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Miami Hurricanes Dominate Niagara 14-2 in Explosive Opening Night

On3 photo -2by:Izubee Charles•about 19 hours•

IzubeeCharles

Bobby Marsh
Bobby Marsh (photo courtesy of Miami Athletics)

While it may have been Valentine’s Day Friday night in Miami (1-0), love and happiness were in the air for a different reason at Mark Light Field as the Hurricanes took on the Niagara Purple Eagles (0-1) on opening night of the 2025 season.

From the first pitch to the last swing, it was all Miami at the Light Friday after a 10-run fourth inning opened the floodgates for the Canes, who went on to a 14-2 victory.

“Great opening day win for many reasons,” Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga said. “Obviously winning 14-2 is a great feeling, and we had the opportunity to get pretty much every offensive player into the game. Niagara is a better team than they played tonight, so expect a better team to show up tomorrow and Sunday. All in all, a great night for us.”

Ahead of this season, second-year Miami coach J.D. Arteaga overhauled his roster, bringing in 29 new players to help turn things around after a woeful 2024 campaign. One of those additions was former Penn State transfer Bobby Marsh, who could not have asked for a better debut in the orange and green. In his UM debut, Marsh, who is called Bobby Barrels by his teammates, went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate while driving in four runs as well. 

“I felt really good, and the game felt really slow,” Marsh said. “I think we can put that to J.D. and all of our coaches. Preparations for us and all the long hours and practice on this field helped slow the game down, and it felt like practice and another day.”

Following his first outing as a Hurricane, Marsh gave thanks to his Miami coaches and teammates for welcoming him to the program after spending time at both Penn State and FAU. 

“The coaching staff and the players made that a very easy decision,” Marsh said. “I felt like family as soon as I stepped on campus. It’s been my dream school, and I’ve always wanted to be a Miami Hurricane. Talking to the coaches throughout my recruitment made it a very easy decision. I love this university and really do enjoy playing with this team. I think we’re going to be really special this year.”

While Miami’s roster may look very different from last season, one familiar face got the start on the mound Friday, and that was sophomore right-handed pitcher Nick Robert, who will look to solidify himself as Miami’s pitching ace this season.

“It was fun and I was really excited to get back out there with the boys,” Robert said. “Just glad we got the win. There were some nerves for sure, butterflies, excitement, everything. At the end of the day, it’s just baseball, and if you don’t have nerves, I don’t know if you’re doing it right.”

Ahead of Friday’s contest, Robert says he was hoping to put his talents on display under the bright lights. He did just that after allowing just one run and four hits in five innings while striking out four batters. By the fifth inning, the majority of Miami’s starters had their numbers called as well. 

Last season pitching depth was a major issue for Arteaga and the Canes, who attempted to address this offseason, and he called this year’s bullpen the deepest he has seen during his time at Miami. Following Robert’s five-inning outing, we saw Miami pitchers Reese Lumpkins, AJ Ciscar, Lazaro Collera, Ryan Ashford, and Tate DeRias to close out the evening for the Canes.

Arteaga’s thoughts on their performance? 

“It was good to see,” Arteaga said. “From the pitching side, Nick (Robert) did a good job going five strong, and we had the chance to put four guys after him who made their first pitching appearance for the Canes, so it’s always nice for them to get their feet wet.”

Another talk of the offseason was freshman outfielder Michael Torres, who many around the program believe has the potential to impact this year. The South Florida native wasted no time doing just that, driving in Miami’s first run of this season in the second inning. 

“It was a great at-bat and a great approach,” Arteaga said. “I know he had two strikes on him and hit a liner up the middle, stayed behind the ball, kept it simple, and didn’t get too big. It was his first at-bat in college, so I couldn’t imagine how amped up he was. For him to gather himself and settle down with two strikes and put the ball in play was a great job by him.”

As a team, Miami would finish opening night with 12 total hits and no errors compared to Niagara’s six, who last season won the MAAC Championship and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Regionals. 

A final thought from Arteaga ahead of game 2 of Miami’s first weekend series of the year?

“Hopefully we see the same excitement and energy as opening day,” Arteaga said. “That’s always a challenge in a sport like ours. It’s so repetitive, and there are so many games. It’s easy when you’re playing Florida State or Florida in a big rivalry game or it’s opening day. But after that, it’s a challenge, and they have to recognize that.”

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