Three takeaways from Hurricanes baseball’s record-setting opening series vs. Lehigh
The Miami Hurricanes baseball team had a record-setting weekend at the plate to begin the 2026 season.
The No. 22 Hurricanes hit, hit and hit some more in their season-opening sweep of the Lehigh Mountain Hawks at Mark Light Field, winning the three games by scores of 13-2 on Friday, 17-11 on Saturday and 27-3 (in seven innings) on Sunday.
“Great weekend,” Hurricanes coach J.D. Arteaga said, “especially offensively. Every hitter got an opportunity to get an at-bat and play defense, so it’s always good when you get that opportunity.”
The 57 runs scored are the most ever in UM history in the first three games of a season, breaking the previous mark of 50 runs set in the 1988 season.
The 27 runs scored on Sunday were the most by UM in a single game since a 27-1 win over Pace on May 2, 2003. It included a 15-run fifth inning — the most runs the Hurricanes have ever scored in an inning in program history — that saw 19 players come to the plate and saw the Hurricanes (3-0) sub out eight of their nine starters by the end of the frame.
Both the 1998 and 2003 teams saw their seasons end in the College World Series. This year’s Hurricanes team hopes to have the same fortunes.
They’re off to the right start.
“It was a great series,” infielder Cian Copeland said. “We came out strong. ... I’m sure everyone knows the one goal we’ve got and that’s Omaha. We’ve got good chemistry in the locker room. We’ve got to keep it going.”
Three takeaways from the series:
Lineup depth on full display
Leadoff hitter and second baseman Jake Ogden went just 1 for 7 with four strikeouts in Miami’s first two games against Lehigh.
Third baseman and preseason All-American Daniel Cuvet was just 1 for 6.
And two-hole hitter and outfielder/designated hitter Max Galvin was just 2 for 10.
That’s a collective .174 batting average from the top of the Hurricanes’ order through two games.
Yet the Hurricanes still managed to score 30 runs in those contests before pouring on another 27 in the finale on Sunday.
How?
Look no further than the one-two punch of Alex Sosa and Derek Williams, Miami’s Nos. 4 and 5 hitters in the lineup.
Sosa, a transfer from NC State who grew up coming to Hurricanes baseball games as a kid before moving to Viera for high school, was 6 for 10 with three home runs, seven RBI and six runs scored in those games. He went 2 for 5 with a three-run home run on Friday, 4 for 5 with another two home runs on Saturday.
Williams, meanwhile, hit .714 (5 for 7) with two doubles, two home runs, four RBI and six runs scored in the opening two games.
Williams stepped up once again on Sunday with three more hits — including two more doubles — and two RBI.
But the top of the order finally produced, as well, in the series finale. Ogden had three hits and three runs scored. Galvin had two hits, three RBI and two runs. And Cuvet mashed a two-run homer — his first of the season.
Beyond the top players, Copeland had three hits and four RBI on Sunday. Switch-hitting freshman catcher Alonzo Alvarez, starting behind the plate Sunday with Sosa getting a day at designated hitter, was 2 for 3 with a double, triple, three RBI and three runs scored.
Every starter outside of Alvarez was substituted midway through the 15-run onslaught in the fifth inning — and the hitters kept mashing.
Fabio Peralta, Dylan Dubovik, Donovan Jeffrey and Brandon DeGoti all drove in runs to cap that fifth inning. Gabriel Milano hit a three-run home run in the sixth as part of a four-run frame.
The length of this lineup is going to be what makes this team so dangerous. They can score runs in bunches. While a 15-run inning probably isn’t going to happen too often down the stretch, those four-, five-, six- and seven-run frames are certainly possible when this group is clicking.
“One through nine, we pretty much never let up,” Alvarez said. “There’s a dangerous hitter in every spot.”
Pitching has room to grow
Miami’s pitching entered the season as the team’s question mark.
After one weekend, it’s fair to say that sentiment remains.
The starting pitching was serviceable for the first weekend of the season. AJ Ciscar threw five innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts on Friday but had to deal with traffic on the basepaths in four of his five innings of work. Tate DeRias was fine on Sunday as well, striking out a career-high nine while allowing three runs over 4 2/3 innings. Brixton Lofgren (1/3 inning), Michael Fernandez (1 inning) and Packy Bradley Cooney (1 inning) threw the final 2 1/3 innings on Sunday.
Lazaro Collera’s performance on Saturday, however, left more to be desired. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up five earned runs.
Eight relievers made at least one appearance out of the bullpen, with junior and Nebraska transfer TJ Coats showing on Saturday he could serve as a long man after holding Lehigh to one run over 3 1/3 innings. Lofgren was the only player to made multiple appearances.
Bigger challenges will be ahead
This series against Lehigh, as is the case with most season-opening series, is merely a tune-up. The same will likely be the case next weekend when Miami hosts Lafayette for a four-game series that includes a doubleheader on Saturday. Miami also hosts two midweek games before that against UCF on Tuesday and Indiana State on Wednesday.
But the schedule picks up after that.
Miami hosts the Florida Gators, who are annual contenders to reach the College World Series, from Feb. 27-March 1. Five of their 10 Atlantic Coast Conference series are against preseason top-25 teams.
There will be plenty of tests for Miami.
And they’re ready for them.
“Just restart,” Alvarez said. “This weekend was good. We hit well. We threw the ball well. But Tuesday’s a new day, and we kind of just go from there.”
This story was originally published February 15, 2026 at 3:01 PM.
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