History of Miami Hurricanes baseball in Timeline

The Miami Hurricanes baseball team is a highly successful college baseball program representing the University of Miami. Since 1973, they have established themselves as one of the sport's elite programs. They boast 25 College World Series appearances and four national championships. A defining characteristic of their program is a record 44 consecutive years of NCAA regional appearances (1973-2016). Furthermore, Miami has secured 29 NCAA Regional Titles and hosted 27 NCAA Regionals. Each of their four national championship runs included hosting an NCAA Regional.

March 3, 1940: First Varsity Baseball Game

On March 3, 1940, the University of Miami fielded its first varsity baseball team and played its first game at Miami Field, defeating Newberry 13-12.

1946: Program Revival

In 1946, Eddie Dunn revived the baseball program at the Coral Gables campus after a six-year hiatus.

1951: Jimmie Foxx Inducted into Hall of Fame

In 1951, Jimmie Foxx was inducted into the Professional Baseball Hall of Fame after a stellar MLB career with the Athletics, Red Sox, Cubs, and Phillies.

1954: Eddie Dunn Leaves Program

In 1954, Eddie Dunn, who had revived the baseball program in 1946, left the program after leading the Hurricanes to several winning seasons.

1955: Perry Moss Becomes Head Coach

In 1955, Perry Moss became the head coach of the Miami Hurricanes baseball team, leading them to a 15-7 record in his only season before gaining notoriety as a football coach.

1958: Whitey Campbell Becomes Head Coach

In 1958, Whitey Campbell, a former Hurricane player, became the head coach of the baseball team, marking the first time a former player assumed the role.

1959: Jack Harding Leads Team

In 1959, former coach and athletic director Jack Harding led the baseball team for one season.

1962: Campbell's Last Season

1962 marked the end of Whitey Campbell's tenure as the Hurricanes' skipper. Campbell's teams never had a losing season in his four years as coach.

1962: Ron Fraser Arrives

In the fall of 1962, Ron Fraser arrived at the University of Miami after coaching the Dutch National team.

March 16, 1963: Fraser's First Game

On March 16, 1963, Ron Fraser coached his first game as skipper, resulting in a 4-3 extra-inning loss to Ohio State.

1964: School Record for Wins

In 1964, under Coach Fraser, the Hurricanes set a school record with 20 wins.

1965: School Record for Wins

In 1965, the Hurricanes set a new school record with 23 wins, under Coach Fraser.

1968: School Record for Wins

In 1968, the Hurricanes set a new school record with 27 wins, under Coach Fraser.

1969: Inaugural ACC Player of the Year Award

Following the 1969 season, the ACC Player of the Year award was first given to the Atlantic Coast Conference's most outstanding player.

1969: School Record for Wins

In 1969, the Hurricanes set a new school record with 31 wins, under Coach Fraser.

1971: Stadium Project Begins

In 1971, Ron Fraser's dream of building an elite on-campus stadium began to take shape with initial support from George and Ethel Light.

1971: First Postseason Appearance

In 1971, the Hurricanes made their first postseason appearance, competing in District III in Gastonia, North Carolina.

1972: Another Winning Season

In 1972, the baseball team had another winning season.

February 16, 1973: Opening Night at New Stadium

On February 16, 1973, the new stadium opened with a crowd of 4,235 as the Hurricanes defeated Florida State 5-1, executing a rare triple play.

1973: Beginning of Elite Era and NCAA Regional Appearances

In 1973, the Miami Hurricanes baseball program began its rise to elite status and started a record streak of 44 consecutive years of NCAA regional appearances.

1973: Scholarships and 40-Win Season

In 1973, the baseball team received scholarships for the first time, leading to the program's first 40-win season.

1973: Increased Fan Attendance

In 1973, the program averaged 848 fans a game.

1974: Second Donation from Lights and Death of George Light

In 1974, George and Ethel Light made a second donation to build permanent concrete seating at the new facility. George Light died in 1974 shortly after he and his wife made their second donation.

1974: First College World Series Appearance

In 1974, the Hurricanes made their first College World Series appearance and came close to winning the national championship.

1974: College World Series Championship Game

In 1974, the Hurricanes reached the championship game of the College World Series but lost to USC 7-3.

1977: Stadium Dedication

In 1977, the stadium was dedicated and named for Mark Light, the son of George and Ethel Light, who died of muscular dystrophy.

1978: Inaugural Golden Spikes Award

In 1978, the Golden Spikes Award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the MLBPA, was first presented to the best amateur baseball player in the United States.

1978: College World Series Appearance

In 1978, the Hurricanes made another appearance in the College World Series.

1981: Led NCAA in Average Attendance

Beginning in 1981, Miami led the NCAA in average attendance for 5 straight seasons.

1981: Inaugural ACC Coach of the Year Award

Following the 1981 season, the ACC Coach of the Year award was first given to the Atlantic Coast Conference's most outstanding coach.

1981: College World Series Appearance

In 1981, the Hurricanes made another appearance in the College World Series.

1982: Increased Fan Attendance

By 1982 average attendance had skyrocketed to 3,217.

1982: Sweeping Through Atlantic Regional

In 1982, the Hurricanes swept through the Atlantic Regional in Coral Gables en route to Omaha.

1982: National Championship

In 1982, the Miami Hurricanes won one of their four national championships in college baseball, solidifying their status as an elite program.

1983: Unable to Defend Championship

In 1983, Miami was unable to reach Omaha to defend their championship from the previous year.

1984: College World Series Appearance

In 1984, the Hurricanes reached the College World Series but were eliminated after losses to Arizona State and Cal State Fullerton.

1985: College World Series Run

In 1985, the Hurricanes reached the College World Series by beating Florida and then pulled off three straight one-run victories to force a championship game against Texas.

1985: National Championship

In 1985, the Miami Hurricanes secured another national championship, marking their second title in baseball.

1987: Inaugural Dick Howser Trophy

In 1987, the Dick Howser Trophy, named after Dick Howser, was first presented to the college baseball player of the year.

1989: DiMare Begins College Baseball Career

In 1989, Gino DiMare started playing college baseball under Ron Fraser at the University of Miami.

1992: Ron Fraser's Retirement

At the end of the 1992 season, Ron Fraser retired, having led the Hurricanes to Omaha four more times, winning 1,271 games and making the postseason 21 times in his 30 years as head coach.

1992: DiMare Ends College Baseball Career

In 1992, Gino DiMare's baseball career came to an end at the University of Miami under Ron Fraser.

November 4, 1993: Morris Named Head Coach

On November 4, 1993, Morris was named head coach of the Miami Hurricanes.

1997: DiMare Served as Assistant Head Coach

In 1997, Gino DiMare served as an assistant head coach for the University of Miami baseball team until 2008.

1999: National Championship

In 1999, the Miami Hurricanes baseball team achieved national championship victory, marking their third national title.

2000: Creation of Johnny Bench Award

In 2000, the Johnny Bench Award was created to honor college baseball's top Catcher, named after former MLB player Johnny Bench.

2001: National Championship

In 2001, the Miami Hurricanes baseball team won their fourth national championship.

2003: Alex Rodriguez Donation

In 2003, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez donated $3.9 million for stadium renovations, leading to the stadium being named in his honor.

2004: Joined Atlantic Coast Conference

In 2004, the Miami Hurricanes baseball team became a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

2005: Inaugural ACC Pitcher of the Year Award

Following the 2005 season, the ACC Pitcher of the Year award was first given to the Atlantic Coast Conference's most outstanding pitcher.

2005: Creation of Stopper of the Year Award

In 2005, the Stopper of the Year Award was created to honor college baseball's top relief pitcher and is administered by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

2006: Ron Fraser Inducted into College Baseball Hall of Fame

In 2006, Ron Fraser was inducted into the inaugural class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock, Texas.

2006: College Baseball Hall of Fame Founded

In 2006, the College Baseball Hall of Fame was founded by the College Baseball Foundation in Lubbock, Texas, to preserve the history of college baseball in the United States.

2008: DiMare Served as Assistant Head Coach

In 2008, Gino DiMare served as an assistant head coach for the University of Miami baseball team since 1997.

2008: ACC Tournament Title

In 2008, Morris led his team to the ACC tournament title.

2008: Won ACC Baseball Championship

In 2008, the Miami Hurricanes baseball team won its first ACC conference championship at the ACC Baseball Championship.

2012: DiMare Served as Assistant Head Coach

In 2012, Gino DiMare served as an assistant head coach for the University of Miami baseball team until 2018.

2014: DiMare Named Head-Coach-in-Waiting

In 2014, Gino DiMare was named the head-coach-in-waiting by Morris.

2016: End of Consecutive NCAA Regional Appearances

In 2016, the Miami Hurricanes' record streak of 44 consecutive years of advancing to the NCAA regionals came to an end.

2018: DiMare Served as Assistant Head Coach

In 2018, Gino DiMare served as an assistant head coach for the University of Miami baseball team since 2012.

2019: DiMare Hired as Head Coach

In 2019, Gino DiMare was hired as the head coach of the University of Miami's baseball team.

2021: Ranked Best College in Florida for Baseball

In 2021, College Factual ranked the University of Miami as the best college in the state of Florida for prospective NCAA Division I baseball players.

June 8, 2023: DiMare Resigns

On June 8, 2023, Gino DiMare announced his resignation as head coach after the Hurricanes were eliminated in the first round of the Regional Division I tournament.

June 26, 2023: J. D. Arteaga Named Head Coach

On June 26, 2023, J. D. Arteaga, the longtime Hurricanes associate head coach, was named the new head coach of the program.

Mentioned in this timeline

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