Miami, Florida – It’s Year 2 of the J.D. Arteaga Era, and the countdown to the 2025 Miami Hurricanes Baseball season begins renewing hopes and expectations. Arteaga’s inaugural foray concluded with mixed results missing the regionals after a surprisingly deep run in the ACC tournament. The team was plagued by the three I’s: Inexperience, Inconsistency, and Injury. Moving into 2025, the overhauled Canes look vastly different consisting of 15 transfers, 13 freshmen, and eight veterans. Miami lost two key players, Blake Cyr and Jason Torres, to the transfer portal among others in addition to five team members getting chosen in last year’s MLB Draft including the entire weekend rotation. Center fielder Jacoby Long joined Rafe Schlesinger, Gage Ziehl, and Herick Hernandez in starting their journey to the big show. Brian Walters was also selected but opted to return.
A fresh coat of paint for our iconic Old English M 🙌 pic.twitter.com/mX9C2ElWzt
— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) February 7, 2025
According to Baseball America and Perfect Game, the high turnover prompted UM to dig deep into the portal as part of a productive offseason. The 2024 recruiting class was ranked the highest in the ACC and eighth best in the country per Baseball America. However, the Hurricanes are a complete unknown up and down the roster. Throw in a challenging schedule featuring 12 teams that reached the NCAA tournament and one can see things have to start clicking quickly.
The Hitting: Danny Dingers leads the way
We’re Daniel Cuvet days away from opening night!
🎟️: https://t.co/wHyA0IFAxt pic.twitter.com/fbT7D9e82X
— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) January 31, 2025
Daniel Cuvet is the best NCAA third baseman in the country per D1 Baseball. Danny Dingers slashed a program leading .351/.429/.736 complemented by a 1.165 OPS his freshman year also topping the team in runs (tied with 52), home runs (24), and RBIs (75). Cuvet landed on several preseason first-team All-American lists including D1, Baseball America, NCBWA and the ACC. The Canes will be counting on an encore performance. He is joined by newcomer Max Galvin. Coming off an injury that sidelined him for the 2024 season at Oklahoma State, Galvin spent the previous two seasons at Miami-Dade College. The outfielder was tearing it up over the summer, slashing .344/.424/.578, including 18 doubles, 13 home runs, and 70 RBIs. Galvin also has speed, swiping 19 stolen bases in the Northwoods League.
Liberty transfer Todd Hudson adds pop to the lineup after launching 11-round trippers collecting 40 RBIs for the Flames. Brandishing a .284 batting average and .981 OPS, the six-foot-six athlete also pitched but he will be doing none of that at Coral Gables instead becoming a welcome target for plays at first base. Jake Ogden will likely be Miami’s leadoff hitter. Transferring from UNC Greensboro Ogden hit .313/.385/.482, coupled with a .867 OPS including 54 runs, 10 doubles, 16 stolen bases, and eight home runs.
Great vibes here at The Light! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/GOULNFKeOS
— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) February 8, 2025
Derek Williams is another new arrival who posted a 1.040 OPS and 14 homers for Wichita State last year. Second baseman Dorian Gonzalez Jr rounds out the group likely hitting in the two slot. If Cuvet is the face of the team, Dorian is the heart. The productive veteran generated .307/.371/.487 last season including a .849 OPS mashing eight homers. Gonzalez is a leader and a known walk-off hero who only committed four errors in 2024. Speaking of.
Starting Pitching and Defense: The other side of the coin
Miami’s greatest strength will be the infield. Cuvet worked on his fielding this offseason after committing 12 errors in ’24. Hopefully, there’s an improvement. On top of Ogden, Hudson, and Gonzalez the Canes have Oregan State transfer Tanner Smith who brings a veteran presence and strong arm behind the plate. In the outfield, freshmen Michael Torres and Fabio Peralta are the two best defensive pieces. Torres is praised as the best defensive center fielder since Danny Figueroa in 2005. Potentially the outfield could be Bobby Marsh, Williams, and Galvin moving Torres and Peralta to late-game substitution roles alongside Gaby Gutierrez.
Hurricanes jump ahead with three in the second courtesy of Dorian Gonzalez, Jr.#GoCanes || #ItsAllAboutTheUpic.twitter.com/NwrCLbTQuT
— Gabriel Garcia (@Gabewritesports) February 26, 2023
The starting rotation is entirely converted relievers. Nick Robert appeared in 29 games (42.1 IP) last year elevating himself from closer to Friday night starter. Robert hits the mid-90s with a four-pitch toolkit that includes the fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup. Cinncinatti transfer Griffin Hugus had a productive summer tossing over 23 innings allowing six earned runs and punching out 24 with four walks. The power pitcher reminds Arteaga of former ace Gage Ziehl. Hugus had control issues sophomore year. He put up a 4.91 ERA over 33 innings of work striking out 29 but walking 21.
6⃣ Up, 6⃣ Down for Nick Robert!
📺: https://t.co/eRyeH7JOiE pic.twitter.com/bkdWvhmAiy
— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) May 18, 2024
Brian Walters was the 19th-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, however, he chose to return. Andrew Walters’ younger brother underwent surgery at the end of the ’24 season to adjust a nerve in his arm. The year before he underwent Tommy John Surgery. Walters recovered for fall ball and was hitting 98 mph with a wicked upper 70s slider giving him a high ceiling. Alex Giroux will probably be the midweek starter. The Hawaii transfer and the team’s oldest player (24) went 7-3 with a 3.43 ERA in five starts and 16 relief appearances.
Relief Corps
Jackson Cleveland will be the closer. Hailing from Lamar University Cleveland throws mid-90s drawing comparisons to former Hurricanes closer Danny Graves. Cleveland produced a 3.80 ERA in nearly 43 innings of work including a 36:9 K/BB rate. The bullpen has a good mix of righties and lefties. Reese Lumpkin was a Winthrop starter last season and is looking for success after going 2-8 with a 5.10 ERA. Coastal Carolina reliever Will Smith is another fellow looking to bounce back previously posting a 5.12 ERA. Freshman southpaw Michael Fernandez is considered a future starter reminiscent of Herick Hernandez with the current campaign serving as further development. The starters mentioned above may find themselves in the bullpen as well.
Schedule and Prediction
This year’s 55-game slate is considered one of the toughest in the ACC. As usual, the program’s first test will come during the third weekend at No. 10 preseason-ranked Florida. The following weekend, the Connecticut Huskies come to town. To refresh your memory UCONN made it to the NCAA tournament last year. Additionally, UM is facing 12 programs that qualified for the tourney including five that advanced to the College World Series. The fifth weekend sees the start of conference play featuring three straight-ranked opponents: Wake Forest, Florida State, and North Carolina. The backend isn’t friendlier with matchups versus NC State and against Virginia. They will have a limited window to make it all stick.
Northwoods HR leaders for guys playing D1 in ‘25. Check out Dudes being Dudes with the chair lift after Max’s HR ⬇️
1. Max Galvin, @CanesBaseball – 13
2. Jake Bold, @PUTigerBaseball – 12
3. Jackson Hauge, @KUBaseball – 12
4. Ben Higdon, @SouthernMissBSB – 11
5. Sam… pic.twitter.com/3GJr56EBZQ— Dudes of D1 Baseball (@Dudes_of_D1) January 24, 2025
The midweek games will include a formidable road game at UCF as well as four meetings with crosstown rival FIU and a trio of tilts versus FAU. Success here will go a long way in padding their overall record. 2024 saw the Miami Hurricanes finish 27-30 buoyed by a surprising run in the ACC postseason. Year 2 will see progress in the form of a 33-22 finish complemented with a 16-14 conference record.
The ACC Championship format has changed allowing all 16 teams to participate with the top four getting a double bye and five through eight resting in the first round of a single elimination format. UM will check in at eight securing the last bye with a run that will go no further than the second round. I don’t see the Cardiac Canes making it to a regional, however, they are more than welcome to prove me wrong. The success will serve as a foundation for better results sooner rather than later.
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