Miami Hurricanes: D’Eriq King named starting quarterback

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The Miami Hurricanes have named their starting quarterback. To perhaps nobody’s surprise, D’Eriq King has been made the starter for the upcoming season.

King came to the Miami hurricanes in January, after four successful seasons at Houston. While in the Lone Star State, he was sensational. His best season came in 2018. That year, he recorded 2,982 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

King redshirted last season in order to preserve a year of eligibility. He split reps with  N’Kosi Perry, Tate Martell, Tyler van Dyke, and Peyton Matocha during the four spring practices Miami had.

 

King will bring spark to Miami Hurricanes

A native of Manville, Texas, King will bring a dynamic playmaking ability to the Miami Hurricanes. In what has been a revamped offseason for the program, they appear to be in much better shape.

Now, they will look to contend for the Coastal Division. After a disappointing 2019 season, Manny Diaz and the coaching staff worked hard this offseason to try and revamp the program.

Here’s to hoping that the moves they made will lead to success. In particular, they are performing well in recruiting. They are building a solid foundation that’s should lead to sustained success in the future.

After not getting a ton of consistent production from the passing game last year, all eyes will be on King as he looks to bolster the Miami passing attack. His ability to run with the football as well as his strong arms should open up a lot of opportunities for the Miami offense.

King’s play style fits very well in the modern game of college football. No longer is it just about running the ball and controlling the clock.

Football is becoming an offensive game. King’s arrival with the Miami Hurricanes should help the program keep up in the wild world of college football.

And it won’t stop: DE Davis becomes commit #21 for Canes

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Miami has had a surplus of South Florida commitments lately so they finally decided to get one from a lot farther. Okay maybe not that much farther. 

 

3-star defensive end Thomas Davis, out of Lowndes High in Valdosta, GA, committed to the Canes over South Carolina and Indiana on Monday. 

He is ranked as the 50th-best weakside defensive end in the nation and the 76th-best player in the state of Georgia. Davis was one of the defensive anchors for Lowndes in 2019, compiling 47 tackles and 11.5 sacks, leading them to a 14-1 record and the Region 1-7A state title.

 

Previously a Mississippi State commit, Davis was originally planning to make his decision on August 24th and it is unclear as to why he moved his decision date up. 

 

Listed at just a hair over 6’2”, 235 lbs., Davis is a bit smaller compared to the defensive ends currently on the roster. He does have a great motor and first step, which is more than enough for DL coach Todd Stroud to work with.

 

That makes two commits at defensive end for the Canes, as Davis joins fellow four-star Jabari Ishmael. Miami is most likely done at the position for this class.

 

As it stands, the Canes now sit at 21 commits for the 2021 class, with only three spots left and they now sit with the 10th-best class in the nation.

 

Stay tuned to 5 Reasons Sports for the latest in Hurricanes coverage.

 

Marlins 2020 Schedule

Miami Marlins Covid-19 Outbreak Rocks Baseball

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With major league sports starting up again, Major League Baseball is at the forefront, but it re-started prior to the re-openings of the NBA, NHL or NFL seasons.

Unfortunately, the Miami Marlins are at the forefront as well, the site of the sport’s first Coronavirus cluster.

The Marlins’ home opener against the Baltimore Orioles has been canceled, after reports that as many as a dozen members of the organization have tested positive. The team is remaining in Philadelphia today.

The Marlins did play, and win, against the Phillies on Sunday, to go to 2-1 on the season. They did so even after a group of players tested positive and was removed from the lineup — and Jose Urena was scratched from his scheduled start. Marlins manager Don Mattingly said that the team “never really considered not playing.” Shortstop Miguel Rojas told the media on Sunday that the team did have a meeting to discuss whether to continue to play. Rojas said not playing was “never our mentality.”

Now, the fallout begins as the Marlins have provided Major League Baseball with a tricky situation.

Could the Marlins be stopped from continuing their season?

Could they be forced to call up more players from Jupiter, home of their temporary minor league camp?

And what now, after the Yankees’ Monday game with the Phillies was suspended as well?

What might not get much attention, regarding baseball, in Miami will get plenty in the Northeast, especially New York.

As one can imagine, there were several reactions and analysis from media members following these reports.

 

It will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds. With the NHL and NBA set to begin this week, this situation provides an interesting backdrop for major league sports.

And what is the NFL thinking, as it plans to resume its full-contact sport, with more players, and no bubble?

WR Smith becomes second Miami commit from Palmetto

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The wave continues. Miami is one step closer to the pipe dream of landing the “Palmetto 5” as two of those five are now committed to the Canes.

On Sunday afternoon, three-star WR Brashard Smith went public with his commitment to Manny Diaz and the Hurricanes. A very underrated receiver out of Palmetto High, he had been rumored to be on the fence about Florida and Miami before deciding.

 

Smith is on the shorter end of the stick at 5’8.5”, but the kid can flat out fly. Ranked as the 57th-best receiver in the country, he has sub-4.5 speed and is a threat to score whenever the ball is in his hands. Heck, 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins gave Tyreek Hill as his NFL comparison. It is more than likely that OC Rhett Lashlee plans to line him up at the slot to get the most out of his playmaking ability. 

 

Speaking of the Palmetto 5, the Canes now await the decisions of five-stars DT Leonard Taylor and CB Jason Marshall, as well as S Corey Collier. Taylor is scheduled to announce on August 6th at 1 PM on CBS Sports, while Collier will announce on the 10th and as of right now, Marshall does not have a set date. Current commitment and four-star DT Saivion Collins will also make his final decision some time next month between Miami and Florida.

 

Stay tuned to Five Reasons Sports for your Miami Hurricanes coverage.

 

Marlins beat Phillies

Marlins Beat Phillies 11-6, Take Opening Series

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About 90 minutes before game time, a seismic rumble rolled through the Marlins clubhouse. Don Mattingly scratched Jose Urena from his scheduled start, and regular starters Harold Ramirez and Garrett Cooper were pulled as well. However, despite the uncertainty surrounding the club, the Marlins rallied to beat the Phillies, 11-6.

Miguel Rojas spurred the comeback, going 3-for-4 with a home run, triple, hit-by-pitch, three runs scored and four RBI. He fell a double shy of what would have been the first cycle for the Marlins franchise (4,306 games).

“It was a whole group of guys just relentless and not quitting,” said Rojas. “I’m so proud of the way we approached the day today. It was a weird day, a lot going on in the morning. This group of guys showed character.”

Rojas emphasized the team effort. “Everybody did their part to win the game.”

Marlins Bats Come Alive

The Marlins beat the Phillies thanks, in large part, to the bottom of the order. Rojas hit in the eight-hole. Isan Diaz (hitting seventh) went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. He made solid contact in two of his other at-bats in addition to the hits.

Magneuris Sierra, who made the 30-man roster over the likes of Monte Harrison and some of the other outfield prospects, demonstrated his value as well. Sierra (hitting ninth) went 2-for-3 with two RBI, a double, triple and walk. He played a great centerfield.

Most think Sierra made the team because his out of minor league options, but he does sport game-changing speed. Sierra hit .350 in 15 game after a September 3rd call-up last season.

New additions Corey Dickerson and Jesus Aguilar continued their hot start as Marlins. Dickerson went 2-for-5 with a towering home run in the sixth. He scored twice and drove in one. Aguilar hit his second homer of the season and finished 2-for-3 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored.

For the three game set, the Marlins hit five home runs, four doubles and two triples for 27 total hits and 17 runs.

Pitchers Played their Role

Robert Dugger made the surprise start in place of Urena. He learned about the change in the morning and called the moment “a shock. I had a little bit of time to mentally prepare. Everyone had confidence in me. You just got to adapt and be that guy for the team that day.”

Dugger surrendered a three-run home run to Bryce Harper in the first inning, but saw his teammates get all those runs back in the second. Dugger settled in to give up just one more run, ultimately going 3.1 innings.

Jordan Holloway, a 20th round pick for the Marlins in 2014, made his MLB debut. He walked his first batter but induced a deep fly ball out from Bryce Harper to register his first out. He gave up a pair of singles before coming out but did not surrender a run.

Holloway is the first pitcher to make the leap from Single-A since Jose Fernandez. He throws hard, working from 95-98 mph peaking at 100 with his fastball. In 2019, Holloway posted 93 strikeouts but 66 walks over 95 IP.

Seven pitchers went for Miami in this one. The Phillies managed baserunners often, but relievers only surrendered one run. Philadelphia loaded the bases in the fifth, six and eighth innings, but managed to push across just one run.

Walks continued to be an issue for the ‘pen, as they issued six free passes on the day. Luckily, none of the those walks came around to score for Philadelphia.

Marlins Beat Phillies Despite COVID Uncertainty

“It was a huge day for us,” Mattingly said. “Losing our starter, getting down four, the boys just bounced back. It would’ve been very easy to feel bad for yourself, so it’s was a big win from that standpoint.”

The Marlins changed their travel plans after the game and will stay in Philadelphia for the night. That decision is likely COVID-19 related, as the team awaits test results. Prior to the game Urena, Ramirez and Cooper were all pulled from the lineup, and while the team hasn’t confirmed this, several reports have surfaced that all three players have tested positive.

The Marlins already have Jorge Alfaro on the 10-day IL dealing with COVID related issues. Lewis Brinson and Matt Joyce did not work out with the team during summer camp and remain on the IL. Brinson has returned to workouts in Jupiter, as has prospect Jazz Chisholm, who also had a bout with COVID.

The team will fly home tomorrow to face the Baltimore Orioles. Pablo Lopez is scheduled to start for the Marlins. Asher Wojciechowski should go for Baltimore.

Since the Marlins beat the Phillies 11-6, they won the three-game series 2-1. It’s the first time since 2014 the Marlins have won the opening series of the season.

Miami Dolphins: Adam Shaheen arrival creates battle for second TE spot

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The Miami Dolphins  picked up a new tight end on Saturday night. The Chicago Bears traded Adam Shaheen to the Dolphins for a conditional 2021 six-round draft pick.

Shaheen was a second-round pick for Chicago in the 2017 NFL draft. In his Chicago Bears career, Shaheen played in 27 games, and recorded 249 yards and four touchdown catches.

This is certainly an interesting tight end competition for the Miami Dolphins. We all know that Mike Gesicki is undoubtedly the starter. However, there are some questions as to who will be the backup. By adding Shaheen into the fold, Miami has three tight ends who will now compete for the job. Durham Smythe and Michael Roberts will be the other two looking to fill the backup role.

This is a low-risk, high-reward get by Miami. Although he is known as more of a blocking tight end, he could provide some value in the passing game. Miami ranked in the middle of the pack in terms of tight end targets in 2019.  Gesicki had 89 while Smythe had 14

Shaheen could certainly win the backup job, as there wasn’t a ton of production in that area last season. At the very least, this gives Miami another potential red-zone weapon. At six-foot-six, 258 pounds, Shaheen could be an intriguing target. Now, he will have to differentiate himself in order to be a viable roster piece. Otherwise, he could be just another body in camp.

It will be interesting to see if his arrival creates a battle during training camp. This may be one of the more intriguing battles during camp, as the Miami Dolphins look to make a big leap in the 2020 season. After showing signs of promise last year, they figure to be able to make some noise in a revamped AFC East.

Marlins loss

Marlins Suffer Frustrating Loss to Phillies, 7-1

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The Miami Marlins came crashing down to earth after the high of Opening Day. Less than 24 hours after posting five runs on nine hits, including a homer and two doubles, Miami’s bats quieted against Zack Wheeler. The Marlins loss dropped them to 1-1 on the season.

Caleb Smith made his season debut but struggled to consistently find the strike zone. Smith labored through three innings. He surrendered six walks and a towering home run to Didi Gregorius. Of his 70 pitches, only 36 went for strikes.

Smith battled with baserunners all afternoon. He managed to minimize the damage with timely strikeouts, but his pitch total pushed him from the game after three.

“Obviously, not a lot was working,” Smith said via Zoom after the game. “Six walks in three innings is not acceptable. A horse-shit outing. I take full responsibility for that loss.”

Smith’s six walks matched a career high, but none of the batters he issued free passes to crossed the plate to score.

“He made some good pitches when he had to,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “The walks hurt us. Put us on our heels all day long.”

All told, Marlins pitchers issued nine free passes to Phillies hitters.

“It could’ve been a lot worse,” Mattingly acknowledged. “You walk nine guys in this ballpark, and it could’ve been a lot worse. All the walks put us in a bad spot all day long.”

The opposite was true for his opponent. Wheeler commanded the strike zone throughout, registering four strikeouts and inducing four inning-ending double plays.

“He was pretty dominant all day,” Mattingly said of Wheeler.

Every time the Marlins seemed to be a on the verge of making an offensive push, Wheeler worked free. His four-seam fastball averaged 96.8 mph and he induced inning-ending double-plays in the first, second, fifth and sixth innings.

Marlins hitters struck out seven times in total, managed only one extra base hit and went 1-for-5 with runner-in-scoring-position.

Three Marlins Make Debut in Loss

Despite the Marlins loss, one bright spot this afternoon was the different debuts. Nick Neidert and Alex Vesia made their MLB debuts, and Stephen Tarpley made his first appearance with Miami. Of the three, Neidert proved to be the most successful.

The 23-year-old righty stands as the Marlins No. 10 overall prospect according to MLBPipeline. He entered in the fourth and tossed 2.1 scoreless innings from there. He gave up a hit and walk but kept the Marlins in the game.

Afterwards, Neidert called the debut “a dream come true. I’ve dreamed of this day since I was five years old. It was an amazing feeling. We didn’t get the win, and there’s always tomorrow, but it was a dream come true.”

Veisa followed Neidert in the sixth. He started his MLB career with a strikeout of Didi Gregorius, but subsequently walked Scott Kingery and surrendered a two-run homer to Phil Gosselin.

Ryne Stanek made his season debut and served up a three-run homer to J.T. Realmuto. In the eighth, Gosselin added a solo shot off Tarpley, who the Marlins acquired in December from the New York Yankees.

Miguel Rojas and Brian Anderson both contributed at the plate during the Marlins loss. Rojas went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Anderson went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored.

The Marlins will look to bounce back from this loss on Sunday afternoon. Jose Urena starts for Miami versus Vince Velasquez of the Phillies. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM.

5 Key Moments from Post-Game Media Call with Spoelstra, Herro, Nunn

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After the Heat’s loss in Saturday’s scrimmage game, Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn spoke about different improvements they can make and their current health standpoint. Coach Erik Spoelstra also shared his opinion on this. Here’s what they had to say…

Post-Game Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra talked about Tyler Herro’s impressive bounce back game today, which he said “He’s fearless.” This seemed to be true when he went up to try and dunk on Rudy Gobert early in the third quarter. Spoelstra also said that he continues to develop his skill level, which was proven true with his play-making ability today. Another aspect of his game that has shown major strengths is his rebounding. As he continues to round out his game, he continues to show signs of a superstar type player in this league, and it is evident Spoelstra thinks the same.

Post-Game Comment #2:

Spoelstra talked a little about the main problem that hurts this Miami Heat team, which is the point of attack defense. Spoelstra said “You nailed it on the head.” He knows the problem that they have defensively, which is why we see him try so many different schemes. No matter if it’s changing to zone or rolling with a new lineup, Spo is constantly adjusting to try and fix this. He also mentions how important it is, which was seen in the first half of today’s game. Donovan Mitchell would get right by one of the Heat’s guards and throw a lob to Rudy Gobert. This is what put the Heat in such a bad position early, and will happen again if they don’t fix it quick.

Post-Game Comment #3:

As mentioned previously, getting Tyler Herro these opportunities now, will benefit him so greatly in the future. Tyler says, “I feel comfortable,” when discussing running the offense for majority of his time in the game. The most important thing for a ball handler is comfortability and the most important thing for a shooter is confidence. Well, Tyler’s got both. Tyler also mentions that he’s still young and learning, which is why these scrimmages impact him more than any other player on the team. Especially with his eagerness to learn, Tyler will pick up on this quick and be a major threat come playoff time.

Post-Game Comment #4:

Tyler Herro talks about watching both Devin Booker and CJ McCollum in pick and roll situations. After Tyler was compared to Devin Booker coming out of the draft, it’s amazing to see how much more realistic this becomes the more he plays. He said, “Taking extra dribbles, making the right pass, getting off the ball early.” These are all things I’ve said he had improved on in today’s game alone. This is another instance of being comfortable. Their must be a certain level of confidence in your skill-set to make certain passes and dribble moves, which was seen today a lot.

Post-Game Comment #5:
Kendrick Nunn “Well it’s definitely a different kind of rhythm. By the first game of the season, I will have everything under control.”

Kendrick Nunn also got to talk with some media today after his first game back, which he discussed getting back into the swing of things. Kendrick said, “It’s a different kind of rhythm.” Well, it’s definitely a different kind of rhythm when you don’t pick up a basketball for four months. His stamina definitely didn’t seem to be a problem in today’s game, which Spoelstra mentioned yesterday was due to the fact that he put in so much work in May and June. Kendrick also said he thinks he will have everything under control by the first game of the season. This will be a very helpful addition for the Heat’s offensive firepower, but may be mixed in with different lineups then we saw today. Since some of those lineups did not have enough defense on the floor.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Second Scrimmage Game

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The Miami Heat had an evening scrimmage game on Saturday, and they fell short, 101-99. The Heat were without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in this game, which was due to rest in preparation for the counting regular season games. Well, here’s what was seen in this game…

#1: Kelly Olynyk solidifying big minutes off the bench.

Kelly Olynyk’s spot in the rotation has been in question due to the Heat’s major depth. Well, Kelly proved he can definitely be utilized after he put up 27 points in today’s scrimmage. This was one of the major factors that the Heat were in this game, since the Heat’s starters struggled early. Kelly was a threat at all three levels on the offensive side of the ball, which then opened up the floor for guys like Jae Crowder. We know Kelly is capable of doing this on offense, but the question is consistency. If he can do this on a regular basis, he will be a major part of this Heat rotation.

#2: Tyler Herro bounces back after tough shooting game.

Tyler Herro was coming off of a game that struggled from beyond the arc. His shooting seemed to be back to mid-season form, but that’s not what stood out. What stood out was his play-making improvements. He seems to be getting much more comfortable with running the point, which is a role the Heat would love him to play. This has especially been the case at ends of games, when Tyler runs the offense and is the go to scorer. This is just a glimpse of what we can expect from Tyler in the next three years, where he may be the primary play-maker on the roster.

#3: Heat’s offense is choppy without Jimmy Butler.

Jimmy Butler took the day off on Saturday, after a hard practice the night prior. Something I mentioned after the first scrimmage game was how much more fluid the offense was when Jimmy was on the floor. This seemed pretty evident in this game since the offense was very choppy throughout, especially with the first unit. Though Tyler and Iguodala did a good job running the offense today, it just isn’t the same without Butler on the floor. Guys like Duncan Robinson and Meyers Leonard benefit when Jimmy is playing, since he constantly draws people in, which forces wide open threes. Don’t be alarmed by the tough scoring night by Miami, since this will be fixed quickly upon both Jimmy and Bam’s return.

#4: Turnovers become problematic for Heat rhythm.

The Heat seemed to make some mistakes throughout this game on both sides of the ball, but turnovers seemed to be a big one. We know the defensive mistakes that were made due to the lack of a defensively strong back-court. But, the offense will need to clean themselves up, especially in games that are tight down the stretch. This may be something else that falls under the Jimmy category without him running the offense, but there will be times without him on the floor, and they need to be trusted. This also may be due to the fact that most of the guys are trying to get back to their pre-hiatus form, but hopefully this won’t carry over into the regular season games.

#5: Heat’s bench unit seems to be Miami’s biggest advantage.

To end on a positive note, Miami’s bench unit seems to grow stronger and stronger every time they play. Between the Kelly Olynyk display, Jae Crowder shooting, and Tyler Herro play-making, it seems as if this will be the biggest match-up for other teams. At times it feels like the team is getting better once the bench enters, which is not the case for many other teams. Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala are two other names off the bench that will impact this team, especially when the playoffs get going. Even Soloman Hill had good stretches throughout the game with his perimeter defense. As repeated over and over about this team, their depth is going to be a huge problem for opposing teams.

Marlins win

Alcantara Dominates, Leads to Marlins Win on Opening Day

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The Miami Marlins hadn’t won on Opening Day since 2014. The last time they did, Jose Fernandez took the mound for Miami and struck out nine Rockies en route to a 10-1 win. For the 2020 season, Sandy Alcantara toed the rubber, becoming the youngest Opening Day starter for Miami since Fernandez. His seven strikeouts were also the most since Fernandez’s nine in 2014. Alcantara’s performance helped spur the Marlins win.

Alcantara entered the game with a 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA versus the Phillies, including a 2-0 mark with a 1.32 ERA at Citizens Bank Park. He’s a breakout candidate for the Marlins this season and his performance on Friday showed why.

Over 6.2 innings pitched, Alcantara posted seven strikeouts, surrendering just three hits, two walks and one earned run. He induced seven ground-ball outs including one double play. He relied mostly on a fastball-changeup-slider combination and kept hitters off balance all night.

Alcantara particularly flummoxed the middle of Philadelphia’s lineup. He dominated Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto, keeping them 0-for-8 with four strikeouts and just one walk.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly pulled Alcantara from the game in the seventh after 87 total pitches.

“I was ready [to finish it],” Alcantara said after the Marlins win. “I see [Mattingly come to the mound] and I’m thinking ‘Oh my God. I’m done, but I don’t want to give him the ball. I want to be on the mound.’ But I respect his decision.”

“His stuff is overpowering, when he stays aggressive and attacks the strike zone,” Mattingly said. “Then we were able to get him some runs, which takes the pressure off and gives us some breathing room.”

New Additions Contributed to Marlins Wins as well

The breathing room for Alcantara came thanks to the Marlins offseason additions. Jonathan Villar‘s sac-fly in the third inning drove in the first run of the year for Miami. Then Jesus Aguilar broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning when he deposited an 0-2 breaking ball from Aaron Nola 409 feet away in left-center.

Corey Dickerson helped chase Nola from the game when he lined a double to right field three pitches later. Dickerson finished the game 2-for-4, scoring a run on a wild pitch in the sixth.

Francisco Cervelli, subbing in for Jorge Alfaro who landed on the 10-day IL prior to the game, played well, too. He registered the first hit and scored the first run of the year. Cervelli finished 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored. He called an excellent game for Alcantara.

The addition of the DH to the National League also paid dividends for the Marlins. In what would have been the pitcher’s spot, Miguel Rojas went 2-for-3 with a walk, stolen base and run scored. Garrett Cooper manned the DH spot went 1-for-4 with a two-out RBI double in the sixth inning.

“It’s good to get on the board,” Mattingly said of the Marlins win. “Feels like a big win, to be honest with you.”

The Marlins are back at it this afternoon at 4:05 PM. Caleb Smith starts for Miami versus Zack Wheeler. Smith was 10-11 with a 4.52 ERA and 168 K in 2019. He surrendered 33 HRs, which is something he’ll need to improve upon in 2020. In four career starts versus the Phillies, Smith is 1-2 4.50 ERA with 19 K over 18 innings pitched.