding a wave of dominant offense, having outscored its opponents 140-22 over its last five games. That includes a 30-5 rout of Lafayette on Sunday in which the Hurricanes blasted five home runs.

Third baseman Daniel Cuvet has been a central figure in that onslaught. The sophomore is 6 for 15 with three home runs and 10 RBIs over his last five games, including a 2-for-4, two-homer, six-RBI performance in Sunday’s win.

Florida Atlantic (3-4) looks to bounce back after dropping a weekend series to Iowa. The Owls salvaged the finale with a 3-2 win Sunday, fueled by strong relief pitching. A player to watch for the Owls is reliever Kide Adetuyi, who threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings with a strikeout in that victory.

The Hurricanes’ explosive start has featured run-rule wins in four of their last five contests. Beyond Cuvet, Miami has gotten significant production from Brylan West (.522 average, 4 HR, 16 RBI) and JD Urso (.464 average).

The Owls, who opened the season by taking two of three from Notre Dame, have struggled for consistent offense, hitting .229 as a team. They will need a stout pitching performance to slow down the Hurricanes’ juggernaut.

Interstat’s game simulator projects an 8-3 Miami victory.

This is the first of two scheduled meetings between the programs this season. They are set to play again in Coral Gables on April 15.

Following this midweek contest, Miami opens a marquee three-game home series against Florida on Friday. Florida Atlantic begins a three-game set against Villanova at home on Friday.