PRESEASON: THURS 29 OCT 2026 Week 4 finally got underway 45 minutes after its scheduled 9:15 AM start. Rain, a King Tide, and poor field conditions forced the cancellation of Tuesday’s scrimmage, and the ground crew worked diligently this morning to prepare the field for today’s game. Because Tuesday’s scrimmage was rained out, we saw nine innings with three pitching groups, each throwing three innings. It was a showcase for bullpen prospects looking to climb the depth chart. The first two pitching groups kept things competitive, with no runs scored until the fifth inning. The final group struggled with control, issuing a combined seven walks and allowing four runs. There were 13 hits overall, including multiple hits by two batters. The defense had a couple of errors but also turned a trio of double plays and made two standout catches in right field. The team has another day to prepare before facing FAU on Saturday at 1 p.m. The scrimmage will run 12 innings, not the 10 previously reported, with each team sending five batters to the plate per inning, regardless of the number of outs. Ivan Sabater and Daniel Lopez started the game, and neither allowed a run, though both faced challenges. Fabio opened with a single against Ivan and advanced to second when Easton Kitura was hit by a pitch. Fabio took an aggressive lead off second but was picked off by catcher Devin Diaz. Ivan struck out two in the second while allowing a walk and a single to Alonzo Alverez; no runs scored. In the third, another baserunning mistake led to a pickoff, this time catching Devin Diaz in a 2-4-5 play. Overall, Ivan Sabater turned in a good outing in the rotation. Daniel’s first inning went quickly, with three groundouts. After such a strong start, he flipped the switch and ended the inning with three walks and the bases loaded. He flipped the switch again in the third, striking out two of the three batters he faced. Like Ivan, he had a solid outing, and both look like strong options for regular-season relief work. Andrew Gette and Trenton Ramsey followed. Dawson Harman opened the fourth with a single but was caught in the day’s first double play, a 1-6-3 turned on RJ Diaz’s ground ball. The bottom half of the inning brought a near replay: Jose Lopez led off with a single and was caught in a 4-6-3 double play on Anthony Murphy’s grounder to second. In the 5th, the offense finally broke through, with each pitcher giving up a run. Trey King opened the 5th against Andrew, drawing a walk. Brandon Degoti intended to lay down a SAC but instead got a single as the ball hugged the third-base foul line all the way to the bag, with the catcher, pitcher, and third looking on. Andrew walked Rookie Shepard to load the bases.  A fielder’s choice 6-5 scored the game’s first run, followed by the third DP, 4-6-3, hit into by Michael Torres. Trenton played a key role in the unearned run he allowed. A routine 3-1 groundout by Fabio turned into an E1 on the relay, advancing Fabio to second. One batter later, Gabriel Milano doubled to right-center, scoring Fabio. Both returned in the sixth inning. Andrew allowed a single to Jon Mora, who stole second, but left the runner stranded. Trenton walked two but, like Andrew, surrendered no runs. Like the two pitchers before them, both will be good bullpen additions. The final two pitchers of the day were Tyler Van Valkenburg and Kaden Valera-Payne. Both faced plenty of offensive pressure and struggled through the seventh, each giving up a pair of runs. Devin Diaz opened the inning against Tyler with a single, and Anthony Murphy closed it with another single, as Tyler gave up two runs. Kaden also surrendered two runs after RJ Diaz led off with a double. Fabio followed with a bunt single and advanced to second, while Diaz got a strong jump and scored on a close play at the plate. Fabio later scored on two ground balls. Kaden’s struggles continued into the eighth, as he walked Torres and Alverez before Trey King drove in a run with an RBI single. Brandon DeGoti advanced the runners with a 1-3 sacrifice, and Tyler then walked his final batter, Rookie Shepard, loading the bases. Fortunately for Kaden, he retired the side in order in the final inning. Overall, this outing likely did little to improve his standing on the charts. Tyler recorded the first two outs in the eighth before issuing consecutive walks and ending the inning with a strikeout. In the ninth, he walked another batter while seeking the final out, then closed the scrimmage with a fly ball to right. Like Kaden, he showed little upward trend in the bullpen, though he fared better of the two. Offensively, Fabio Peralta and RJ Diaz were the only players to record multiple hits. RJ Diaz and Gabriel Milano each hit a double. The team recorded 13 hits, and the pitching staff controlled the game for six of the nine innings, striking out 13. The pitching performance dipped in the final three innings. Saturday’s matchup against unfamiliar pitching should make it clearer what to expect. One final scrimmage before Saturday’s showdown with FAU. The field should be ready, but the weather may not cooperate. Forecasts show a 50% to 75% chance of rain, depending on the source. Tomorrow’s scrimmage is scheduled for 9:15 a.m., with a lower chance of rain. We could consider moving it to Sunday, but the forecast isn’t any better. For now, we can only hope for the best. The post Groundskeepers are putting the finishing touches on the field ahead of today’s scrimmage. appeared first on Miami’s Community News. ...read more read less